Momentum Growing for Climate Agreement But Ecuador Holds Amazon Ransom

by Mike Smith · 2009-10-27 16:05:00 UTC
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At a visit to a sun factory — sorry — solar farm, President Obama urged the Senate to pass emissions caps and suggested that "consensus is building." Sound vague? He continues: "It's a debate between looking backward and looking forward." Amongst the fog of vagueness there was an announcement: $3.4 million to be invested in Smart Grid technology. But as we know, smart grids will only really help if they're fed with renewable electricity.

Meanwhile, exemplifying that this is not a problem that can be solved if we solely consider domestic programs and reductions, Ecuador is asking for money to do nothing. They want the world to pay them to not drill oil in the Amazon, preserving rainforrest. How much is rainforest worth? Considering how valuable it is to storing carbon dioxide, very valuable.

The Ecuador situation is a double whammy with both pristine Amazon rainforest underthreat, losing all the trees carbon feasting benefit, as well as sucking oil out of the ground to burn and further pollute the atmosphere. Momentum for climate change legislation is essential, but we must remember that this problem is an international one, with the preservation of current eco-systems and protection of rainforest from deforestation just as important as installing solar panels in the desert.

Photo credit: Wayne National Forest

Mike Smith
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