She aint spooky
It was the choking haze from agricultural fires in Indonesia over the past fortnight
Minifigures Series 13 - Spooky Girl
The haze is a regular occurrence, with the region wheezing through outbreaks every year during the dry season
What Happen?
The main cause is illegal fires started in peatland and forest on Indonesia's Sumatra island and the Indonesian part of Borneo to quickly and cheaply clear land for palm oil and pulp and paper plantations
The outbreaks started in 1997, with what is still regarded as the most serious haze on record. It followed rapid expansion of plantations in the preceding years, and coincided with an El Nino weather system that made conditions drier than usual in Indonesia
How bad is it this year?
More than 2,000 fire "hotspots" -- either areas already on fire or very hot and likely to soon go up in flames -- were detected by satellites on Sumatra and Indonesian Borneo Tuesday, with the situation exacerbated by an El Nino weather system that has made conditions tinder-dry
Who Suffers?
The haze has a devastating impact on daily life every year on Sumatra and the Indonesian part of Borneo. This year, air quality has hit hazardous levels, tens of thousands have contracted respiratory illnesses, many flights have been cancelled and schools closed.
But why is it still happening after all these years?
Although starting fires to clear land is punishable by long jail terms and hefty fines in Indonesia, law enforcement is weak and corruption rife.
Major companies have "zero burn" policies, meaning they have vowed not to clear land using fires. But activists are sceptical that all firms are sticking to their pledges, and small landowners have also been blamed for starting fires to clear land.
However, environmentalists note that few convictions have resulted from such probes in the past.
