media pack for "the dark side of the amazon"

7/28/2019 Media Pack for "The Dark Side of the Amazon"

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Contact Beth Pis: [email protected]

27th

September 2013

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


BEYOND YASUN: THE DARK SIDE OF THE AMAZONIndependent documentary reveals the shocking impact of oil exploitaon in the Ecuadorian Amazon.

Beyond Yasun: the impending event threatening not just one naonal park, but ALL of Ecuadors remaining virgin jungle.A cry for help: stand alongside the indigenous people of Ecuador when they resist the exploitaon of their ancestral land.

The recent failure of Ecuadors Yasun ITT Iniave, in

which the government oered to refrain indenitely from

exploing the oil reserves of the Ishpingo-Tambococha-

Tipuni (ITT) oil eld within the Yasun Naonal Park, in

exchange for 50% of the value of the reserves, or $3.6

billion over 13 years from the internaonal community,

has been covered extensively in the internaonal press.

But with the eyes of the world focused on a ny part of

one naonal park, another much greater catastrophe is

growing rapidly and virtually unnoced, under the

innocuous tle of theXI Oil Round; an event which

doesnt just threaten part of one naonal park, but all of

Ecuadors last remaining tract of virgin rainforest.

On 28th

November 2013, the XI Oil Round will see 3 million hectares of Ecuadors most prisne jungle, deemed to be the

best preserved in the enre Amazon basin, auconed o to the highest bidding oil company despite the fact that the

resulng extracon is esmated to prolong the countrys oil exportaon by a mere two years.

The exploitaon of the Ecuadorian Amazon, the most bio-diverse area on the planet, is not just a local issue. With global

carbon dioxide levels increasing every day, the Amazons role as the lungs of the planet becomes ever more vital. Its fate

aects us all.

The area which is up for aucon in the XI Oil Round is notable not only for its biodiversity but for its cultural heritage.

Ecuadors southern Amazon region includes over 2 million hectares of ancestral territory which is home to several

indigenous peoples, including some uncontacted tribes, who rely on the rainforest and its rivers for hunng, shing,

agriculture, drinking water and, in some cases, eco-tourism.

Whilst some tribes are voluntarily isolated, others believe that responsible tourism is the best way to create a long-term,

sustainable income from the jungle, whilst at the same me preserving it and educang visitors about its wonders. One

such tribe is the Sarayaku (whose President, Jos Gualinga, is interviewed in the documentary), an indigenous group

numbering around 2000 who live in several villages along a stretch of the Bobonaza river in the province of Pastaza. The

Sarayaku selecvely embrace technology, in harmony with their environment. Not only is their eco-lodge powered by solar

panels, but they have even created their own blog to educate the world about their way of life and the threat it is under.

The Ecuadorian government has promised that, following the XI Oil Round, exploitaon will be undertaken with

environmental and social responsibility. This statement prompts a very important queson: can oil be extracted without

damage to the surrounding environment and its people?

It was this very queson which prompted independent documentary maker Jonathan Gaitan to invesgate the likely

repercussions of the XI Oil Round by vising communies in the Ecuadorian Amazon already living with the reality of oil

exploitaon. What he discovers is shocking.

Oil spill in the Napo River, May 2013


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In these days of polical propaganda, spin and manipulaon, there is nothing beer than seeing for oneself. The Dark Side

of the Amazon is a low budget, independent lm which allows viewers to do just that. Accompany Jonathan and his

colleague Gema as they journey into the jungle to witness rst-hand the terrible impact of exisng oil exploitaon and visit

with them some of the communies whose ancestral land is up for aucon in November.

The Dark Side of the Amazon is not just an informaonal video. Its a request, a cry for help. So many ghts are already

lost, but the bale to save Ecuadors prisne jungle is being waged right now - and can sll be won.

The indigenous people in the XI Oil Round zone have vowed to resist the invasion of the oil companies; to protect the jungle

and their way of life. Jonathan Gaitan believes that the only way that their safety can be ensured is for people from all over

the world to physically and peacefully stand by their side when the me comes, with as many foreign media present as

possible. The eye of the world needs to be on this situaon as it unfolds.

Jonathan calls for those who can travel to Ecuador in the coming months to stand with him and the indigenous people when

the me comes. Resources are cited below for those who would like to keep up to date with developments in the region.

For those unable to travel to Ecuador, Jonathan implores everyone who is moved by the documentary to share it as widely

as they can, especially with any media contacts.

The Dark Side of the Amazon can be viewed here (for English subtles, click the Capons (CC) buon which appears at

the boom right hand of the window in Youtube):hp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpgUn3Sx7a8

Resources:

Email for more informaon or to request a media pack: darksideohejungle[at]outlook[dot]com

Jonathan Gaitans blog:hp://unavoz.overblog.com(Spanish, some English)

Amazon Watch:hp://amazonwatch.org/English)

La Resistencia Ecuador:hps://www.facebook.com/resistenciaecuador?fref=ts(Spanish)

CDES:hps://www.facebook.com/resistenciaecuador?fref=ts(Spanish)

Sarayaku blog:hp://sarayaku.org/(Spanish)

-Ends-

For more informaon, or to arrange an interview with Jonathan Gaitan, a capvang speaker in both English and Spanish,

contact Beth Pis [email protected]

Notes to the EditorAbout the 11th Oil Round

The XI Oil Round is an aucon of oil blocks in Ecuador's southern Amazon region iniated by the Ecuadorian government in

November of 2012. The 16 oil blocks in the southern Ecuadorian Amazon cover over 3 million hectares of primary rainforest

previously untouched by oil exploraon. The region is Ecuadors last remaining tract of virgin rainforest and is considered

the best-preserved part of the Amazon. Studies show that 85% of the area slated for inclusion in the XI Round is intact,

primary forest. Companies from around the world will bid for licenses to operate in areas where oil reserves are believed to

exist, although the Ecuadorian government has expressed the belief that the most likely bidders in the November 2013

aucon will be Chinese companies.

