Asia’s Haze Is a Danger for Everyone
Plantation fires in Indonesia are becoming a global crisis. They need a global response.
Your problem too.
Photographer: Samsul Said/Bloomberg
A toxic haze is hovering over Malaysia this week, snuffing out sunlight, forcing school closures, creating a public-health crisis and contributing to climate change. My apartment in Kuala Lumpur is home to two large air filters that run day and night, and remind me that my young son hasn’t been able to safely play outdoors in weeks.
None of this comes as a surprise to locals. Every year, neighboring Indonesia sets late-summer fires on a huge scale to clear forests and farmland. The smoke then drifts over Southeast Asia, lingering for months. It’s a perennial disaster. But for decades, the region’s governments have failed to address it. Doing so now will likely require a global effort — and the European Union may be perfectly positioned to help.