After Ecuador issued a permit to drill for oil in Yasuni National Park in May, there’s already been one of its largest oil spills.
On July 2, state-owned oil company Petroamazonas spilled
660,000 gallons of oil into the Amazon, contaminating the Aguarico and Parahuaico rivers where the indigenous Cofan, Secoya, Kichwa and Shuar communities drink, bathe, and fish, reports Amazon Watch.
These are some of the same communities that still suffer from Chevron’s toxic legacy of contamination there – with a 20-year lawsuit remaining unresolved.
The crude has reached Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve and three weeks later, no action has been taken by the environmental ministry:
So much for careful oversight and operations in one of the most
biologically diverse and culturally sensitive places on Earth.
Read our article, Ecuador Issues Permit to Drill in Yasuni National Park.
Please sign this message asking Environmental Minister Tapia to revoke Petroamazonas’ license to drill in the Amazon and to make sure it remediates the area and compensates affected communities.
Dear Minister Tapia,
We – as global citizens concerned about the future of the
Amazon and indigenous rights – write to you to express our alarm over Petroamazonas’ July 2 oil spill.
We are concerned that your ministry has not condemned the spill nor forced Petroamazonas to compensate the communities. We
are worried that unless you use your executive power to prohibit Petroamazonas from extending its operations into Yasuní and the south central Amazon, disasters like this will become increasingly commonplace.
Most disturbingly, while your office reports an oil spill
nearly every week, you continue to greenlight Petroamazonas’ plans to expand its drilling to the most biologically diverse and culturally fragile parts of the Amazon. We call upon you to revoke Petroamazonas’ licenses in Yasuní (blocks 31 and 43) and to deny its requests to operate in the south central Amazon (blocks 79, 83, 29, and 28).
Sign here:
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Have we not had enough. What happened to solar and wind power. We are living hell in the Gulf of Mexico and there is no way we want this to happen outside of the us
Thus the destruction of the world … callousness toward real environmental concerns. First Virginia, then New England, then bit by bit the whole of the U. S. with rare exceptions, exploited for money.
It is beyond time to stop this ridiculous and unnecassary search for oil.
We don’t need it. We are killing the planet and all of it’s inhabitants.
Thank you, Presidente Correa!
Irresponsible Earthlings! If you could know the value of your planet throughout space, you would not commit these crimes of ecocide and genocide! You have enough renewable energy resources to run your society without hydrocarbon fuels! you are only doing this to maintain your oligarchical hegemony of financial power! you will be held accountable for your crimes! With the proximity you have to climate change meltdown, there is no excuse for this behaviour! Also, there have already been thousands of deaths and diseases in Succumbios, as well as a double genocide of two entire ethnicities there. You are ordered by the united souls of this universe to desist from your drilling in Yasuni, or face the consequences in this life and beyond.
All I can say is, when Christ returns, He’s coming with a vengeance, to destroy those who have destroyed the earth!
Stop the drilling, think solar power and stop the contamination
The President Correa and its group are another groupfilled with greed like Venezuela, Cuba, Brazil, Bolivia…they will stop at nothing to get money!
this is tragic, embarrassing, and sad for your once beautiful country.
Please stop the destruction and pollution of our planet.. how will you explain to your grand children that you destroyed it and left them with nothing..?
The Amazon is one the most important places on Earth yet it has been ravaged by greed. Please revoke drilling allowances and prevent all future fossil fuel expeditions into the Amazon.
Clean up your mess! Love Mother Earth
Let me starts by saying I’m Ecuadorean and live in Quito. Many of us have stand firmly against yasuni itt exploration, but the government has no ears for any one who is against any of their politics. Populism Is the cornerstone of this government and they need money to keep people happy with short term public policies. I appreciate international help but I have to say that the message you are asking people to sign asking minister tapia to revoque yasuni exploration is completely useless. In ecuador we are living under a totalitary government where congress, ministers etc aren’t autonomous and respond directly to the presidents orders, they are like puppets. Couple years ago the government called to a public referendum to vote for or against things like bull/ cock fights and casinos, however no referendum was called to decide over yasuni exploration. I believe that is much more important and involves much more Ecuatorians. In other words you should know ore about the context of the country to be able to decide what is the best course of action to take to defend yasuni. Once again, thank you for your help but we have to try a different approach. Aguante el yasuni!
Please, people of the Earth, understand that it is not us Ecuadorians doing this damage. Intelligent people are not even cree to speak at the moment.
disgraceful!
shame on the government, shame on petroamazona – a tongue in cheek name, if ever – and shame on our inability, as concerned individuals, world wide, to have an influence on the decisions of these shoddy ‘greed-fueled’ companies
Minister Tapia I call on you to revoke Petroamazonas’ license to drill in the Amazon
I also call on you to make sure it cleans the area, as far as possible
The affected communities can never be compensated, however I call on the government to pledge to protect the environment in future and to set up an independent, international watchdog/body to ensure this is adhered to
Desastrozo, por favor!!!!!
I am Ecuadorian, I hope and pray to God, this is not true!!!
If its true, all Ecuadorians and environmental groups should complaint to international organizations. Pray to God this is not true, Hope president Correa take care of this global problem.
hermanos y hermanas del mundo cuanta Contaminacion hacen en territorios indigena para sacar la riqueza que solo se enriquecen en las ciudades grades y paises ,los indigenas solo nos quedamos invenenadas con desechos toxicos.
los saparas no queremos la explotacion en nuestro territorio ancestralmente,
hemos dicho a nuetro dios Piatsaw que si entran explotar a la fuerza ,botaremos nuestra vidas igual que la tierra ,cuando sacan el petroleo matan a la naturaleza y por eso muriremos juntos
bengando por la naturaleza ya basta de exterminio del mundo Asociacion de mujeres sapara
This is not the way forward. I feek so disappointed to be part of this world when I hear utter recklessness.
I visited Ecuador a few years ago as an eco-tourist. The tribespeople I met were proud of their pristine forest and now it Is destroyed – for what? And just like before many will die due to the contamination. Why can’t we modern humans learn to care for our life support system?
I agree with His Galaptic Majesty Spesh 1