Ecuador's oil reserves are limited. It is esmated that the country has no more than twenty years of oil exports le. Oil

reserves in the southern Ecuadorian Amazon are likely to prolong exportaon by two years.

The map below shows the locaon of the Amazon basin in Ecuador; the oil blocks in the Northern Ecuadorian Amazon

which are already licensed for exploitaon; and the blocks (in orange) which are due to be auconed on 28th

November

2013. The Ishpingo-Tambococha-Tipuni (ITT) oil eld within the Yasun Naonal Park can be seen on the eastern side of the

northern oil blocks.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpgUn3Sx7a8http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpgUn3Sx7a8http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpgUn3Sx7a8http://unavoz.overblog.com/http://unavoz.overblog.com/http://unavoz.overblog.com/http://amazonwatch.org/http://amazonwatch.org/http://amazonwatch.org/https://www.facebook.com/resistenciaecuador?fref=tshttps://www.facebook.com/resistenciaecuador?fref=tshttps://www.facebook.com/resistenciaecuador?fref=tshttps://www.facebook.com/resistenciaecuador?fref=tshttps://www.facebook.com/resistenciaecuador?fref=tshttps://www.facebook.com/resistenciaecuador?fref=tshttp://sarayaku.org/http://sarayaku.org/http://sarayaku.org/mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]://sarayaku.org/https://www.facebook.com/resistenciaecuador?fref=tshttps://www.facebook.com/resistenciaecuador?fref=tshttp://amazonwatch.org/http://unavoz.overblog.com/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpgUn3Sx7a8


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A total of 13 blocks are up for aucon in the XI Round on November 28th

2013, all located within the south-east Amazon

region. The blocks oered are: 22, 29, 70, 71, 72, 73, 77, 79, 80, 81, 83, 84 and 87. In addion, three blocks (28, 78, 86) have

been assigned to the state-run oil company Petroamazonas. Five blocks (74, 75, 76, 82, 85) have been temporarily

suspended from the aucon due to indigenous resistance.

About Yasun ITT

The Yasuni-ITT Iniave was the proposal by the government of Ecuador to

refrain indenitely from exploing the oil reserves of the currently

untouched Ishpingo-Tambococha-Tipuni (ITT) oil eld within the Naonal

Park, in exchange for 50% of the value of the reserves, or $3.6 billion over 13

years from the internaonal community. A United Naons Development

Programme (UNDP) fund was set up in 2010 to receive contribuons. But on

15th August 2013 the President, stang that only $13.3m had been received

from foreign naons, signed a decree to liquidate the UNDP fund.


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Drilling for oil was declared to be in the naonal interest, a move which threatens 10,000 hectares of virgin jungle within the

Yasun Naonal Park.

A team of scientists from various US and Ecuadorian universities and non-profits has documented that Yasun National Park,

located in the core of the Ecuadorian Amazon and shown in green on the map above, is the most diverse area in all of South

America and shatters world records for a wide array of plant and animal groups, from amphibians to trees to insects.

According to their report, Yasun is probably unmatched by any other park in the world for total numbers of species. Detailsof their study can be found here:

http://saveamericasforests.org/Yasuni/Publications/Yasuni%20Biodiversity%20Press%20Release.pdf

Images (high resoluon versions available on request)

Suggested TweetsDiscover the shocking truth of oil exploitaon: The Dark Side of the Amazon. Documentary from @unavozecuador

hp://bit.ly/1gI7bCA

So many ghts are lost, but the bale for the Ecuadorian Amazon can sll be won. Find out howhp://bit.ly/1gI7bCA

@unavozecuador

Oil spill in the Napo River, May 2013 Oil on the stones near Coca, Ecuador, May 2013

Ecuadors Southern Amazon is home

to six indigenous naonaliesDocumentary maker Jonathan Gaitan
http://saveamericasforests.org/Yasuni/Publications/Yasuni%20Biodiversity%20Press%20Release.pdfhttp://saveamericasforests.org/Yasuni/Publications/Yasuni%20Biodiversity%20Press%20Release.pdfhttp://bit.ly/1gI7bCAhttp://bit.ly/1gI7bCAhttp://bit.ly/1gI7bCAhttp://bit.ly/1gI7bCAhttp://bit.ly/1gI7bCAhttp://bit.ly/1gI7bCAhttp://bit.ly/1gI7bCAhttp://saveamericasforests.org/Yasuni/Publications/Yasuni%20Biodiversity%20Press%20Release.pdf


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Dont be fooled! Yasuni ITT is just a ploy to distract from a much more destrucve planhp://bit.ly/1gI7bCA

@unavozecuador

Independent documentary reveals the shocking impact of oil exploitaon in the Ecuadorian Amazonhp://bit.ly/1gI7bCA

@unavozecuador

Beyond Yasuni: the impending event threatening not just one park, but ALL of Ecuadors virgin junglehp://bit.ly/1gI7bCA

@unavozecuador

A cry for help: stand with Ecuadors indigenous people when they resist exploitaon of their landhp://bit.ly/1gI7bCA

@unavozecuador

Embed Codes for The Dark Side of the Amazon420 x 315 pixels

480 x 360 pixels

640 x 480 pixels

960 x 720 pixels
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