1500 super low carbon heroes on bikes waiting for the off! Photo Credits: Kirk Hollis
The annual classic Car Free Day was this year held in Sarapi district which is the home to Chiang Mai's unique historical site of Wiang Khum Kum, the sunken capital city of Lanna that pre dates Chiang Mai's 716 years.
Young Student Bike Riders
The event with more than 1500 cyclists from every district as far as Mae Rim and Sankampaeng, all belonging to the Chiang Mai Cycling Network registration was bright and early with clear blue skies across the mountains accompanying the riders.
Ladies from Chiang Mai Sunday Cycling Club
It was a great community event and a big Thank-you goes to everyone as the whole district participated from local residents, Staff at the local Sarapi Hospital, Women's cooperatives supplying huge amounts of food; a local respected Monk Pra Ouan and temple groups involved with addressing social issues, celebrated local muscians singing traditional playful tunes in Lanna's own unique language of Kam Muang. Students from the local school band playing the morning national anthem at 8am with the supportive local head government officer Nayok of Sarapi district over seeing the proceedings.
Nayok of Ampur Sarapi, LCLN, Kritsada Kampaengkaew of Chiang Mai Cycling Network, Chiang Mai Sunday Cycling Club and supporters LCLN Says No to BLACK EXHAUST SMOKE, No to BURNING, REDUCE to FOSSIL FUELS
Local community well being group LCLN and HEUSP were again invited to join the annual event signing up new cyclists to the LCLN Chiang Mai peoples pledge supported by the global community action 10.10global.org where we cut our carbon use every year by 10% with more than 6000 + Chiang Mai pledges signed to date. LCLN supporters were there with the crowds early morning chatting with locals promoting awareness on how we can all play our part towards a low carbon future, explaining the health risks to all the community and how together we can stop the big three of urban illegal black exhaust smoke from diesel trucks that go unchecked every day, burning of fields, forests and toxic trash and changing to renewable fuel and energy sources.
Young bike riders need extra care on the roads and don't forget your mask!
Chiang Mai Cycling Network
He's looking good!.....high visability cycling gear, forearm UV protectors, visor, wraparound shades, unique lanna coconut husk bike helmet with rear red light attached plus a face mask...and your ready to hit the streets!
Line up of all the community members including Nayok of Sarapi District, Kirk Hollis of LCLN, Kritsada Kampaengkaew coordinator of the Car Free Sarapi Event 2012 and event staff.
LCLN Says to help Reduce the Black Diesel Smoke you must reduce the speed limit around the City Moat, Schools, Markets, Hospitals and all public spaces.. Turn off your engines while waiting, red lights or on a school run. LCLN Says Yes to Clean Healthy Low Carbon Chiang Mai! Care for Kids, Share the road!
Bejing, London, LA, Denver, Katmandu, HK all have heavy daily smog... so let's make Chiang Mai the first SEAsian healthy low carbon city..on your bike!
You can join Lanna Community Life Network - LCLN or HEUSP activities on a local, regional or global level - everyone with 'energy, ideas and community skills' are always welcome.
Businesses, organisations, schools, teachers and parents wishing to support LCLN contact us to find out more on how your business can sign up to the LCLN pledge.
Contact LCLN by email or local mobile Khun Punika 0892634422 Thai/ English, Ms Hui 0846146702 Mandarin and Caroline 08321523621 for English/ Thai - all ages and nationalities welcome!
.." Good Actions Require Everyone's Cooperation.."- Jing Si
These projects have zero official funding and rely solely on the positive energy generated within our Chiang Mai Community
Like LCLN on facebook! Caroline Marsh is co-founder of Chiang Mai based independent tour operator Trekking Collective Co.,.."Hands on Expertise, Ethical travel and Authentic Experiences contribute to making a difference to local communities and the environment." A social designer, passionate about new experiences, travel and environmental well being she writes for regional travel sites and coordinates local 'grassroots' community peoples actions for a better future society
LCLN supporters during the King's 84th Birthday celebrations and National Environment Awareness Day.
