Today in class, I had the opportunity to look in depth about oil and the economy. I found out that oil is about half of the export earnings of Ecuador. This was a surprising fact for me since, in the time I have been in Ecuador, I have not noticed traces of drilling. I would have guessed that handicrafts, fresh fruit, coffee, or chocolate would be a top export. It was really interesting to research a current event that will affect generations to come. There has been a dispute over if it is okay to drill for oil in Eastern Ecuador, where the Andes meet the amazon rainforest. The drilling would specifically take place in Yasmí national park. This national park is one of the last places that is still truly untouched by developers. This park is also home to many species of animals and plants. Many articles discussed the opportunity cost of drilling and making money versus keeping the park in its pristine condition. I believe that Ecuador should use the park as an educational resource. With the multitude of species it has, Yasmí park is a prime place to teach students about the environment. Today, we also had a lecture on migration. Many Ecuadorians travel illegally to the United States or Europe in hope to make money to send back home. Never experiencing a parent moving away, I had no idea the detrimental affects it could have on children. Aside from missing their parents, children loose focus in school, and eventually become depressed. It was very sad to hear about this topic because the parents originally migrated to help the children, not hurt them. I believe this is a problem that Ecuador needs to address if it ever wants to develop in the future. To finish off our Friday, we attended dance classes. It was a lot of fun to learn a different style of dance and hear the music. Although I was not very good at keeping the beat, I was still able to learn a few new moves.
