http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/singapore-haze-hits-worst-level-yet-indonesia-sends-planes-copters-to-fight-sumatra-fires/article12738670/?service=print
This topic is probably a few days outdated. I haven’t heard any problems regarding the haze in the past week after coming back to Singapore. However, I can’t not talk about this problem since one country is receiving all the blame. I’m pretty annoyed at what some people have to say about the haze. For example, they label the Indonesians who burn trees as ‘selfish’. I can’t say for sure that they’re not but I kind of get why they do it.
We are talking about farmers; poor farmers. These people have families to take care of but have no money to do it. They need land; fertile land. And the quickest way to get this is by burning trees whose ashes will serve as fertilisers for the soil, hence providing land good for growing crops for either commercial or personal reasons. Yes, they’re doing it for themselves but I can hardly call it selfish. They’re merely trying to survive. They’re not educated enough to comprehend about the world’s environment. They can only afford to think about the things that are directly affecting them in present time. I believe it’s only natural that they prioritise their family over people they're not very familiar with.
If you were in their shoes, with a family to support, farming as an only job option, would you really care about the haze that is caused by burning trees? Probably not. You’d probably limit your thoughts and worries to what’s in front of you.
Another thing is that it’s been confirmed that the Sumatra tree burning isn’t the only thing causing the haze. I’ve heard on the news that a few non-Indonesian companies are also to blame for this haze situation. Indonesians are not totally responsible. But I guess listening to the opinions of a little girl is not worth the time.
-L
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