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hedda_foil

(16,368 posts)
28. The land itself is on fire.and the greenhouse gas emissions are larger than the U.S. emits
Sun Nov 1, 2015, 02:02 AM
Nov 2015

Nor do the greenhouse gas emissions capture the impact on the people of these lands. After the last great conflagration, in 1997, there was a missing cohort in Indonesia of 15,000 children under the age of three, attributed to air pollution. This, it seems, is worse. The surgical masks being distributed across the nation will do almost nothing to protect those living in a sunless smog. Members of parliament in Kalimantan (Indonesian Borneo) have had to wear face masks during debates. The chamber is so foggy that they must have difficulty recognising one another.

It’s not just the trees that are burning. It is the land itself. Much of the forest sits on great domes of peat. When the fires penetrate the earth, they smoulder for weeks, sometimes months, releasing clouds of methane, carbon monoxide, ozone and exotic gases such as ammonium cyanide. The plumes extend for hundreds of miles, causing diplomatic conflicts with neighbouring countries., attributed to air pollution. This, it seems, is worse. The surgical masks being distributed across the nation will do almost nothing to protect those living in a sunless smog. Members of parliament in Kalimantan (Indonesian Borneo) have had to wear face masks during debates. The chamber is so foggy that they must have difficulty recognising one another.





http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/oct/30/indonesia-fires-disaster-21st-century-world-media
Thanks for the article. Americans should have taken a hint as to the seriousness of these fires Fred Sanders Oct 2015 #1
Thanks for the chart. It highlights the madness of these fires Liberal_in_LA Oct 2015 #5
Yes, madness, corporate madness. The madness of greed. mountain grammy Nov 2015 #18
The world is not looking away. SusanCalvin Oct 2015 #2
good point Liberal_in_LA Oct 2015 #4
yes. 840high Oct 2015 #6
And yet many millions DID know they were happening. Hortensis Nov 2015 #42
Indonesia is burning..photos Liberal_in_LA Oct 2015 #3
K & R malaise Nov 2015 #23
Message auto-removed Name removed Oct 2015 #7
From your link: How Indonesia's fires became one of the world's biggest climate disasters Liberal_in_LA Oct 2015 #8
I can't believe that this is ignored by the media. This is a huge problem! bbgrunt Oct 2015 #9
Why on earth isn't this getting more coverage? virgogal Oct 2015 #10
Erik Meijaard: Indonesia's Silent Tragedy in a Connected World Liberal_in_LA Oct 2015 #11
Thanks so much for the article. I'm too virgogal Oct 2015 #12
"Why on earth isn't this getting more coverage?" Cal Carpenter Oct 2015 #13
No Kardashians . . . hatrack Nov 2015 #20
Because it demonstrates one of the true costs of. "Free Trad e" JDPriestly Nov 2015 #32
It has been getting coverage - unless your primary source of news is TV. Nitram Nov 2015 #45
k n r cui bono Oct 2015 #14
So much of this is the result of corporate policies.. mountain grammy Nov 2015 #15
^^^^^^^ This Duppers Nov 2015 #31
Don't feel helpless. Sign petitions regarding Palm oil. Look for products using sustainably Liberal_in_LA Nov 2015 #39
I saw this on BBC World News last week. It is getting coverage IcyPeas Nov 2015 #16
K&R Stardust Nov 2015 #17
This is extremely sad and upsetting. And man made. So jwirr Nov 2015 #19
Palm Oil = sugar, candy, snacks hatrack Nov 2015 #21
Got you. jwirr Nov 2015 #22
Palm oil is the most widely consumed vegetable oil on the planet, and it is in about half of all Liberal_in_LA Nov 2015 #24
Thank you. There is something we can do to help this situation. jwirr Nov 2015 #25
US manufacturers also have an interest in keeping this under wraps. $$ involved in finding substitut Liberal_in_LA Nov 2015 #34
Thanks. ronnie624 Nov 2015 #30
Caused by global warming? scscholar Nov 2015 #26
No. Purposely set to clear land to plant Palm trees that produce Palm oil. Fires set where there is Liberal_in_LA Nov 2015 #29
More pics ... lpbk2713 Nov 2015 #27
“For 11 months, they enjoyed nice air from Indonesia and they never thanked us." Liberal_in_LA Nov 2015 #33
The land itself is on fire.and the greenhouse gas emissions are larger than the U.S. emits hedda_foil Nov 2015 #28
K & R +1000. Very important thread. Duppers Nov 2015 #35
You were ahead.of the curve Liberal_in_LA Nov 2015 #40
Please don't hate the "blissfully ignorant." chervilant Nov 2015 #43
It's uplifting to hear how you've inspired young people. Duppers Nov 2015 #44
KnR! n/t Admiral Loinpresser Nov 2015 #36
Holy hell, that's aweful. blackspade Nov 2015 #37
Yes.that is why so much attention on Palm oil Liberal_in_LA Nov 2015 #38
Well, we can take comfort in the fact that, at least, a few obscenely rich people valerief Nov 2015 #41
More here. proverbialwisdom Nov 2015 #46
Kicked and recommended! Enthusiast Nov 2015 #47
The capitalist system has caused such devastating environmental disaster. The bizarre quest Dont call me Shirley Nov 2015 #48
What's so bizarre about it? The2ndWheel Nov 2015 #50
The rewards of conservation, cooperation and compassion are far more than materialistic. Dont call me Shirley Nov 2015 #53
Thanks for posting Omaha Steve Nov 2015 #49
They give us slave labor - why would we protest? whereisjustice Nov 2015 #51
Recommended. proverbialwisdom Nov 2015 #52
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