Khun Siributr Wangchana, 70, of Ban Hua Fai village breathes...

MAE MOH, LAMPANG, THAILAND - 2004/11/27: Khun Siributr Wangchana, 70, of Ban Hua Fai village breathes with the help of an oxygen tank at his home in Mae Moh district. As a result of his respiratory ailments, Khun Siributr, once a prosperous local merchant, has had to sell of parts of his home and property to pay for his medicine. Environmental activists and villagers in the Mae Moh area believe that emissions from the Mae Moh power plant are the principal cause of respiratory disease in this area. An abnormal number of villagers in vicinity of the power plant are dying of respiratory related illnesses. Mae Moh district in northern Thailand's Lampang province is home to Southeast Asia's largest lignite fired power generating facility. Villagers in the area have long complained that the plant, which supplies north and northeast Thailand with power, is contaminating the surrounding area and poses a hazard to their health as well as damaging agricultural land. The Mae Moh Power Plant, as it is known, began operations about 30 years ago and, despite being dogged by accusations of excessive pollution and evidence that locals are suffering respiratory problems as a result of burn-off from the plant, has continued to expand production. Environmental activists in Thailand and elsewhere see the plant as an example of unclean power technology that should not be repeated in other countries. Proponents of coal and lignite plants say it offers cost effective energy with relatively little impact on the environment. (Photo by Yvan Cohen/LightRocket via Getty Images)