The haze is back - and with a vengeance. The air quality in Kuala Lumpur today is far worse than it was when I was the United States ambassador in 1997, the last time that KL's beautiful skyline disappeared in the smog for over two months.

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's government should be congratulated for lifting the "national security/top secret" embargo on the air pollutant index. But telling the people what the API number is only confirms what everyone's body already knows. All you have to do is look at the air and take a deep, smelly, and unhealthy breath, and you know that something is wrong.

When I read malaysiakini 's many articles on the "haze" the past few days, I was surprised that many people say they do not know what to do about the haze or how to protect themselves - even though the haze has returned many times since 1997.

Malaysians have an absolute right to be angry with the Indonesian government, which year after year has allowed its farmers - and more importantly, its timber companies - to take the cheap way out and burn the land, rather than spending the extra time and money that would be required to clear it with machinery and labour, rather than fire.

But being angry at the Indonesians doesn't answer the question of how to protect yourself today.

In 1997 we spent a great amount of time at the US embassy studying the "haze" in order to decide what to do to protect our employees and our families, both American and Malaysian, from a potential health threat. We consulted a number of US government agencies and medical specialists.

I would like to share that knowledge with malaysiakini readers. Obviously, whatever I say might be dated. There might be more up-to-date research. There are others who are far more knowledgeable than I am. But I hope that this will be a start, and that malaysiakini can become a source for practical and accurate information on how Malaysians can protect themselves from the haze.