You've got to admire the idea Ecuador is peddling at the climate conference in Copenhagen. The Ecuadorians are suggesting that "rich" countries pay it $3.5 billion to NOT drill its crude oil reserves, which unfortunately are located beneath parts of the Amazon rain forest. This "novel idea" (as the Wall Street Journal puts it) sounds like blackmail to me. If Ecuador is passionate about reducing greenhouse emissions, then it should simply not cut down the Amazon and drill for oil. What it certainly should not do is hold a hacksaw up against a tree and try to extort other countries for money. Where will that end? Do we pay Japan to stop whaling? Let's cough up billions and bribe Brazil from clear-cutting tacks of its forests too! And since the world is in such a giving mood, will Canada get a fat cheque if it scales back the oil-sands? I won't be holding my breath for that one. Countries should adopt environmental policies because they believe in the cause or want to increase their efficiency or cut oil imports or for myriad other reasons; they should not be looking to Copenhagen for a big, fat payday.
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