Author Archives: conservationlinks

“We have had haze in 1983, 1997-98, 2006, 2013 and now today, but there have been no studies on its effects on biodiversity and ecosystems. The current fires are pumping more emissions than the U.S., yet we have absolutely no clue about its wider effects.”

Five interesting Indonesian speakers who have been on the ground in the worst hit provinces of Indonesia. The following are my notes and interpretation. The most important message: 

Every few years El-Niño and land-use conversion-related peatland fires blanket Southeast Asian population centres with smoke (called haze). The result is globally significant carbon emissions, species extinctions, adverse health impacts and billion dollar losses1–3. While regional governments argue over the root causes and optimal responses to haze2, and the recent Transboundary Haze Pollution Act passed by Singapore has tried to penalize errant companies, it is direct consumer pressure brought about by the prolonged recent haze event that has finally brought errant companies, NGOs and governments to the table in search of a long-term solution.