Comments on: Hazy Days

By: sam

sam — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 15:19:41 +0000

very nice site with some great post keep up the great work

By: medodobird

medodobird — Fri, 20 Oct 2006 11:27:51 +0000

the last time the haze was so bad was in 97/98… wasnt that when the indo economy was at its worst?

By: Johnny Malkavian

Johnny Malkavian — Fri, 20 Oct 2006 05:08:20 +0000

I have an idea too. Turn the plantation into a live firing area. Hold live firing exercises. Regularly.

By: aw

aw — Fri, 20 Oct 2006 01:36:50 +0000

“when the Indonesian economy is doing well, the haze gets worse”

I think this is not a direct correlation. While clearing land, stock market shoots up? Of course not. As a banker, I’m surprised you made this coffeeshop-esque comment. I hate the haze too, but your sentence is grasping at straws. Money is only made when the crops are actually harvested. Economy growth has many factors anc contributors from many sectors besides agricultural.

By: porcorosso

porcorosso — Tue, 17 Oct 2006 15:21:12 +0000

porco is inclined to think these fires are on a much larger scale than subsistence farming would indicate – the area cleared for a family to farm would be small and is unlikely to cause the amount of haze we see – also if there is a correlation, when the Indonesian economy is doing well, the haze gets worse. Surely subsistence farming remains the same regardless of the health of the domestic economy.

By: anonymous

anonymous — Tue, 17 Oct 2006 13:30:13 +0000

add on to post no. 7:

why do they “slash and burn”? the matchstick is way cheaper than renting/buying trucks or bulldozers to clear the land properly. most of these farmers aren’t educated about environmental damage. even if they do realise it, they continue to raze the forest so, knowing that fire is a good slave but a bad master. if it gets the job done and at minimal cost, why not give a shot?

By: anonymous

anonymous — Tue, 17 Oct 2006 13:24:08 +0000

in the first place, i think subsistence farmers are the main culprits. they “slash and burn” the land for the cultivation of their own crops, selling whatever extras for monetary income. i may be wrong about this.

whether these farmers are working the land under the control of a landowner, that i have no idea.

but it may well be the big plantation owners who are behind this smoky pall.

By: porcorosso

porcorosso — Tue, 17 Oct 2006 03:03:52 +0000

porco thinks rich indonesian plantation owners would not be banking with local banks, in any event, porco is not about to shed any tears for private bankers …

By: kajagoogoo

kajagoogoo — Tue, 17 Oct 2006 01:12:44 +0000

If we implement this excellent solution, we will have clear skies and lots of unemployed private bankers and share prices for big local banks going south. Do you want to have private banking trained taxi drivers?

By: porcorosso

porcorosso — Tue, 17 Oct 2006 00:58:32 +0000

well, we’ll just have to see if anything gets done …