This cartoon is from La Prensa (8/10/2011), it shows TIPNIS without most of its forest, two houses  appear, one is the “Brazilian Government” and the other belongs to the coca growers. Up in one branch, wildlife observes in disbelief.

This is no longer a bad joke, could turn into an ugly reality. Once a forest is degraded, there is loss of wildlife, sometimes irreversible. I hope stakeholders pressure continues and also permeates with El Chore and probably the Madidi, as they are also in peril.

Environmental and Natural Resources Economics aim at “internalizing the externalities”. That is to use and apply appropriate cost structures to any product, so that sustainability over the resources used are managed in a way that the environment does not degrade and future societies can also benefit from those resources.

This news appeared in Pagina Siete today in its website (13:27 hours). The Minister for Hydrocarbons, Jose Luis Gutierrez confirmed that YPFB is doing prospecting in the TIPNIS; to find out whether there could be hydrocarbons inside the protected area.

 http://www.paginasiete.bo/2011-08-10/Nacional/Destacados/TIPNIS.aspx

It looks like a poker game… all actors should sit and engage in constructive, productive dialogue, without holding news like those YPFB activities. World stakeholders will resent this one.