Eco-Apocolypse | Nothing to See Here by George Monbiot | OuTrop Orangutan Tropical Peatland Project

I didn’t know that there have been continued wildfires in Indonesia, many of them triggered by humans, specifically choreographed by the lumber and palm oil industries. They are intent to clear the tropical rainforests, regardless of the damage caused to the local inhabitants, the already endangered biodiversity there and the environment in general. Why is this second largest rain forest which in itself is a jewel, being destroyed? The modern global economic model, profit.

Borneo is burning video

I learned about this, reading the article “The Eco-Apocalypse in Indonesia That No One is Talking About”
which impresses me terrifically, because of the piercing insights and honesty of the writer, George Monbiot. It was reprinted on the site The Mind Unleashed, sourced from George Monbiot’s blog, “Nothing to See Here”
30th October 2015, in which he states “In the greatest environmental disaster of the 21st Century (so far), Indonesia has been blotted out by smoke. And the media.”

Orangutans in the haze shrouding the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation camp

Visit the site to help. http://www.outrop.com/forest-fire-appeal-2015.html

Monbiot writes, “In the greatest environmental disaster of the 21st Century (so far), Indonesia has been blotted out by smoke. And the media…I’ve often wondered how the media would respond when eco-apocalypse struck. I pictured the news programmes producing brief, sensational reports, while failing to explain why it was happening or how it might be stopped. Then they would ask their financial correspondents how the disaster affected share prices, before turning to the sport. As you can probably tell, I don’t have an ocean of faith in the industry for which I work.”

“What I did not expect was that they would ignore it.”

Indonesian Archipelago

The Southeast Asian rainforest is among the 10 Biggest Rainforests in the World.

Geospacial comparison of Indonesia archipelago to the USA_mapfrappe.blogspot.com

Says Monbiot, “Those who commit crimes against humanity don’t hesitate to commit crimes against nature. Though Joko Widodo seems to want to stop the burning, his reach is limited. His government’s policies are contradictory: among them are new subsidies for palm oil production that make further burning almost inevitable. Some plantation companies, prompted by their customers, have promised to stop destroying the rainforest. Government officials have responded angrily, arguing that such restraint impedes the country’s development. That smoke blotting out the nation, which has already cost it some $30 billion? That, apparently, is development.”

The media makes a collective non-decision to treat this catastrophe as a non-issue, and we all carry on as if it’s not happening.

“At the climate summit in Paris in December, the media, trapped within the intergovernmental bubble of abstract diplomacy and manufactured drama, will cover the negotiations almost without reference to what is happening elsewhere. The talks will be removed to a realm with which we have no moral contact. And, when the circus moves on, the silence will resume. Is there any other industry that serves its customers so badly?

Our leverage is weak, but there are some things we can do. Some companies using palm oil have made visible efforts to reform their supply chains; but others seem to move slowly and opaquely. Starbucks, PepsiCo, Kraft Heinz and Unilever are examples. Don’t buy their products until they change.”

4 Ways to Stop Indonesia’s Forest Fires
by Bustar Maitar November 1, 2015

This article was originally published by Greenpeace International. 
It’s been labelled a “crime against humanity,” the “biggest environmental crime of the 21st century,” and most certainly the “worst climate crisis in the world right now.”

1. Just Stop Clearing Forests Already

Fact: stopping forest destruction is one of the easiest and most cost effective ways to prevent catastrophic climate change. It’s estimated that this year’s haze will cost Indonesia’s economy $14 billion.

2. Re-flood, Repair, Regenerate

Re-flooding and implementing other water management measures in critical peatland areas can sharply reduce fire risks — a solution Greenpeace has proposed for years.

3. We Know What You Did Last Summer, and We Have the Maps to Prove It

Greenpeace researchers looked at 112,000 fire hotspots recorded from August 1 to October 26, 2015, which showed that nearly 40 percent of fires had occurred inside mapped concessions: land granted by the Indonesian government to companies for logging or plantation development.

4. Fight Fire by Working Together

The only way to stop these fires is to stop deforestation. Greenpeace is calling for palm oil and paper companies to join forces and enforce a total ban on forest clearance and peatland development in Indonesia. Companies could make this happen. After all, if corporations have the ability to destroy the world’s forests, they also have the power to help save them.
Want to help #StoptheHaze once and for all? Take action today.

“Local fire-fighting teams in Borneo are on high alert, as drought grips the region and fires destroy orangutan forest habitat. Funds are urgently needed to combat the flames.”

Shocking Cruetly: Orangutan Prostitutes in Borneo

Here is how you can get involved, in addition to boycotting Starbucks, PepsiCo, Kraft Heinz and Unilever (among others),

Forest Fire Appeal for HELP 2015 Indonesia

(I am posting this, though I am unfinished editing. I have an emergency situation to attend to, so sorry for any glaring editing errors or gaps in info, until I properly edit more later!!)