Indonesia Fires: What Can Be Done About Them
by Antonio Pasolini
Indonesia has become the site of the greatest environmental disaster of the 21st century. Since August, raging fires have enveloped the country in a film of smoke. Wildlife, including the iconic orangutan, has been displaced or burned alive, and one third of them are in serious danger in the islands of Sumatra and Borneo. Rhinos and tigers are also threatened.
Fires are nothing new in Indonesia—they are deliberately started to make way for palm oil plantations and other crops. But this year, due to a stronger-than-usual El Nino season, the fires have spread to national parks and primary forests, home to already endangered wildlife.
The problem is so massive that it affects the whole globe. According to the Global Fire Emissions Database, so far there have been around 100,000 active fire detections in Indonesia. Since September, they have generated more daily emissions than the average U.S. economic activity.
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Image credit: OuTrop
Corporate Social Responsibility writer for Justmeans, Antonio Pasolini is a journalist based in Brazil who writes about alternative energy, green living and sustainability. Besides Just Means, he contributes articles on emerging technology to Gizmag. He is also a happy herbivore.
