InfoSAWIT, JAKARTA – Mass media reported more than fifty fires in Canada. More than one third in Quebec were in flame, Thursday (8/6/2023). The thick smoke from fire covered up New York City and Washington Monument USA for the past few weeks. Millions of people suffered from the smoke and air pollution. It covered up schools, and play grounds. This could be the worst toxic air pollution in the history of USA recently.
The crisis described to the world that it is dangerous when the forests are in flame. Unhealthy air pollution from the fires in forests in Canada might be a new thing and frightful for million men in east coast of USA. It could be the routine reminder that disturbs the western country and reminder for the future, as scientists said.
But some environment non-government organizations in international scale which always protested smoke if happens in tropical countries, such as, Indonesia, do not panic. They do not blame (any institution) just like they did to Indonesia or other tropical countries.
Some climate scientists showed that the fires in the forests are astounding but it may happen for the public because of global warming. This is not a new thing and even always happens in west coast of USA. Since 2017 California was getting eight of ten fires in the largest forests. Six of the fires were very damaging. What happens with the fire in the east region?
Australia got the same thing in the past several years while Indonesia consistently controls the fire in the forests as minimum as it could. New administration of Brazil also showed the same commitment to control fire.
“The western countries are always in fire, such as, Canada but the important thing is that we did get much smoke in the crowded civilization. Many got the impact,” Loretta Mickley, Co-leader of Grup Pemodelan Kimia Atmosfer Universitas Harvard, said, as quoted from The Harvard Gazette.
The latest fires in the forests showed that it needs the same action to prevent fire in the forests and areas. Blaming and slandering one particular commodity, such as, palm oil in tropical south region because of the smoke and fire could be a big mistake.
The world is committed to prevent the increasing temperature up to 1,5 Celsius degree in pre – industry level to prevent the worse climate issue that could be worse to hunger, conflict, and drought in the world. United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change acknowledged Common but Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities (CBDR–RC) which means, United Nations acknowledged different ability and responsibility from each country to solve climate change. United Nations also admitted that developed countries did deforestation and carbon emission for such a long time.
That is why developed countries and North Global are committed to realize net zero emission in 2050, such as, USA, Canada, and European Union. Meanwhile Global South are variative, between 2060 and 2070. India and China promised to realize it in 2060, while India decided more pragmatic target in 2070.
How to realize net zero emission when every fault is led to Global South?
Environment and climate crisis call out non-discriminative and same responsibility to solve the issue. Blaming one certain party would not deliver solution. The most effective way is to formulate cooperation globally and regionally to solve the root of the issue and help to prevent it happen again.
This case could be a reminder that Indonesia and Malaysia would be in El Nino cycle that could raise fire in the forests and smoke for many regions. In history, when fire happened, palm oil industries would be good target to blame. With the perception and pressure from environment NGO, palm oil companies would be accused and investigated by legal officers. Sometimes, the fake accusation would be a loss for the company in reputation and in financial.
The crisis in Canada should open our eyes that the fires in the forests and areas can happen anywhere because of many factors. They could be natural phenomenon, human error with not special thing with certain development or activity.
That is why to anticipate the El Nino which could be happening, we predicted there would be more intensive fire and smoke. In history, the fire in the forests could happen for some factor combination, such as, fire the area to get substance agriculture, new planting to get agriculture activity, and incidentally fire by habitual action in the society, such as, not serviced gas stove, throwing smoke which lit still.
The crisis also urged action in the global level to escalate prevention.
Indonesia as the Chairman of ASEAN this year could promote ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution 2002 in the global level. In 2015 Indonesia ratified this agreement that cover to get the same prevention, preparedness, same emergency in national scale, distribution procedures, technical and collaborative helps to scientific research. This kind of cooperation could be increased among Global South countries to establish more powerful cooperation to prevent the fire and smoke which they blamed up.
The conclusion could be, UNFCCC that acknowledge the different ability and responsibility from each country to solve climate change, the fires in Canada, are the reminder for everyone that it needs the same climate action.
The fire in the forest and smoke in Indonesia was to be politicized and manipulated to blame certain commodities or accusing some certain parties to serve their personal interests.
For the climate crisis mitigation, we have to stop blaming and politicized any climate disaster.
It would be better for us to develop the same understanding and interpretation about fire in the forest and cooperate constructively to prevent the same incident happen again. (*)
By: Edi Suhardi and Agam Fatchurrochman / Sustainability Analysts
