Illegal Slash-and-Burn Fires Are Causing Smog Problem in Indonesia

Skies above Indonesia have been blanketed with smog as wildfires burn throughout its forests. Ignoring environmental laws, companies are using the practice of slash-and-burn to clear land for palm oil plantations. The illegal fires decimate rainforests and peatlands and fill the air with lethal levels of smoke, as seen in this NASA satellite image taken on August 27. Indonesia’s pollution index hit a record-high 401 earlier this month; any reading above 400 is considered life-threatening to the elderly and sick. Palm oil is the world’s largest vegetable oil commodity and demand is rising rapidly, causing massive damage to tropical forests, especially in Southeast Asia.