Tác phẩm Turning Rice Straw into Smoke

- Tác giả: Catalin Chitu

- Ngày tham dự: 27/09/2024

- Mã bài dự thi: 601865

- Link tác phẩm dự thi: https://happy.vietnam.vn/contest/gallery-contest-2024/submission/601865

Lời giới thiệu: Each year, after the rice harvest in May and July, a thick haze blankets the Mekong Delta, Vietnam's agricultural heartland. This smoke comes from the burning of millions of tons of rice straw – the leftover stalks after the grain is collected. While farmers traditionally burn the straw to fertilize the soil with ash, this practice has serious consequences for the environment and human health. Vietnam is a major rice producer, and the Mekong Delta is especially productive. Here, around 24 million tons of rice are harvested annually, generating a staggering 26-27 million tons of straw. Unfortunately, only a small portion (20-30%) of this straw is used for purposes like cultivating mushrooms, feeding animals, or making organic fertilizer. This widespread burning releases fine particulate matter (PM2.5) into the air, a major source of air pollution. The smoke also reduces visibility and contributes to climate change by releasing greenhouse gases. For the last few years the government is exploring ways to convert rice straw into a valuable resource rather than a source of pollution.