GreenWatch

B. McPherson The greed for oil and gas has the Peruvian government breaking promises to never explore for gas in the Amazon Reserve. “The reserve is the territory of several vulnerable uncontacted tribes, and a crucial buffer zone for the Manu National Park, listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site for having a biological diversity that ‘exceeds any other place on Earth.’” Survival International The original exploration for oil in the region was by Shell Oil who cut exploration roads allowing loggers into the region that hosts uncontacted tribes. The result for the people contacted, was death in huge numbers. Some from physical abuse but many, many more from disease. Shell pulled out of the Camisea region which had no oil but has big gas deposits. Peru pledged to leave the reserve as a sanctuary for the uncontacted people, but now has designated a block of land in the reserve for exploration. In an ironic twist, they have named the block Fitzcarrald. Fitzcarrald w...

B. McPherson The Peruvian government has taken a bold step in protecting its environment. They have recently passed a law aimed at illegal or informal miners providing for jail sentences upon conviction. The bill goes further, providing penalties for those who sell equipment to the illegal miners or support the illegal activities. Illegal mining has been blamed for environmental destruction, including the despoiling of reserves and land set aside for indigenous people. This move has not been without opposition. Informal miners in Madre de Dios have taken to the streets protesting that the new legislation discriminates against them. Monday saw a gathering of about 5 000 in the streets of Puerto Maldonado demanding the repeal of the law. (Source: Peru thisWeek) But an estimated 30 000 miners operate in this area. The skyrocketing price of gold has created a gold rush in the Peruvian Amazon east of the Andes Mountains. While 17 tonnes of gold are officially extracte...

By B. McPherson Members of the Cofan indigenous people are joining in a multibillion dollar lawsuit against the Texaco oil company, now sold to Chevron to force clean up of highly polluted land. When Texaco was drilling for oil in the Ecuador rain forest, they dumped at least 18 billion gallons of run off onto local lands. Pits designed to sequester toxic sludge were left unlined and uncovered. Local rivers, sources of drinking water and food became poisoned. When Chevron took over Texaco in 2001 they inherited the problems. A legal action taken against them in the US failed. The new lawsuit is being progressed in Ecuador. Steven Donziger, acting as legal counsel for the Cofan tribe is quoted in Al Jazeera: “ Texaco created a system where they dumped literally billions of gallons of toxic waste water", said Steven Donziger, legal counsel. Donziger, who represents the plaintiffs, says the dumping saved the company billions of dollars in operating costs. ” Al Jazeera On the ...

Bolivian President Evo Morales acquiesced to the indigenous people in cancelling the proposed route of the Brazil to Bolivia Amazon highway. The proposed route would have taken it through the Isiboro-Secure Indigenous Territory National Park (TIPNIS), the home of over 15 000 native people. They had been demonstrating against the proposal to bisect their home territory with the controversial highway. Highways serve as conduits for commerce, but also bring unwanted development, pollution and settlement to untouched areas. Those people living traditionally in the TIPNIS   have made their displeasure known over the past few months and action culminated in a walk to the country’s capital, La Paz. In a move that backfired on the beleaguered president, police roughed up the peaceful demonstrators, resulting in the resignation of both the ministers of defense and the interior. The proposed highway from Brazil to Bolivia would allow the manufactured and mining goods that Brazil produces...