Singapore: Eco Apocalypse Pics of the Week

These are two of this week’s newswire photos from Singapore depicting the intense air pollution from the Indonesian forest fires. They seem to editorialize, too, on the “haves” doing their usual “while Rome burns.” The second photo, in particular, is cleverly apocalyptic, portending all of us going over the edge.

(The photos also reminded me of this.) I’m wondering how you read these, though, and if you think I’m going overboard.

(photo 1: Joseph Nair/AP via Denver Post “Singapore Haze” slideshow. caption: Tourists in masks and sunglasses take a picture at Singapore’s Merlion as air pollution returned to ‘unhealthy’ levels from the ‘hazardous’ levels of a few hours earlier Friday, June 21, 2013. Air pollution in Singapore has soared to record heights for a third consecutive day, as Indonesia prepared planes and helicopters to battle raging fires blamed for hazardous levels of smoky haze in three countries. photo 2: Edgar Su—Reuters. caption: June 17, 2013. A hotel guest rests in the pool of the Marina Bay Sands Skypark in front of the hazy skyline of Singapore.)