Urge Chevron to Clean Up its Oil Spill in the Amazon
24,899 signatures toward our 30,000 Goal
Sponsor: The Rainforest Site
Tell Chevron to take responsibility for the devastation it has caused in the Amazon rainforest in Ecuador.
Chevron's outdated and dangerous oil drilling stations in the Ecuadorian rainforest have caused what may be the most devastating environmental catastrophe in history. Thousands of Ecuadorians' lives and countless plants and animals have been destroyed due to Chevron's shameless greed.
Chevron refuses to take responsibility for its actions. Sign the petition below telling John Watson, Chevron's CEO, to clean up the mess his company has left in this once pristine environment.
In 1964, Texaco, now owned by Chevron, began drilling for oil in an area of the Ecuadorian Amazon rainforest called the Oriente. Home to various aboriginal civilizations, the Oriente had never been touched by big business and corporate agendas; naturally, the people of the region did not know what to expect when Texaco set up drilling stations around their homes. By 1964, the U.S. had already established strenuous guidelines and regulations for oil drilling practices. However, since oil had never been excavated in Ecuador before this time, there were no formal standards previously set by the Ecuadorian government with regards to safe drilling. Ecuadorian government officials mistakenly assumed Texaco would conduct its business in the same manner as required in the U.S. They were very wrong.
Upon its departure from the region in 1992, Texaco left behind a cataclysmal trail of destruction. Having used obsolete drilling tactics in order to save money, Texaco is responsible for the spillage of close to 19 billion gallons of oil. Much of this excess oil has found its way to main waterways, including streams and rivers the local people use for drinking, bathing, fishing, and cooking. The aftermath of the oil extraction has destroyed precious plant life, killed native animals, and rendered Ecuadorians cancer-ridden, prone to miscarriages, and immune deficient. Even today, almost 20 years later, Oriente residents are struggling to survive in the face of extreme poverty and hunger due to exceedingly depleted resources.
Having acquired Texaco (and the profits and assets associated with it) in 2001, Chevron is responsible for the damage Texaco inflicted. Yet Chevron refuses to admit any wrongdoing whatsoever. The oil conglomerate has repeatedly refuted the link between its operations in the rainforest and the current state of the environment there. It has also denied countless requests for a mass clean-up and monetary reparations that would fund treating the sick, providing food and clean water, and repairing damage to the region. Chevron has even gone so far as to claim no tangible connection between oil and cancer.
The people of the Ecuadorian rainforest desperately need your help in fighting for justice. Please sign the petition below imploring Chevron CEO John Watson to take responsibility for his company's terrible mistakes and clean up its mess.
The Petition:
Dear Mr. Watson,
Your company is singlehandedly responsible for thousands of deaths, sicknesses, and an overall poor quality of life in the Amazon rainforest. With over 18 billion gallons of toxic oil waste dumped into Ecuador's waterways under your authority, vital plant and animal life has been decimated- and what's left is still in grave danger.
Worse, the people of Oriente have been afflicted by frightening and often deadly illnesses directly caused by the toxic contamination of the natural resources they rely on. Those toxins came from the outdated and unethical drill sites that your company is responsible for and reaped the benefits from.
Your blatant disregard for the Ecuadorian people and the habitat they live in is appalling. Please show us your compassion and regard for the future of these people by repairing the damage Chevron has inflicted upon their home. You can take a step toward a brighter tomorrow for the earth by cleaning up the remains of the spill, compensating those who have been affected, and adopting environmentally sustainable business practices to ensure a disaster like this will never happen again.
Thank you for your time.
Updates:
2/14/11: Chevron has been ordered to take accountability for its destructive actions in the Amazon, and pay $8 billion in restitution costs. This is a huge success, but Chevron is still fighting the ruling. Please continue to sign for this important cause if you haven't already!