Oil Extraction Threatens World's Most Diverse National Park

Yasuni National Park in Ecuador could contain the worlds most diverse collection of animal and plant life, according to a new report published in the PLoS One journal. Poison frogs, fruit bats, and rare jungle plant life are all endemic to the national park, which climate modelers believe will remain moist despite a drier climate. Biologists are concerned about this area, as it sits on one of the largest oil and natural gas reserves in South America. The report is most concerned with the northeast corner of the park, which sits almost directly above the heart of the deposit. The Government of Ecuador is asking for millions of dollars each year from rich countries in order to pay to keep the oil in the ground.

The always-moist conditions of this area have allowed species here to thrive for tens of millions of years, say biologists at Duke University. Other areas in the Amazon slowly shifted to a dryer climate over that time period, which researchers say led to the die-off of rare species still found in the Yasuni National Park. Another piece of conservation in this area comes in the form of uncontacted tribes, some of the last vestiges of native Amazonian culture.

This may not be enough to stop the drills. As Ecuador's top export, the amount of crude oil underneath the Yasuni National Park is estimated to exceed a billion barrels, which has a total market price that exceeds the whole country's GDP. President Rafael Correa says that he wishes to leave the Yasuni National Park untouched, but he cannot without compensation from the international community. While drilling is estimated to bring $700 million into the country each year, Correa offered to accept half that amount each year to leave the oil in the ground. Two years have passed without any serious bids or Correa's initiative.

Despite this, Correa is still working to preserve the Yasuni National Park through a global carbon market. With the failure to establish said market at the Copenhagen climate summit, it is unclear what is to ultimately become of the Yasuni National Park.