…cin’ se ia de Amazonul meu, sa-l fereasca Dumnezeu!

…nu sunt un fanatic ecologist – reciclez in limitele bunului simt (mai ales ca e gratis, spre deosebire de gunoi:), mai donez cand si cand pentru parcurile nationale sau ursi polari, si cam atat. Anul trecut, in Sierra Nevada, am trisat putin si nu mi-am pus hartia igienica intr-un ziploc, cum cereau regulamentele. Mi-am imaginat ca ascunsa sub o stanca, va disparea in mod natural in cateva saptamani, fara sa afecteze ecosistemul.

Dar, de cand eram la Micii Geologi (mai apoi, Micii Speologi), am invatat de la domnul Bosdoc cateva lucururi de baza a propos de mersul in natura: nu lasi gunoaie in urma ta, nici macar hartii, in nici un caz pungi sau borcane, nu rupi stalactite sau stalagmite, nu-ti scrijelesti numele nici pe stanci si nici in trunchiurile copacilor. Lucruri din astea. Si asta i-am invatat si pe copiii mei, de fiecare data cand am mers la pescuit sau la campat. Daca e nevoie, strangi si gunoaiele altora. Atat.

Cand am fost in Amazon, am avut noroc. Am ajuns pe Ampyiacu si Comejenes – un afluent unde nu mai ajunsese vreodata omul alb. M-am indragostit de Amazon pentru ca era inca Amazonul din visurile copilariei mele – neatins. Singurele exploatari forestiere intalnite pe Ampyiacu in sus erau ale indienilor si chiar daca mai exista contrabanda, nivelul nu depasea cativa zeci de copaci pe zi. Pe o raza de cateva sute de kilometri patarti, nu e chiar un capat de tara. Asa m-am indragostit de Amazon.

Cand am auzit ca Chevronul incearca sa scape de un verdict care-l obliga la plata catorva miliarde de dolari despagubiri pentru miliardele de tone de deseuri toxice pe care le arunca in Amazonul Ecuadorian de cativa ani buni, am vazut negru in fata ochilor. Pentru c-am uitat sa va spun: sunt pe jumatate oltean:) Pot fi, la o adica, sarpe de dudau (ceea ce, sincer sa fiu, nu prea stiu ce-nseamna, dar cu siguranta nu e de bine:).

Detalii puteti citi mai jos si, chiar daca n-ati ajuns in Amazon si chiar daca nu credeti in miscarile ecologiste, amintiti-va ca daca voua nu va plac PET-urile in mjlocul padurii, indienilor le plac cu atat mai putin mizeriile alora de la Chevron:

Dear friends,

Oil giant Chevron faces losing a historic lawsuit on its dumping of toxic waste in the Amazon — let’s help the people of the rainforest win in the court of public opinion and before the law, by pressing Chevron’s new CEO to clean up this mess and stop Chevron’s dirty lobbying:

The final judgment is imminent after a long legal battle between oil giant Chevron and brave indigenous peoples of the Ecuadorian Amazon, who are seeking redress for the multinational’s dumping of billions of gallons of toxic waste in the rainforest.



If Chevron is forced to pay billions in damages, it’ll be a big step forward in bringing the world’s polluters to account. Staring defeat in the face, the oil giant has launched an aggressive last-ditch lobbying campaign to derail the lawsuit. 

But Chevron’s newly-appointed CEO, John Watson, knows his corporation’s brand is under fire and is growing anxious about the risks of a public shaming campaign — so let’s turn up the heat! Sign the petition calling on Watson and Chevron to clean up their mess in Ecuador, and it will be delivered to them, their shareholders and the US media – click below to take action now:

https://secure.avaaz.org/en/chevron_toxic_legacy_6/?vl

Over the years, civic action like this has helped to transform the policies of some of the world’s biggest corporations. But most oil and gas multinationals spend hundreds of millions of dollars every year on lobbying and PR to reshape climate and energy policies and deny their environmental and human rights duties — and Chevron is one of the biggest offenders.

From 1964 to 1990, Chevron-owned Texaco deliberately dumped billions of gallons of toxic waste from their oil fields in Ecuador’s Amazon — then pulled out without properly cleaning up the pollution they caused. Facing imminent defeat in the courts, Chevron has turned to legal machinations, powerful public relations firms and lobbyists to intimidate its critics into silence and avoid responsibility for the massive environmental and human disaster it has triggered.

Chevron has repeatedly vowed to refuse to pay for a clean up even if ordered to by the court, saying “We will fight this until hell freezes over. And then we’ll fight it out on the ice.” Its latest strategy: pushing the US government to bully Ecuador into burying the case.

We cannot sit back and watch Chevron make a mockery of justice like this — let´s build a critical mass of support and help the rainforest inhabitants win this round, in the court of public opinion and before the law. Click here to sign the petition and help deliver a deafening message personally to Chevron´s new chief executive John Watson:

https://secure.avaaz.org/en/chevron_toxic_legacy_6/?vl

Citizens in Ecuador and around the world are joining efforts to stand up to one of the biggest and dirtiest corporations in the world. If we win, it’ll be another big step toward a future of corporate accountability, human rights and environmental protection. Let’s add our voices and spread the word today!

With hope and determination,

Luis, Paula, Benjamin, Pascal, Paul, Alice, Ricken, Graziela and the whole Avaaz team

PS – This campaign is part of a larger effort by Amazon Watch, Rainforest Action Network and other environmental and human rights allies worldwide.

SOURCES:

ChevronToxico, the website of Amazon Watch’s Clean Up Ecuador Campaign, includes new video of affected Ecuadorians urging Chevron´s CEO to clean up oil pollution:
http://chevrontoxico.com/

Wall Street Journal, “Chevron Plaintiffs Ask U.S. Court for Action”:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704363504575003153443151606.html

Politico, “Chevron’s lobbying campaign backfires”:
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1109/29560.html

The Huffington Post, “Chevron and cultural genocide in Ecuador”,
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kerry-kennedy/chevron-and-cultural-geno_b_346257.html

Los Angeles Times, “Oil, Ecuador and its people”:
http://articles.latimes.com/2009/aug/28/opinion/ed-chevron28

“CRUDE. The Real Price of Oil”", Joe Berlinger´s award-winning documentary film that chronicles the epic battle to hold oil giant Chevron accountable for its systematic contamination of the Ecuadorian – official website:
http://www.crudethemovie.com/