Here is the plan being advocated by the many of the worlds’ top biologists and Save America’s Forests. Instead of building a 54 km access road, we are strongly urging the Ecuadorian government and Petrobras to utilize the “off-shore” model of oil development. In other words, treat the primary rainforest as an ocean. Thus, roads can’t be built—instead, everything needs to be transported using helicopters.
Save America’s Forests is aggressively advancing this compromise for three reasons. First, given the economic realities of Ecuador, Ecuador has approved oil drilling in Yasuní. Although Save America’s Forests ideally opposes oil drilling in Yasuní, we don’t see a viable way to completely prevent oil drilling in Yasuní
Therefore, we are advocating that any drilling that occurs is done in the least ecologically damaging manner, which includes not building any access roads.
Second, the science is quite clear that roads are the most devastating parts of an oil operation in a primary rainforest environment. Roads provide instant access to previously virtually inaccessible rainforest, and quickly become magnets for colonists and hunters. There is a direct relationship between roads and deforestation and unsustainable hunting.
For the third reason, you need to continue the slide show. |
