• Global warming –The massive carbon emissions from peat fires makes them a major contributor to the global increase in atmospheric CO2. The Kyoto Protocol, to which Indonesia is a signatory, obliges ratifying countries to reduce CO2 emissions by $5% of 1990 levels by 2012. Based on the findings of Hooijer et al (2006), eliminating Indonesian peatland fires completely would achieve this in one fell swoop.
• Reduced light intensity – Smoke blocks out the sun, reducing light intensity. Sunlight intensity can decline by up to 92% under thick smoke conditions, negatively influencing plant photosynthesis rates (Davies and Unam, 1999) and possibly reducing food security in the region.
• Potential influence on El Nino South Oscillation (ENSO) – ENSO has far-reaching effects on world climate. The frequency of El Niño events is thought to have increased since the mid-1970s, due to global warming (Trenberth and Hoar, 1997). This could create a positive-feedback loop: increased burning increases atmospheric CO2 concentrations, which raises temperatures, and increases the frequency and severity of ENSO events, thereby increasing the incidence and severity of future fires, etc.