Chevron's Environmental disaster
Texaco (Chevron) extracted billions of gallons of oil from the Ecuadorian Amazon over a period of 26 years. In doing so, they created one of the largest anthropogenic environmental disasters in the world. Although they followed strict environmental protocols for oil extraction in the US, Chevron ignored these standard practices in Ecuador. They didn’t line their waste pits, they burned gaseous waste, and they didn’t re-inject their foundation water. In total, Chevron estimates that they dumped over 16 billion gallons of toxic waste into the Amazon basin.
Perhaps the most directly affected humans were/are Ecuador’s indigenous peoples. Not only were their sources of drinking/bathing water and fishing grounds polluted- Chevron told them that the oil waste they saw was “full of vitamins and minerals”. In reality, the contaminants lead to liver damage, nervous system damage, spontaneous miscarriages, cancer, and death. Chevron decided that the costs of remediation were too great; the limited cleanups that they’ve done in affected areas were superficial.
Seeing a large company like Chevron ignore the damage it’s done to both Ecuadorian indigenous peoples and the environment is frustrating. Although they have been controversial in Ecuador’s past, I believe that ecoimperialist NGOs have the potential to help in this situation. While it’s clear that Chevron should pay for the remediation of their sites, it’s also apparent that they have no intention of doing so. Though it’s easier said than done, a possible solution may be for particularly rich ecoimperialists to start the remediation process, and continue until Chevron is finally forced to pay for its mistakes.
Perhaps the most directly affected humans were/are Ecuador’s indigenous peoples. Not only were their sources of drinking/bathing water and fishing grounds polluted- Chevron told them that the oil waste they saw was “full of vitamins and minerals”. In reality, the contaminants lead to liver damage, nervous system damage, spontaneous miscarriages, cancer, and death. Chevron decided that the costs of remediation were too great; the limited cleanups that they’ve done in affected areas were superficial.
Seeing a large company like Chevron ignore the damage it’s done to both Ecuadorian indigenous peoples and the environment is frustrating. Although they have been controversial in Ecuador’s past, I believe that ecoimperialist NGOs have the potential to help in this situation. While it’s clear that Chevron should pay for the remediation of their sites, it’s also apparent that they have no intention of doing so. Though it’s easier said than done, a possible solution may be for particularly rich ecoimperialists to start the remediation process, and continue until Chevron is finally forced to pay for its mistakes.