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Lori Gorczynski

Chapter 3

Ideal Types of Environmentalism

The four types of environmentalism described in this chapter and ecoimperialists,

ecodependents, ecoresisters, and ecoentrepreneurs. These categories were first created based

on funding sources, but also took into consideration the level of organization, main agenda,

types of projects, relationship to the state, the public view, and their position on the trajectory

of development.

Ecoimperialist organizations fund the environmental organizations of Ecuador from

abroad. They are an international nongovernmental organizations (INGOs) who are based

usually in the Global North, but who have offices set up in other cities, such as Quito. INGOs use

their resources mainly for biodiversity conservation and sustainable development. Many

environmentalists oppose INGOs because they bypass Ecuadorian organizations and create

their own agenda, ignoring Ecuadors environmental goals. For example, The Nature

Conservancy is believed to buy land as a means of controlling water resources and to create

private reserves, while ignoring the problems of the indigenous groups.

Ecodependent organizations are national-level organizations that receive more than 50

percent of their budget from ecoimperalist organizations. These organizations are well known,

fit into the economic political framework of the country, and have been overall successful in

carrying out projects. Although they are successful in their projects, the inconsistency in

funding is a challenge and organizations will continually boom and bust. In addition,

ecodependent organizations often change their agendas to fit into framework of imperialist
organizations. Since ecoimperalist organizations mainly focus on conservations and sustainable

development, ecodependent organizations have to change their priorities to match that or they

risk losing funds. The leading national groups, such as Fundacion Natura, EcoCiencia and Jatun

Sacha, are sometimes viewed with skepticism by Ecuadorians because they are under the

control of INGOs.

The third type of environmentalism, ecoresisters, create their own agenda, utilize

volunteers instead of paid professionals and staff, and work at the local or regional level.

Ecoresisters deal with environment versus development. They stand in the way of the

treadmill or production by resisting economic growth through extraction, but they also

recognize that people need to make a living and create self-sustaining economic activities for

the communities. Ecoresisters are not strictly environmental, but are more concerned with

buen vivir and protecting the environment to protect the people. For instance, the Defensa y

Conservacion Ecologica de Intag (DECOIN) prevented copper mining in the cloud forests and

created alternative jobs for the locals such as ecotourism, shade-grown coffee cooperative, and

a womens group that produces crafts to sell.

The last type of environmentalism is ecoentrepreneur organizations. These

organizations are important because they focus on brown issues rather than green issues.

The public supports these types of organizations because they work on local issues such as

access to clean water, green spaces, human health, and other anthropogenic issues. Fondo para

la Proteccion del Agua(FONAG), is a public-private organization that collects funds from users

and then distributes the funds to other organization to protect the watershed and keep Quitos

drinking water clean.


Reflection

Although Ecuador is a small country, I believe it is vital to have different types of

environmental organizations. Each organization serves a purpose, and together all of them

should be able to make an impact in their own way. Although Ecuadorians may view

ecoimperalist organizations negatively, they are necessary. The Parks in Peril program, which

protected and conserved almost 45 million acres of biologically critical ecosystems, would not

have been possible without the 62 million dollars provided by USAID and TNC.

With that being said, money isnt everything and it is often passionate, dedicated

volunteers who make a difference. The ecoresisters are extremely important to Ecuadors

environmental movements because they are the voice of the people. Large INGOs and NGOs

can use all the funding to protect the environment, but it is the ecoresisters who voice their

opinion on extractive development to stand up to the government. Small, local victories made by

the ecoresisters are equally as important to the environment as the accomplishments of larger,

more well known organizations.

Living in the United States, I take access to clean drinking water and green spaces for

granted. Although the Nature Conservancy is an INGO which are mostly opposed by Ecuadorians,

they are currently working in five water funds, including Quitos water fund (FONAG) and

Guayaquils water fund. They have invested 3.5 million dollars each year to protect watersheds

and improve water quality (Echoarria, 2002). Although the chapter presents the idea that INGOs

are mainly concerned with biodiversity conservation, it is important that they continue to work

for human rights as well. This would give them a better reputation among the Ecuadorian people.
The strength of the state is important, but the goals of the state are critical to the

environmentalism in Ecuador. Ecuador has varied from weak to strong over time. Weak states

can be manipulated by other countries, with INGOs and transnational donors, because they are

not accomplishing their own goals. Weak states also leave it up to NGOs and other organizations

to take control of their sector and create laws and regulations, even though they are rarely

enforced. Lewis states, Strong states can move their own ideological goals forward, whether

that be pro-sustainability or pro-extraction (14). A strong state can do a lot of good for the

environment, just as it can do bad. The strength of the state through the years as well as the

environmental goals of the state was very important to the trajectory path that Ecuador followed

in the past and will follow in the future.


References

Echoarria, M. (2002). Financing Watershed Conservation: The FONAG Water Fund in

Quito, Ecuador. In Selling Forest Environmental Services (pp. 91-103). Sterling, VA: Earthscan

Publicatons Ltd. Retrieved September 16, 2017.

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