QUITO, Ecuador - Ecuador will open bidding for a major oil project in a jungle nature reserve in June if the poor Andean country does not receive international funding to abandon the proposal, the oil minister said Monday.
The government is seeking a minimum of $350 million a year from the international community for 10 years not to drill in the Ishpingo-Tiputini-Tambococha fields located in Yasuni National Park, in Ecuador's northeastern jungle. The money is to compensate Ecuador for income it would have generated by drilling for oil at the site.
The jungle area, which holds close to 1 billion barrels of crude, is part of a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Some environmentalists say the reserve has more varieties of plant life than the United States and Canada combined.
See link - http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071211/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/ecuador_drilling_park
Question - What are your thoughts ?
2007-12-13 17:42:04 · 11 answers · asked by Anonymous in Politics & Government ➔ Government
That's environmental extortion.
2007-12-13 17:58:42 · answer #1 · answered by wider scope 7 · 3⤊ 2⤋
It's easy to simply say that Ecuador is trying to extort money from other countries to protect this reserve, but that's not really what is going on here.
As a developing country, Ecuador does not have the wealth to ignore a valuable commodity like oil. In terms of profit, the country would likely best be served by drilling. Instead, they are opening up the process to international support, in order to preserve this region. This is basically the best they can do.
Not a perfect situation, but at least the reserve can be saved.
2007-12-13 18:10:04 · answer #2 · answered by buzzfeedbrenny 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The situation you are dealing with is a principled position the dems canno't lose. Way to much at stake here. They have caved into the enviros for the last 25 years. They have taken a lot of money from these people and promised to protect them. Now that is being threatened, And this secret cash cow of the left is in serious throws of being exposed. So they have to fight this. Pelosi, Reid Obama all of them. This is why the people of this country have to do something about the leadership in this dem congress. These people are not concerned for one nanno second about the rank and file American, this is all about money. And party line. So again the American citizen gets screwed by its own party and congressional leadership over dollars, SO what else is new.
2016-05-23 12:09:36 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Even if they did drill the government and the corporations would get everything and the people would get nothing. So why would they want to ruin their country and their land for a little bit of nothing they would not get anyway. Gosh why are third world countries so stupid can't they just look at what we have done with our country and not see that it is horrible to rape the little land you do have. We could not even survive on the wild plants we do have because people would cut them down because they think they are weeds.
2007-12-14 03:07:18 · answer #4 · answered by Vivianna 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Well what does this say about Ecuador's govt.? CORRUPT! It's a UNESCO Reserve for a reason & once again man's greed for materialistic wealth in this very moment comes out to play. Noobs.
2007-12-13 17:54:30 · answer #5 · answered by ~*~HEAD OF HIPPIE CAMP~*~ 2 · 3⤊ 1⤋
3rd world countries are poor becuz the U.S. is rich. but the U.S. is in Iraq for the oil. so who is to know what it will really be. ecuador can't afford to drill without others support, hopefully they will get it in time. i personally think we need to go back to horses and carriages. it was less pollution for mother earth.
2007-12-14 02:13:12 · answer #6 · answered by crystal spring 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You can't really blame a developing country for trying to do what they're doing, the developed nations of the world have been pillaging the Amazon for centuries. Hopefully it's a bluff, but who knows?
2007-12-13 17:47:23 · answer #7 · answered by qu1ck80 5 · 2⤊ 3⤋
They're a sovereign country so they can do whatever the hell they want with their territory...
It's an interesting way to try and blackmail environmentalist, but it probably won't work.
2007-12-13 17:44:48 · answer #8 · answered by gbluebone 2 · 3⤊ 2⤋
Either they need to profit from oil or their environment. Every country does that.
2007-12-13 17:49:36 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋
so let me get this straight they (E) want nations like (U) as in united states to pay (E) to not mess with national park on (E)'s land. I am rolling here omg. Cut it down make your oil why the hell should we pay
2007-12-13 17:47:26 · answer #10 · answered by Thomas L 3 · 1⤊ 3⤋