The smog that has blanketed Southeast Asia from Sumatra to the Philippines the last several summers is returning with the beginning of the dry season. The culprits, again, are plantation owners who burn forests to clear land, an illegal act that has usually gone unpunished. The government has ordered them to stop, but forecasters are worried that if they don’t, smog this year could rival the worst of 1997 because burning has started earlier than usual and there’s little rain in sight. Be prepared to limit strenuous outdoor activity.
