Destroying the Rainforest, devastating the climate, deadly for indigenous peoples. Join the movement athttp://amazonwatch.org/endamazoncrude.

When most people think of where we get our oil, they primarily think of the Middle East. The tar sands of northern Canada or domestic fracking also come to mind. But drilling for oil in the Amazon? Not likely. Surprisingly oil extraction in the Amazon is rampant, and expanding. And it’s the worst possible place to be drilling. But who’s consuming the oil produced there? We are. Amazon crude is coming to California and the rest of the United States in record levels.

Amazonian peoples, many of whom consider oil to be the blood of Mother Earth, have long called on governments and corporations to keep it in the ground. Now scientists are catching up with their calls, stating that we need to keep 80% of fossil fuels in the ground in order to have a good chance of averting catastrophic climate change. As our planet’s most important carbon sink, the home to over 400 distinct indigenous peoples, and the world’s most biodiverse rainforest, it is urgent that we keep the oil in the ground in the Amazon. 

Amazon Watch is committed to supporting and amplifying the calls and proposals of our indigenous allies from the Amazon by ensuring that global governments and corporations respect their rights and territories. Based on the findings in our report FROM WELL TO WHEEL THE SOCIAL, ENVIRONMENTAL, AND CLIMATE COSTS OF AMAZON CRUDE, we call upon companies, universities, and governments to heed their call and change their vehicle fleets to Amazon-free fuel sources. By keeping the oil in the ground in the Amazon, we can contribute to the protection of the Amazon rainforest, indigenous peoples territories, and our global climate.