The world’s carbon sinks and hotbeds of biodiversity are no more evenly distributed than the world’s oil, with the majority of the world’s rainforests in developing countries. This environmental and economic inequality means the countries concerned struggle to protect their vital habitats.
Ecuador is one of these countries. In an unprecedented conservation initiative, it proposed that the developed world should take some of the responsibility for protecting rainforests, asking for countries and others to put up $3.6 billion to preserve an untouched part of the Yasuni National Park from oil drilling.
Only $13 million has been deposited and the Ecuadorian government has unfortunately but perhaps understandably decided to put its own economic needs first. It isn’t a rich country.
Three billion dollars isn’t very much in this context – the USA provides many times this in subsidies to the already profitable oil industry every year – but the rainforest is irreplaceable.
Tell the US government to play the good guy here and rescue Yasuni.
We the undersigned ask that you step in and provide all or most of the funding requested by Ecuador to protect the Yasuni National Park from oil drilling. Given the economic situation of the country, it is understandable that Ecuador feels unable to avoid exploiting its oil reserves unless compensation is provided, but in the context of the economies of the developed world, the sums involved are insignificant.
Battling climate change doesn’t just involve cutting carbon emissions, it also requires protecting the world’s carbon sinks, and the Amazon rainforests are one of the most important ones. This investment would pay off in terms of protecting an important carbon sink, preserving some of the world’s greatest biodiversity, and in terms of foreign relations.
The current administration claims green credentials and coming to the rescue here would play a huge part in realizing these ambitions.
The oil companies are already preparing to move in, so please take action immediately on this critical issue, providing at least some of the funding requesting with no strings attached apart from halting the drilling.
Thank you for your attention.
