Chapter 3

Here we cover a lot about the ecopolitical structure of Ecuador, and how both the

international community, and the local citizens play into the power of shaping Ecuadors

landscape and economy. A lot of what goes on in countries is influenced by the outside just as

much as the inside, with many third world or developing countries relying on foreign funding.

This foreign funding can be good in the sense of NGOs swaying bills to help protect certain

aspects of the environment, or bad in the sense of oil companies such as Texaco wanting to

extract more from the country with the promise of a flourishing economy.

Much of the chapter can be divvied up into the descriptions of the four distinct types of

environmentalists, with their unique characteristics and their abilities separating one from the

other. First comes Ecoimperialists, then comes Ecodependants, then Ecoresistors, and finally

Ecoentepreneurs. Their exact specifications will be fleshed out in the next few paragraphs.

Firstly, the Ecoimperialists are the largest influences on policy change within the country

due to their financial sway for the government, and their ability to lobby better. Most of the

money that Ecoimperialists receive is from foreign funding, and they have a very structured

budget and source of income. They are usually more able to sway public and congressional

opinion because they can be reached at stable offices, and their agendas are very clear and

outlined. The foreign funding can be a blessing and a curse, since most countries that are

supplying the money are first world countries, with a higher budget to supply. The downside

being that if anything happens in that country, the donations to international funds are not their

highest priority so they may get reduced funding sporadically.

 After that come the Ecodependants, who receive their funding from national sources.

This too can be beneficial to lobbying due to the ability for the government to monitor and

disperse the money to the groups of their choosing, allowing for a set agenda to be pushed by the

group that is doing the funding to begin with. This also can be detrimental though, due to the fact

that if the government needs to make budget cuts, or there is a deficit in the economy, these

Ecodependants can be closed down in an instant.

Then comes the Ecoresistors, which are a group that receives no funding, and is usually

regarded as radical group that causes many problems for the movements, but is ran entirely by

avid citizens or illegal immigrants. These groups are often regarded as eco-terrorists, and their

agenda is to usually dismantle many of the groups that encroach on the environment such as

logging companies or oil companies. They thrived during the period of political instability due to

their difficulty to regulate. They often hurt the cause because their radical views often get

themselves and others hurt, and they cause instability in regions of their influence.

Finally comes the Eco-entrepreneurs, who are a group that again does not receive any

formal funding, but does receive funding from efforts posed by the group, such as fundraisers

from the public, or bake sales. These innovative ideas are not very profit rearing, but often can

spark interest from the public in a grass roots movement manner. This can be just as influential

for passing laws as having high funding due to the fact that there is a democracy in place in

Ecuador. This group also has the largest volume due to it being a collective effort from normal

citizens that want to see change, instead of an organization that may be pushing an agenda for a

paycheck.