Monday, September 30, 2013

Ecuador destroying rainforest for oil drilling

Ecuador is the home of Yasuni National Park, which is one of the most bio diverse places on the earth. This rainforest has a large population of birds, primates, reptiles, amphibians, and this rainforest has more tree and insect species in 3 acres then Canada and the US combined. Also there are two different groups of people who use the land to survive. But under all of the wildlife is 850 million barrels of crude oil. This is one of the largest untouched oil deposits we still have but unfortunately it’s below a rainforest that doesn’t make Ecuador any profits. Ecuador said they wouldn’t drill for oil if countries would donate $3.6 billion dollars in compensation so they could pay off debts and keep the rainforest so that we can limit climate change. But there weren’t enough donations and now Ecuador is about to release 400 million tons of carbon dioxide along with all of the environmental damage that will occur in the 1% of the park that has all of the crude oil.

I personally do not agree with what Ecuador is doing with this whole situation because they are destroying one of the very few rainforest we have left. When they dig for oil they are hurting the environment by releasing carbon dioxide into the environment and killing the trees that help keep the air clean. They are destroying animals habitat and as a result most animals there will end up dead and completely destroying land that people depend on to survive. We need to save all the natural beauty we still have left in this world and I don’t think they should drill.
--Matt Schissler