Brown cloud of death: Indonesias industry is killing SE Asia

Many of Southeast Asias cities are being blanketed in an acrid, smoggy mix of smoke and ash from forest fires, industrial emissions, and vehicular exhaust. Land-clearing agricultural fires in Indonesia, mostly in the province of North Sumatra, are producing much of the smoke and causing many to point the finger at the Indonesian government and the countrys pulp, paper, lumber and palm oil corporations. NASA satellite imaging has recorded some 3,000 fires in Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia so far this year, though Burma, Laos, Cambodia and the Philippines are not entirely blameless.

Though last years Hazepocalypse embarrassed Indonesia and prompted promises of action against further fires by its government, it seems little has been done so far. Drought conditions are not helping.

Smoke and haze over Sumatra on March 12. Pic: NASA/GSFC/Jeff Schmaltz/MODIS Land Rapid Response Team

From the Guardian:

From Palangkarya in Borneo to Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, the air has been thick, the sun a dull glow and face masks obligatory. Schools, airports and roads have been closed and visibility at times has been down to just a few yards. Communities have had to be evacuated and people advised to remain indoors, transport has been disrupted and more than 50,000 people have had to be treated for asthma, bronchitis and other respiratory illnesses in Sumatra alone. Last week more than 200 Malaysian schools were forced to close, and pollution twice reached officially hazardous levels.

Around half the fires are burning on industrial logging land and palm oil plantations. By not controlling the fires on their land (whether theyve started them or not), these mega-corporations are not only poisoning Southeast Asia, theyre also shooting themselves in the foot. The president of Indonesias Asia Pacific Resources International Limited (APRIL), which is Asias second-largest pulp and paper firm,recently announced that the company is itself a victim of the fires, which have cost it $5-6 million US.

Indonesias environment minister recently announced that legal action is being taken against 45 companies involved in slash-and-burn land clearing and deforestation in the country.

Airpollution, and were talking about both indoors and outdoors, is now the biggest environmental health problem, and its affecting everyone, both developed and developing countries.

The risks fromairpollutionare now far greater than previously thought or understood, particularly for heart disease and strokes. Few risks have a greater impact on global health today thanairpollution. The evidence signals the need for concerted action to clean up theairwe all breathe.

Maria Neira, WHO public and environmental health chief (via AFP)

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Brown cloud of death: Indonesias industry is killing SE Asia