Change the behavior of celebrating Loy Krathong this year to preserve the environment for the long term.
During the Chinese New Year, we must pay respect to the gods and ancestors to ask for blessings for good luck and prosperity. However, this year, PM2.5 has reached critical levels. If we light firecrackers and burn paper, our lungs will be unable to handle it.
The Chinese New Year week has arrived. Many people are probably going out to buy things to prepare for worshiping gods and ancestors for good fortune in life. And what we are used to seeing during the Chinese New Year festival are probably joss paper and firecrackers. But this year, PM2.5 is more than our lungs can handle. If we burn paper and light firecrackers to increase our lungs, we will probably have to beg for our lives.
Environmental Impact of Chinese New Year
The environmental impacts of Chinese New Year are mainly air pollution from burning joss paper and noise pollution from lighting firecrackers. Every year we hear the loud sound of firecrackers and smoke billowing from burning paper almost everywhere. So how much of an impact does burning paper and lighting firecrackers have on the environment? Today, yologreennews has the answer.
- Setting off firecrackers: Setting off firecrackers not only creates loud noises but also causes PM2.5 and toxic fumes. This is because when setting off firecrackers, there is a lot of smoke from burning strings and paper. If a large number are set off, it will increase PM2.5 in the atmosphere.
- Burning joss paper: Of course, burning paper creates a lot of dust and smoke, and requires a lot of paper, which affects the cutting of trees to make paper. The main problem this year that is prohibited from burning is PM2.5.
Ways to reduce environmental impact during Chinese New Year.
1. Reduce firecrackers: In addition to causing noise pollution, firecrackers also cause PM2.5. If we want to reduce the use of firecrackers, we can use LED lights or electronic fireworks instead to reduce the environmental impact.
2. Reduce burning joss paper: Burning is the main cause of the increase in PM2.5. If we change from burning joss paper to donating or making merit, in addition to gaining merit, we will also help the environment.
3. Reduce food waste: When Chinese New Year comes, there is a huge amount of offerings or food. Some years, there is a lot left because we don’t finish eating, causing a lot of food waste. Therefore, we should plan the amount of offerings appropriately or share the problem with others.
The beginning of 2025 was really tough for the country. We had to face the PM2.5 problem that was at a critical level. The best thing we could do now was to reduce the sources of PM2.5. If we stopped burning and lighting during this Chinese New Year week, the PM2.5 problem would definitely decrease and not increase dramatically.