Every year, large parts of Southeast Asia are blanketed by a thick dirty smog, unlovingly referred to as the haze. Residents choke, asthmatics remain indoors, children are barred from playing outside and the authorities seem to think it’s a kind of price the people must pay for progress.

Of course, their arguments are nonsense. But the haze is back, so be prepared for the regular excuses trotted out to justify the slash and burn techniques used by Indonesian farmers that cause the thick smog, or why Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta are incapable of finding a solution.

Read more in The Diplomat.