<h5>Which country’s voters have rejected oil drilling in the Amazon protected area?</h5><p>Voters in Ecuador approved a referendum prohibiting oil drilling in a protected area of the Amazon rainforest. Environmental activists have praised this decision. Around 60% of the voters supported a ban on oil production in Yasuni National Park (NP). The referendum was part of the country’s general election.</p><p>The Yasuni NP is home to hundreds of bird, amphibian, and reptile species. It was named a biosphere reserve by UNESCO in 1989. The park is also home to various indigenous tribes.</p><figure class="image"><img src="https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/newsahoot.appspot.com/o/ecuadorians-reject-oil-drilling-in-the-amazon%2F1280px-Flickr_-_ggallice_-_Oxbow_lake%2C_Yasuni.jpg?alt=media&amp;token=23aabd4d-05f8-4849-9139-09d7a8c9ba21"><figcaption>An image of Yasuni National Park. Photo by Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 2.0</figcaption></figure><h5>Why was oil drilling in this area planned?</h5><p>The Yasuni NP has some of Ecuador's largest oil deposits. The country’s previous President, Rafael Correa, planned to protect the area. In 2007, he asked the international community to invest $3.6 billion in the country so that oil drilling in the area could be banned. When the aid did not arrive, Correa and his successors began extracting oil.</p><p>They did so as Ecuador needed the money for the development and betterment of its citizens. Before the vote, the country’s people were told that banning oil drilling would cause economic loss. Still, the people voted to stop it to protect the environment.</p><figure class="image"><img src="https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/newsahoot.appspot.com/o/ecuadorians-reject-oil-drilling-in-the-amazon%2FEcuador.jpg?alt=media&amp;token=64a98d7d-e073-4321-88f3-abed2c1198fd"><figcaption>A poster regarding the banning of oil drilling. Photo by amazonfrontlines.</figcaption></figure><h5>Why is it essential to save the Amazon rainforest and nature?</h5><figure class="image"><img src="https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/newsahoot.appspot.com/o/ecuadorians-reject-oil-drilling-in-the-amazon%2FIndigenous%20tribe%20Ecuador.jpg?alt=media&amp;token=c37f3805-c3a1-4c2e-95dc-895eb4afa8f2"><figcaption>Indigenous tribes of Ecuador. Photo by AFrontlines.</figcaption></figure><p>Scientists say that too much deforestation from oil mining and other businesses causes decreased rainfall. This can result in the Amazon rainforest's destruction, which can affect the whole world. The forest serves as a carbon sink that absorbs carbon emissions from the atmosphere.</p><p>It is important to protect nature. We get a lot of resources from it, like water, air, etc. It helps sustain life on Earth. If we exploit it, we are only harmed. We are all witnessing how Himachal Pradesh is affected due to heavy rainfall.</p><p>It has caused loss of life and property and caused landslides and floods. It has also been declared as a 'Natural Calamity Affected Area.' Many people in Himachal had to leave their homes to protect themselves. This shows that if we don’t help protect our environment, we are only harmed by it.</p>

People voted to ban oil drilling in Yasuni National Park.

Ecuadorians Reject Oil Drilling in the Amazon

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Ecuadorians Reject Oil Drilling in the Amazon

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