Oil Exploitation in the Ecuadorian Amazon Rainforest - please help

[Triana]

Why is oil exploitation bad?

Simply speaking, oil exploitation in the Ecuadorian Amazon is bad for the people, for the environment, and for the local economy. A brief look at Tenaâs northern neighbors, oil-towns Lago Agrio and Coca, shows this problem. Reckless oil exploitation has caused contamination of the ground, rivers, and air. Both cities suffer from social problems such as malnutrition, prostitution, and crime.

Indigenous groups in the Amazon have a direct relationship to their land, and its pollution and invasion of oil workers (and colonists and missionaries who will arrive from the building of roads) have caused diseases, migration to the cities, as well as other negative impacts. This has also caused indigenous groups to abandon some of their traditional practices and systems of organization, which has led to a partial loss of their identity.

Petroleum companies in Ecuador exploits resources without paying attention to the negative impacts. The benefits are concentrated into only a few hands, especially private enterprises. This generates destruction of the environment and causes violations of human rights without creating sustainable investments in the communities.

...

You can help!

One way that you can help is to write and send letters to specific members of the Ecuadorian government, as well as the Ecuadorian ambassador in your country. All of the contact information is included on this page. In addition, there is a sample letter written for you to either copy, adapt, or use as a model. You can e-mail it, or print it and either fax it or send it through the mail. An individually-written letter mailed or faxed to the recipient will have the strongest impact, but a short e-mailed letter is effective, as well. If you are considering writing your own letter, you may want to see Amnesty Internationalâs letter-writing guide, at http://www.amnesty.org/campaign/letter-guide.


http://www.kallari.com/oil.html

[The Backlash Cometh]

1. Isn't this the case that Perkins reported in his book,

"Confessions of an Economic Hitman?"

[Triana]

2. I haven't read that book, save a few excerpts which made me so angry..

...so I don't know. It's certainly possible. It just burns me up to no end that these oil companies want to destroy this place. There are HUNDREDS of species of plants, trees, and animals that only live/grow here - nowhere else on this planet. There are cures for diseases there. Have you tasted the chocolate that comes from there? Some varieties won't grow anywhere else on the planet.

And the oil companies and even factions of the damn Ecuadorian gov't (with Republican attitudes) want to destroy this land and take it from the indigenous people.

It's just disgusting. :mad:

[liberal N proud]

3. With gas prices soaring again, we should all support oil exploration

anywhere that the regime feels necessary!

:sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm:

[Triana]

4. It's a good thing

you had that sarcasm indicator on...

:evilgrin: