Ecuador to drill national park unless the world pays!!!???

[Red-Tailed_mustang]

This is just stupid!!!! What is wrong with people/Governments?? >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.

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.

Ecuador to drill park unless world pays - Yahoo! News

[Masahiko]

hopefully the world will pay up. its not that much money considering how much we spend in Iraq. it would be a great loss if they were to drill and destroy that jungle. i bet there is some crazy stuff living in there.

[Red-Tailed_mustang]

Well Would it not be better to put more money into alternative fuels?? You can run diesels on straight vegetable oil!!!! Which most restaurants will give away for free!!! It only makes you get 10% less MPG But its free and smell like French fries!!??!!!

[stalk]

Just in interest of fairness, it is a very poor area that would be benefitting from this. I'm taking a guess (albeit educated one) that the people living there have a low quality of life compared to even the poor people here. I can imagine that these people are feeling like "why should we do what everyone wants and keep the nature when we are the ones who suffer for it, and they are the ones who gain?"

Maybe doesn't break things even, but it's often good to look at both sides of the story.

[Red-Tailed_mustang]

You really think the people will get the money?? Well the people who need the money?? If you look at most South and Central American country's their are a few wealthy people and the rest are very very poor. Even Mexico is the same way.

[stalk]

Originally Posted by Red-Tailed_mustang

You really think the people will get the money?? Well the people who need the money?? If you look at most South and Central American country's their are a few wealthy people and the rest are very very poor. Even Mexico is the same way.

I'm not saying they will get 350 million dollars. I'm saying they will have a job that pays money if they allow oil companies to drill there.

[Red-Tailed_mustang]

I'm sorry I just don't see the need?? Destroy the planet to make money?? What is going to be gained from that?? People will make money yes but at what cost? When is it going to be enough?? How much damage needs to be done before people wake up?? The poor people will make bread crumbs compared to the already rich/wealthy people anyway so that brings use back to square one.

[Masahiko]

well, in our lovely world, governments own land and do what is necessary to thrive. it is a sad truth, but truth none-the-less.

its an interesting approach to compensate for losses they will sustain by not drilling. I hope the world pays, but if not, I hope the ecuadorian govt will see it as their responsibility to preserve the jungle.

[stalk]

I'm not trying to be a devil's advocate here, I'm just portraying both sides of the story. It's easy for me to tell people to not touch National Yosemite Park. But if a third would country would be able to live better because we turned it into whatever... you have to see their side of the story. You can still decide to save the forest if you want at the cost of thousands of starving people. But it's easy to feel that way when you are not the one who is hungry.

I'm not saying that's the case here at all, just trying to show that there's often more to these types of stories than greenpeace wants you to know.

EDIT: One more thing. Past history has shown that much like Car Factories, adding oil refineries tend to make the surrounding areas into lower middle class areas. Value of homes go up, people have more money which fuels the economy, letting them eat chicken every so often instead of bread crumbs, and so on.

[Red-Tailed_mustang]

Yes I know your not trying to be a Devil's advocate, But they are already the 5th largest oil producer in South America!!!!!!! Why are their people still starving maybe the Government doesn't want them to prosper?? Anyway if the world pays how many country's will follow in their footsteps??