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Seeing the effects of the oil industry on the Amazonian ecosystem in
Ecuador was a shock and an eye opener. Driving to the site we saw
pumping stations and huge flames emitting hydrocarbons into the
atmosphere because of the needed separation of the oil’s components.
We saw numerous oil wells, some as close as thirty feet from family
homes. The most disturbing aspect was the sight of two oil pools.
When oil is struck, it can either be heavy or light. Heavy oil is
useless, so the companies that extracted it simply dug holes in the
ground and dumped it there, uncontained, creating unsightly pools of
oil, many of which have remained for over twenty-five years.
According to our guide, there are over three hundred of these pools
scattered throughout the Ecuadorian Amazon. All of this is going on
in an area that was once pristine rainforest. Even more striking is
the fact that there is approximately one major oil spill per week,
and these affect all Ecuadorian ecosystems, because oil pipelines
deface the natural landscape throughout the country.
The effect that these tragedies have on the life in the region is
awful. We were told that human and animal populations suffer from
spontaneous abortions. The human population is riddled with various
cancers and skin diseases. The oil directly contaminates the
community water sources with hydrocarbons and heavy metals, as we
saw a little river flowing right next to one of the oil pools.
Furthermore, the oil pools possess a high content of salt, which
attracts wildlife and livestock. It was very disturbing to see
horses and other animals drinking from the blackened pools of oil.
We learned the majority of the oil drilled is piped and shipped
directly to the United States for consumer use. It saddened our
hearts to think of the luxuries this oil provides for us as US
citizens: our SUV’s, our beauty products, etc. Many of us felt
overwhelmed by the burdens of this knowledge and what we saw. We now
know our comfortable lifestyle is made possible by those seeking a
utilitarian existence. It is easy to fall into the belief that we
cannot change the course of a new pipeline, or close down the one
that is already polluting the communities, both physically with the
contamination and emotionally with the ever present threat of oil
spills. However single persons can exercise their own moral
responsibilities in a manner consistent with civil and environmental
justice. We should not make our decisions based on how our example
will or will not change the outside world. We should make
enlightened judgments based on what we have seen and experienced and
if nothing else, satisfy our own conscience.
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