Indonesia is burning. So why is the world looking away?

[Jonathan Fairfield]

OPINION

Indonesia is burning. So why is the world looking away?

I’ve often wondered how the media would respond when eco-apocalypse struck. I pictured the news programmes producing brief, sensational reports, while failing to explain why it was happening or how it might be stopped.

Then they would ask their financial correspondents how the disaster affected share prices, before turning to the sport. As you can probably tell, I don’t have an ocean of faith in the industry for which I work. What I did not expect was that they would ignore it.

A great tract of Earth is on fire. It looks as you might imagine hell to be. The air has turned ochre: visibility in some cities has been reduced to 30 metres. Children are being prepared for evacuation in warships; already some have choked to death. Species are going up in smoke at an untold rate. It is almost certainly the greatest environmental disaster of the 21st century – so far.

And the media? It’s talking about the dress the Duchess of Cambridge wore to the James Bond premiere, Donald Trump’s idiocy du jour and who got eliminated from the Halloween episode of Dancing with the Stars. The great debate of the week, dominating the news across much of the world? Sausages: are they really so bad for your health?

What I’m discussing is a barbecue on a different scale. Fire is raging across the 5,000km length of Indonesia. It is surely, on any objective assessment, more important than anything else taking place today.

Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/oct/30/indonesia-fires-disaster-21st-century-world-media

Related: Drone footage of Indonesian fires

Related: Indonesia: Millions in harm's way due to forest fires

[shirtless]

They know Indonesia does not give a hoot about emissions and wont put a dime into any UN scam, , Its only corporations breaking the rules so its not like a private citizen could do it.

[Aachen]

You have a limited view of the world.. I just talked to a friend in Germany and he told me of several TV films about the general problem and the view of the people living in the smog. So: The world knows, but politics???

[trogers]

I would offer to burn all the forest off all lands of Indonesia in one fell swop. Let this country continue burning for a decade.

[faraday]

I would offer to burn all the forest off all lands of Indonesia in one fell swop. Let this country continue burning for a decade.

Are you a real person, or one of those Spambots thats having a Psychotic Episode?

Coz I find it hard to believe that anyone could make such a dreadful comment like this

[Vandadavid]

Gods work

They execute people and are sinners

[JHolmesJr]

Indonesian stance on smoke is well known….

[ggt]

The world is not looking away...they can not see thru all the smoke!

[Ulic]

The Indonesian government has turned a blind eye to the burning for years as it is done by the

wealthy land owners converting the forests into mega palm oil plantations. The Indonesian

government ignores the agreements it has with Singapore and Malaysia to stop the burning.

The only issue is this year because of El Nino the fires have burned longer than usual. It is

entirely within the Indonesian governments power to stop the practice but they do not want to.

The only hope is the citizens suffer enough that they rise up and replace the current

government with one that promises to put an end to the practice. So in short, in order

for it to get better it has to get worse. Only when the citizens really suffer so they

remember to vote for someone else will things change. Mandatory jail sentences for

the people who own the land and if it is owned by corporations mandatory jail sentences

for the companies board of directors and plantation managers. Also confiscation of the land.

Simple.

[randyT]

Yep-looks just like North Thailand every fall.

[Dustdevil]

Also, ASEAN countries have a gentleman's agreement (if not signed one) that precludes them from "interfering" in each other's domestic affairs. In SE Asian parlance, "interference" means voicing a complaint or negative opinion. Moreover, people like former Malaysian dictator Mahathir was totally anti-environment. Malaysia still is--look at the palm plantations. They're choking on their own stupid policies now. The people never had a voice in the environment.

Edited October 31, 2015 by Dustdevil

[Mudcrab]

Who lit the fires?

Indonesians.

And we should feel guilty?

Indonesia should be paying compensation to all the countries affected by their lack of control.

[wotaplonker]

I must admit i was troubled when the black gal with big norks was eliminated from Strictly, oh and that russian <deleted> type that is banging the ex rugby player,

shame on the voters

[silent]

I would offer to burn all the forest off all lands of Indonesia in one fell swop. Let this country continue burning for a decade.

So it's a little like Mississippi Burning to you I gather. If you haven't seen it I recommend it.

Three American civil rights' workers, James Earl Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael "Mickey" Schwerner, were shot at close range on the night of June 21--22, 1964 by members of the Mississippi White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan

Edited October 31, 2015 by silent

[ozyjon]

Researching the topic, i am alarmed at two things

(1) Peat swamp soil is the result of thousands of years of accumulation of organic

material. Left alone, it is one of the most effective landscapes on earth for sequestering carbon.

But when drained and ignited, it releases a carbon bomb into the atmosphere.

(2) The animals, vegetation and people that are displaced by this.

- - - WHAT CAN WE DO - - -

The answer is simple, people power, find out what products use palm oil

and blockade them, don't buy their products same for the paper pulp, make

it a public awareness campaign and put them out of business, the underlying

factor is greed, you can make a difference.

Edited October 31, 2015 by ozyjon

[bangkapi]

Hey!! They gotta put out those fires!! They didn't pay for their "carbon credits"!!!

Don't they realize how they are affecting the climate!!

I mean the science is indisputable!

Sarc off.

[oncearugge]

Diplomatic pressure and economic sanctions will extinguish the fires.

All ASEAN countries affected should co-operate in making Indonesia understand the power of sanction.

[kiwikeith]

They know Indonesia does not give a hoot about emissions and wont put a dime into any UN scam, , Its only corporations breaking the rules so its not like a private citizen could do it.

Australia went there with fire fightiers and water dumping helicopters only spent 2 weeks there and went home ----- strange I thought.

It seems that fire fighters from international origins are not wanted.

This firmly points the finger at corparate and political corruption and a sad, sad day for human and animal life.

If David Attenborough lives long enough future documentries will be about insects and children will only see stuffed animals in the Zoo.

Ther will be no shortage of soi dogs however.

[spidermike007]

Indonesia has an enormous responsibility to stop this nonsense. They must impose an immediate and complete moratorium on new palm plantations. It might be the only way to stop this catastrophe. And they need to impose severe penalties on offenders caught burning. There have got to be other ways to clear the land. 10-20 year prison sentences handed down to the executives of the companies that are responsible, would stop this problem in one months time.

Short of that, the other solution might be worldwide sanctions on Indonesia. They are a huge economy, and that would really hurt them, and might send a strong enough message. It appears they are not taking this seriously, while the neighbors suffer.

[chaiyapoon]

Indonesia doesn't feel remorse over lost animals or scarce wild fruit trees. They don't much care about their own people either. Never mind the genocide that has gone on for decades of the native peoples of West Papua who they think are animals to be slaughtered and moved out of the way. No one seems to care.Indonesia has seen so many deaths they don't seem to worry about a few more.