How does oil dependence fuel rainforest destruction?
Rainforests are home to half of the plant and animal species on the planet. Each day, 214,000 acres of rainforests are destroyed. One major cause of this destruction is the global demand for oil. Road building into forested areas causes ecosystem fragmentation, air pollution, runoff, and erosion. Loud noises produced by trucks and drills frighten sensitive wildlife. In Ecuador, Texaco’s oil practices between 1971-1991 resulted in the deforestation of two million acres of rainforest, the spilling of 16.8 million gallons of crude oil, and the dumping of 4.3 million gallons of known carcinogens and other toxic waste. This case is by no means isolated. Oil companies around the world continue to profit at the expense of the rainforests and indigenous peoples.
