Environmental Policies Governing Urban Growth and the Political Economic Situation
Since Ecuador is so diverse in flora and fauna, the country has established an extensive system of national parks, scientific stations, and protected areas. Ecuador's Constitution guarantees the right to live in an ecologically balanced environment free of contamination. It also protects the environment, conserves ecosystems, and the country's genetic patrimony as matters of fundamental public interest (Flores, 2001). In 1999, The Law of Environmental Management was established and created principles and guidelines of environmental policies as well as determined the obligations, responsibilities, level of public and private participation on environmental management, and set the permissible limits, controls, and sanctions. The law promotes waste management, sustainable alternative technology, and respect for native cultures and traditional practices (Flores, 2001). The law is very clear on the use of non-renewable natural resources and in depth studies are required for projects that could harm state-protected reserves or fragile ecosystems. The Galapagos is an example of a delicate ecosystem that has been threatened by activities that exploit natural resources. In 1999, the Ecuadorian government approved a law that limits agricultural activity, regulates immigration to the islands, monitors the introduction of foreign species, and promotes the well being of local inhabitants and endemic species. Also in 1999, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) gave Ecuador the "Gift to Earth" Recognition Award for the government's declaration that protects 1,135,000 hectares of Amazon Basin rain forest. The regulation also prohibits oil drilling, mining, forest destruction, colonization or any other activity that would threaten the biodiversity of the area. It also helps the well being and survival of indigenous tribes such as the Sionas, Secoyas, Cofanes, Huaoranis, Tagaeris, and Taromenanes. With the recent economic situation, Ecuador has made tremendous effort to preserve the environment but in order to continue, the country needs foreign technological cooperation and financial assistance. Ecuador, in the past decade, has weathered a number of serious political and economic crises. The last three popularly elected presidents did not complete their terms as they were ousted for misappropriating public funds, causing an economic crisis, and by trying to replace judges on the country's three highest courts with their own political allies. In 2007, Rafael Correa was inaugurated as Ecuador's president and sixteen months into his four-year term, he continued to have high approval ratings (Seelke, 2008). President Correa focused his efforts to reform the country's political system, increase social spending, and reassert government control over Ecuador's economy and territory. In Ecuador, oil is a very important resource as it accounts for 50% of its exports. However, there has been a decrease in production and Petroecuador, the state-owned oil company, has seen 50% decrease in production over the past 10 years. President Correa, in order to increase state control over the energy sector, issued a decree that increased Ecuador's share of windfall oil revenues from 50% to 99% unless companies were willing to switch from production sharing agreements to new service contracts controlled by Petroecuador (Seelke, 2008). Five foreign oil companies entered negotiations but have yet to respond since President Correa changed the transition period from two years to six months. In 2008, the Colombian military bombed a FARC, a terrorist group in Ecuador, camp in Ecuador killing 25 people. During a raid of the camp, Colombian forces ceased laptop computers which held files that allegedly said the government of Hugo Chavez of Venezuela was planning to provide millions of dollars in assistance to the FARC for weapons and to go towards President Correa's campaign donations. Both Chavez and Correa rejected the claims and this situation caused a major diplomatic crisis between Columbia, Ecuador, and Venezuela. President Correa broke ties with Colombia and sent additional troops to the Ecuador-Colombia border. In solidarity, Chavez also broke ties with Colombia and also sent additional troops to the Venezuela-Colombia border. Some feared that the Ecuador-Colombia-Venezuela crisis might escalate but after the Rio Group summit, Venezuela's President Uribe apologized and the Rio Group issued a resolution that rejected Colombia's incursion of Ecuadorian territory. Ecuador has yet to restore diplomatic relations with Colombia and recent events do not show favor for the immediate future of Ecuador-Colombia relations.
Since Ecuador is so diverse in flora and fauna, the country has established an extensive system of national parks, scientific stations, and protected areas. Ecuador's Constitution guarantees the right to live in an ecologically balanced environment free of contamination. It also protects the environment, conserves ecosystems, and the country's genetic patrimony as matters of fundamental public interest (Flores, 2001). In 1999, The Law of Environmental Management was established and created principles and guidelines of environmental policies as well as determined the obligations, responsibilities, level of public and private participation on environmental management, and set the permissible limits, controls, and sanctions. The law promotes waste management, sustainable alternative technology, and respect for native cultures and traditional practices (Flores, 2001). The law is very clear on the use of non-renewable natural resources and in depth studies are required for projects that could harm state-protected reserves or fragile ecosystems. The Galapagos is an example of a delicate ecosystem that has been threatened by activities that exploit natural resources. In 1999, the Ecuadorian government approved a law that limits agricultural activity, regulates immigration to the islands, monitors the introduction of foreign species, and promotes the well being of local inhabitants and endemic species. Also in 1999, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) gave Ecuador the "Gift to Earth" Recognition Award for the government's declaration that protects 1,135,000 hectares of Amazon Basin rain forest. The regulation also prohibits oil drilling, mining, forest destruction, colonization or any other activity that would threaten the biodiversity of the area. It also helps the well being and survival of indigenous tribes such as the Sionas, Secoyas, Cofanes, Huaoranis, Tagaeris, and Taromenanes. With the recent economic situation, Ecuador has made tremendous effort to preserve the environment but in order to continue, the country needs foreign technological cooperation and financial assistance. Ecuador, in the past decade, has weathered a number of serious political and economic crises. The last three popularly elected presidents did not complete their terms as they were ousted for misappropriating public funds, causing an economic crisis, and by trying to replace judges on the country's three highest courts with their own political allies. In 2007, Rafael Correa was inaugurated as Ecuador's president and sixteen months into his four-year term, he continued to have high approval ratings (Seelke, 2008). President Correa focused his efforts to reform the country's political system, increase social spending, and reassert government control over Ecuador's economy and territory. In Ecuador, oil is a very important resource as it accounts for 50% of its exports. However, there has been a decrease in production and Petroecuador, the state-owned oil company, has seen 50% decrease in production over the past 10 years. President Correa, in order to increase state control over the energy sector, issued a decree that increased Ecuador's share of windfall oil revenues from 50% to 99% unless companies were willing to switch from production sharing agreements to new service contracts controlled by Petroecuador (Seelke, 2008). Five foreign oil companies entered negotiations but have yet to respond since President Correa changed the transition period from two years to six months. In 2008, the Colombian military bombed a FARC, a terrorist group in Ecuador, camp in Ecuador killing 25 people. During a raid of the camp, Colombian forces ceased laptop computers which held files that allegedly said the government of Hugo Chavez of Venezuela was planning to provide millions of dollars in assistance to the FARC for weapons and to go towards President Correa's campaign donations. Both Chavez and Correa rejected the claims and this situation caused a major diplomatic crisis between Columbia, Ecuador, and Venezuela. President Correa broke ties with Colombia and sent additional troops to the Ecuador-Colombia border. In solidarity, Chavez also broke ties with Colombia and also sent additional troops to the Venezuela-Colombia border. Some feared that the Ecuador-Colombia-Venezuela crisis might escalate but after the Rio Group summit, Venezuela's President Uribe apologized and the Rio Group issued a resolution that rejected Colombia's incursion of Ecuadorian territory. Ecuador has yet to restore diplomatic relations with Colombia and recent events do not show favor for the immediate future of Ecuador-Colombia relations.
Quito Bus System
Quito is the capital of Ecuador and is an important business area that attracts 14% of motorized trips. With a population of 1.464 million, there are only 250,000 vehicles owned by citizens and approximately 75% of motorized trips were carried out by bus while the remaining 25% was by car (Cracknell, 2003). The public transportation system includes various types of buses and trolley buses but no rail-based system. Prior to 1996, different types of buses with varying passenger capacity supplied all bus services but the privately owned bus services were divided into different types each with different fares depending on type of service, bus age, seating, and routing. The bus fleet was old and the standards of bus service were low because of slow journey times, chaotic service levels, overcrowding, and official services tended to end at 8 PM. Fares became fixed and applied nationally but restricted investments in bus fleet renewal and poorly maintained diesel bus fleets along with the geographic location of the city, resulted in emission and noise problems. An efficient, affordable, "clean" public transport option was researched to address the public's discontent and to prevent further damage to the historic city (Cracknell, 2003). In 1999, the Trolebus System as well as the Ecovia busway were commenced in order to improve the system. The Trolebus System actually had two stages: one in 1996 and the other in 1999, however, the system was operational until 2000. The Ecovia busway created a corridor to the east of the Trolebus System and is still operational today. The Trolebus System uses electrically-powered trolleybuses and operates on a segregated busway located in the center of a wide road. There are standard traffic management-exclusive bus lanes that are used for a short section in the historic city center where road right-of-way is narrower. The bus stops are island platforms that are generally raised for a no-gap transition onto the bus. Access to these stops is normally possible at signal-controlled pedestrian crossings while others have pedestrian overpasses. General traffic along the segregated busway sections is normally provided with 2-3 lanes in each direction with the exception of center city which has one lane. The trolley bus-traffic separation varies according to road width constraints and the majority of separation is provided by continuous raised physical islands.