Lanna Community Life Network (LCLN) in action this year, we are now half way through 2012 and LCLN have been pro active in supporting global, regional and local initiatives in Chiang Mai during 2012 promoting awareness in the community.."what can we all do to help reduce the future effects of climate change?"
Let's start the year with His Majesty the King's 84th Birthday celebrations on the 5th of December 2011 with the joint purpose of highlighting annual Thai National Environment Day on the 4rd December.
LCLN joined hands with prominent Chiang Mai citizens and well known environmentalists including Acharn Kanowan Ukoskit of Northern Organic Certification Association (NOSA) Acharn Sawat Chantalay of Yupparaj High school coordinator of the Global citizen connect classroom initiative, an award winning conservationist.
"Loving Kindness Bolsters the World" - Pra Sutas, Kirk and Caroline of LCLN
Joined by other LCLN supporters on the day including Pra Sutas of Wat Prathat Doi Saket
LCLN say's NO to BURNING our forests and fields, causing extreme cycles of floods,drought and water shortages!
During the National Environment AwarenessEvent 2-5 Dec sponsored by the Environment Office Region 1 headed by Khun Apiwat Kunarak held in the green shaded setting of JJ Hobby Market
Grade 5 students from Puttisopon Primary School sign the LCLN pledge
LCLN invited participants to sign up to the 10:10 Chiang Mai peoples pledge an initiative designed to encourage voluntary community participation to lead Chiang Mai towards a healthy low carbon city starting with the date 10:10:10 combining global initiatives of 101010.org and 350.org with more than 5,000 people in Chiang Mai signing the LCLN pledge to date. Watch this Open Chiang Mai VDO!
Alex Putnam of Open Chiang Mai chats with LCLN
5 year old students and teachers @ Anubahn Panee Nursery
LCLN says a big Thank-you to Yupparaj High School students and connect classrooms coordinator Acharn Sawat Chantalay, Puttisopon Primary School students under Social studies teacher Kru Nongluck and Panee Nursery head teacher Kru Maem whom are ' very aware' participants in the Holistic Environment Urban School Program (HEUSP) a project to impove wellbeing for schools within the old city produced some fabulous hand painted banners to put on display during the event.
8 year old Puttisopon Primary School Students asking for a healthier future for kids!
Saturday 14th January, 2012, we had heavy showers during the 3rd Low Carbon Children's Day event, but the rains didn't dampen the fun and the early morning soak brought relief to trees and plants and the community's health after an unusually arid dry spell for cool season.
Two brothers pledged to care for their new Jackfruit tree, the leaves will trap unclean air from dirty car exhast smoke and dust produce clean oxygen and delicious fruit when mature....a win win situation for all!
Holistic Environment Urban School Program [HEUSP] and LCLN [Lanna Community Life Network] joined Acharn Duongchan Charoenmuang and the UDIF team held at the centre for urban sustainable development, a landmark in the old city, located in the lovely listed teak building and the old city's first earth built house planted with local varieties of trees and plants from northern Thailand.
Quick change after the rains...Tomoko and Caroline helping out at the event
HEUSP and LCLN members representing The UK, Thailand, Japan, China and the US were handing out giveaways of local economic plants and trees to children and their parents, both signing a 'plant pledge' to care for their plant and be part of the solution to reduce the CO2 in the air!...more trees and plants means more oxygen in the air we all breathe.
3rd time lucky...this lovely family have visited our booth and faithfully plant trees every year...keeping their pledge to a Healthy Low Carbon Chiang Mai
The plants chosen for their usefulness, easy to grow and size if you consider growing plants in an urban setting, with many people not having gardens, so they can be grown in an old bucket or pot. There were 7 varities such as the edible JackFruit and a sustainable timber source, Black Soap plant which has an attractive red flower, but not to be eaten and the nuts can produce an oil. also 'bai plue' which is an edible easy to grow plant eaten with a number of local healthy 'raw food 'Lanna dishes.
Caroline a member of HEUSP and LCLN presenting a 'Fartalaijoan' plant in reused bags to the director of YMCA
during the event.....we are all someone's child and grown up children can celebrate too!
'Fartalaijoan' was a very popular givaway and is one of the most important Thai medicinal herbs for many illnesses which the leaves can be eaten fresh or as a herbal tea, dried and in capsule form, but this plant is not for the faint hearted or sweet toothed as it is also famous for being the most bitter of the medicinal plants. From preventing or bring down high fevers and from personal experience getting over hepatitus A its an amazing cure all!
Respected Doctors in Women and Children's Health demonstrate against the chronic air pollution
March 2012, During the hight of the regional burning respected Doctors and teachers, concerned citizens, schools and students, local NGO's, LCLN and fellow community groups joined hands and face masks!
LCLN says YES to a healthy Chiang Mai and No to BURNING and BLACK EXHAUST SMOKE!
To demonstrate against the high risk and health effects of chronic burning and black diesel car exhaust on the community and particularily our children.Its official WHO announced in June 2012 that diesel particles cause lung cancer. This is not only locally, its a regional and a global problem. Seasonal air quality in Chiang Mai is the same as London, Forests burning in South East Asia, USA and Siberia affects us here in Chiang Mai. Burning mature trees is one of the main causes of severe flooding that we witnessed in Bangkok followed by drought in many provinces all playing their part in the extreme weather we now experience around our shared planet.
NGO's and community groups question the part large corporations play in the health of the planet?
Growing corn ( not a local crop) for animal feed, biofuels and new investment in large real estate projects
Students of Yupparaj High School Conservation and Environment Club join the event
..."We are all part of the problem we must all take conscious steps to be part of the solution!"......
Women Organic farmers from ISAC at the Friday Market @ Puttisopon
School receive an unique recycled 10:10 logo for their
contribution towards a low carbon future!
May 2012. To thank supporters of the 10:10 global initiative in Chiang Mai the London 10:10: head office made gifts of their unique 10: 10: logo made from the recycled metal body of a passenger plane!
LCLN member Hui from China, Sawat Chantalay and Claire Newbold from the UK
July 4th, 2012!LCLN supported activities with Yupparaj High School during visits by participating schools in the global citizen connect classroom initiative organised by school coordinator Acharn Sawat Chantalay with arranged visits to UDIF Urban Creative Solutions Centre and their well known award winning environmentalist director Acharn Duongchan Charoennmuang.
International relations school coordinators, Ms Claire Newbold from Garendon High School, Leicster,UK., and Mr. Asep Saepudin, SMP Negeri 1 High School, Bogor, West Java, Indonesia invited students and teachers to sign the LCLN peoples pledge on behalf of their Schools for a low carbon future for all.
SMP High School,West Java, Sawat Chantaly, Josh Melby for UDIF and Caroline, LCLN
You can join Lanna Community Life Network - LCLN or HEUSP activities on a local, regional or global level - everyone with 'energy, ideas and community skills' are always welcome.
Businesses, organisations, schools, teachers and parents wishing to support LCLN contact us to find out more on how you can sign up to the LCLN pledge.
Contact LCLN by email or local mobile Khun Punika 0892634422 Thai/ English, Ms Hui 0846146702 Mandarin and Caroline 08321523621 for English/ Thai - all ages and nationalities welcome!
These projects have zero official funding and rely solely on the positive energy generated within our Chiang Mai Community
.." Good Actions Require Everyone's Cooperation..."Jing Si Caroline Marsh is co-founder of Chiang Mai based independent ethical tour operator Trekking Collective Co.,.."Expertise, Ethical travel and Authentic Experiences contribute to making a difference to local communities and the environment." passionate about new experiences, travel and environmental well being she writes for travel sites and coordinates local 'grassroots' community peoples actions for a better future society for all.
