EDITORIAL : THE BANGKOK POST, THAILAND

 

Proactive stance is critical in Chiang Mai

The number of hits are mounting on Google for ''mysterious deaths in Chiang Mai'', in reference to the seven people who have died suddenly with similar symptoms since early February (see this week's Spectrum), and the case is beginning to attract widespr

The deaths of the seven people _ four of whom stayed at the same hotel, the Downtown Inn, and two of whom had used that hotel's facilities _ are  tragic any way you look at it, but it is conceivable that something similar could happen anywhere in the world. What is potentially so harmful to Thailand's image and well-earned reputation as a relatively safe vacation spot is the perception that the hotel's owner and the authorities are not doing all they can to prevent similar tragedies and to get to the bottom of the mystery. Although it is possible that the deaths are unrelated, it is irresponsible to assume that it is all just coincidence, as has been the official line from the start.

Last week, evidence was presented on the New Zealand TV3 programme 60 Minutes that the insecticide chlorpyrifos may have been responsible for the deaths, as traces of the chemical were found in rooms at the Downtown Inn in which four of the deceased stayed in February, even after the rooms had been cleaned routinely by hotel staff. On the programme, United Nations chemical expert Ron McDowall gave strong support to the idea that the organophosphate chlorpyrifos is a prime suspect.

A Bangkok Post reporter was told last week that the hotel floor where three of the victims stayed has been closed, but that is not enough. The entire hotel should be closed immediately, voluntarily by the owner or at the insistence of the authorities, and it should be done with fanfare, sending a message that public health is the first priority. Then a well-organised and no-holds-barred investigation comprising local, national and possibly international health and forensic experts should be convened to put this deadly mystery to rest.

CRISIS HAS NUCLEAR POWER ON THE ROPES

It is becoming obvious that the earthquake that spawned the deadly March 11 tsunami in northeast Japan has also dealt a serious, if not mortal, blow to the future of the nuclear power industry.

With the realisation that radiation may be escaping from the tsunami-damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant for some time to come, public opinion in Japan is turning against nuclear power. Prime Minister Naoto Kan said last Tuesday that Japan would abandon plans to build more nuclear reactors. Only last year the government released a plan to build 14 new nuclear reactors by 2030 and increase the role of nuclear power in Japan's electricity generation scheme to 50%.

Almost immediately after the Japan disaster, Germany announced a moratorium on nuclear expansion, and a number of other countries have indicated that they are re-assessing their situations. Even the government of China has expressed new concerns over the safety of nuclear power, although it will reportedly go ahead with its ambitious expansion plans.

On Thursday, Tokyo Electric Power Co (Tepco), which operates the Fukushima plant, admitted that a meltdown had occurred at reactor No1.

Tepco said water levels in the reactor are much lower than previously thought and nuclear fuel rods are in danger of being completely exposed, with the release of large amounts of radiation. This news will surely put nuclear power in an even worse light globally.

The future of the nuclear industry will depend on two things: First, on how bad this disaster ultimately turns out to be, and, second, on whether a truly viable non-fossil fuel alternative to nuclear power emerges.

In this regard, projects like the Atlantic Wind Connection are promising. The project is designed to generate massive amounts of cheap energy from wind turbines off the coast of the US state of Maryland by 2016.