Quito is the capital of Ecuador and is an important business area that attracts 14% of motorized trips. With a population of 1.464 million, there are only 250,000 vehicles owned by citizens and approximately 75% of motorized trips were carried out by bus while the remaining 25% was by car (Cracknell, 2003). The public transportation system includes various types of buses and trolley buses but no rail-based system. Prior to 1996, different types of buses with varying passenger capacity supplied all bus services but the privately owned bus services were divided into different types each with different fares depending on type of service, bus age, seating, and routing. The bus fleet was old and the standards of bus service were low because of slow journey times, chaotic service levels, overcrowding, and official services tended to end at 8 PM. Fares became fixed and applied nationally but restricted investments in bus fleet renewal and poorly maintained diesel bus fleets along with the geographic location of the city, resulted in emission and noise problems. An efficient, affordable, "clean" public transport option was researched to address the public's discontent and to prevent further damage to the historic city (Cracknell, 2003). In 1999, the Trolebus System as well as the Ecovia busway were commenced in order to improve the system. The Trolebus System actually had two stages: one in 1996 and the other in 1999, however, the system was operational until 2000. The Ecovia busway created a corridor to the east of the Trolebus System and is still operational today. The Trolebus System uses electrically-powered trolleybuses and operates on a segregated busway located in the center of a wide road. There are standard traffic management-exclusive bus lanes that are used for a short section in the historic city center where road right-of-way is narrower. The bus stops are island platforms that are generally raised for a no-gap transition onto the bus. Access to these stops is normally possible at signal-controlled pedestrian crossings while others have pedestrian overpasses. General traffic along the segregated busway sections is normally provided with 2-3 lanes in each direction with the exception of center city which has one lane. The trolley bus-traffic separation varies according to road width constraints and the majority of separation is provided by continuous raised physical islands.
Living in a Region Vulnerable to Natural Disasters
Quito is the capital of Ecuador and is located in the middles of the central-north Sierra. It has a population of 1.5 million and has experienced significant demographic growth in the last decades. Quito is located in an Andean valley running north-south at an altitude of 2,860 m above sea level. It is between the Pichincha Volcano in the west and the Itchimbia Hills in the east. The total area of the Metropolitan District of Quito is 424,717 ha and is comprised of three land uses: 42,273 ha of urbanized areas, 191,723 ha of natural reserves, parks, and ecological protected areas, and 189,921 ha of agricultural land (Carrion et al., 2003). The urban area of the city occupies 20,000 ha and the urban structure has been thoroughly conditioned by the scarcity of flat land as well as the topographic irregularities of the surrounding mountain system and the numerous east-west slopes.
Quito is the capital of Ecuador and is located in the middles of the central-north Sierra. It has a population of 1.5 million and has experienced significant demographic growth in the last decades. Quito is located in an Andean valley running north-south at an altitude of 2,860 m above sea level. It is between the Pichincha Volcano in the west and the Itchimbia Hills in the east. The total area of the Metropolitan District of Quito is 424,717 ha and is comprised of three land uses: 42,273 ha of urbanized areas, 191,723 ha of natural reserves, parks, and ecological protected areas, and 189,921 ha of agricultural land (Carrion et al., 2003). The urban area of the city occupies 20,000 ha and the urban structure has been thoroughly conditioned by the scarcity of flat land as well as the topographic irregularities of the surrounding mountain system and the numerous east-west slopes.
Cotopaxi
The Andes are a colossal mountain chain that runs for 8000 km through both North and South America and the Ecuadorian Andes are covered with volcanoes that are over 5000 meters high. The Andes form a mixture of peaks and plains that form patchworks of light and shadow which creates tranquil forms of nature. In contrast, the powerful volcanoes that are found within the chain, help to remind us that nature has two sides: the potential to destroy and the potential to create. Tungurahua is a volcano located in the Cordillera Oriental of Ecuador and is 5,029 meters in height. It is a coned shaped volcano that has a ring of snow around the top during the colder months. The snow plays a large role in the ecosystem of the volcano as it hydrates the land as it falls via a system of waterfalls. The soil is rich in nutrients which gives life to various fruits, native flowers, and other plant life. The Andean forests are beautiful: every species is biologically unique. Cotopaxi has permanent snows and ancient glaciers that offers a frozen white landscape. To get to the base of the mountain, tourists pass through three towns before making it to the base camp. Cotopaxi is 5,897 meters high and its perfect form is filled with stunning views. Illinizas has two peaks: Illiniza Sur (5,248 m) and Illiniza Norte (5,126 m). The southern peak has four routes to access the summit and the last one is a variation of the common route but is safer. