Our friends at Amazon Watch have called on our global 350 family to help out in their most recent campaign, a petition drive to the new CEO of Chevron, John Watson, pleading him to turn Chevron onto a new trajectory, and to clean up the environmental disasters they’ve created in the Amazon and elsewhere.  In a 350 world, there is no room for fossil fuel development, or the toxic messes it so often leaves in its wake.  As Ecuador struggles to bring justice to Chevron’s doorstep, they also have an innovative proposal for moving beyond fossil fuels – the Yasuni ITT initiative designed to leave valuable oil reserves in the ground in an important natural area.  Please stand with the people of the Ecuadorean Amazon and our friends at Amazon Watch today – here’s their message:

Over the New Year, from their homes in the Amazon, the people of Ecuador recorded a heartfelt video message for the new CEO of Chevron, John Watson.  The communities of the Ecuadorian Amazon have been suffering from Chevron’s massive contamination of their rainforest homelands for over four decades.  Their message to the new chief of Chevron is clear and resolute, and full of years of pain and hope:  "We don’t want to continue dying from cancer… Please clean up the areas affected by your company."

Please watch this important video message from the people of Ecuador to the head of Chevron, one of the world’s largest oil companies. Then, sign the global petition in support of their appeal for a clean-up of the oil contamination, and compensation for the epidemic of cancer, birth defects, and premature deaths that the pollution has caused.

After sixteen years of legal battle, a verdict in the historic lawsuit is finally expected within the next few months. But Chevron is still waging an aggressive lobbying and PR campaign to evade responsibility. A company spokesman has even promised a "lifetime of litigation." But as the new CEO, Mr. Watson has the unique opportunity to change this!

There is no reason not to: his company’s brand name and reputation are increasingly under fire for its refusal to rectify the human rights and environmental disaster experts call the "Amazon Chernobyl." Please join the growing chorus of people worldwide who are demanding Mr. Watson and his company finally do the right thing. 

Amazon Watch, alongside environmental and human rights allies worldwide, is launching this petition drive today to gather tens of thousands of signatures.  Together we can bring the global outcry for justice to Chevron’s doorstep.