Ecuador Moves to Protect Amazon

An executive order in Ecuador closes off a large section of its forest to oil drilling, mining, lumbering and colonization.

Oil is Ecuador’s largest export, but drilling has polluted large areas of its forest, and has recently moved into remote land belonging to indigenous peoples. The decree prevents economic exploitation of the Cuyabeno-Imuya and Yasuni national parks, which located closely together total 2.7 million acres, and are home to 10,000 Indians.