In Spite of Zero Deforestation Pledges, Fires Rage in Indonesia

For the past month, as fires rage in Indonesia, more greenhouse gases entered the atmosphere than produced by the entire US economy during that time, reports the World Resources Institute. That’s a startling fact. The fires are an annual event as companies illegally clear more of Indonesia’s precious rainforests for palm oil plantations and drain peatlands for pulp and paper production. Accounting for 85% of the country’s greenhouse gases, this year fires could catapult Indonesia to the world’s biggest emitter, from #5 now. 2015 could be the worst yet with about 95,000 fires so far, according to the Global Fire Emissions Database. Even worse, much of what’s on fire are peatlands, which hold some of the most concentrated carbon stores on Earth. Methane is also released. And this is in some of the most biodiverse areas left in the world. Widespread fires cause hazardous air conditions – choking haze – over much of Southeast Asia, affecting millions of people, and sending 500,000 for medical treatment this year. "As governments prepare to meet in Paris to save the world from catastrophic warming, the earth in Indonesia is already on fire," says Bustar Maitar, Indonesian Forest Project Leader for Greenpeace Southeast Asia. […]

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