Ecuador’s President Rafael Correa announced last month that development would begin in the eastern edge of the world’s most biodiverse area, the Yasuní Biosphere Reserve. Despite his innovative 2007 proposal to leave oil deposits there untouched, insufficient offsetting funds materialized. Poverty applies the greatest pressure to nature, Correa declared. Correa promised that the latest technologies will be used to minimize direct impacts and to avoid indirect ones altogether. He pointed out that sacrificing the sector, known as the ITT block, will affect “less than 0.1%” of the reserve’s area and generate a US $18.2-billion pay-off. The devastating history of oilextraction in other parts of Ecuador might prompt scepticism about this figure, but it could be realized if offshore methods are faithfully incorporated and no new access roads are built. Everything possible must be done to preserve this unique piece of …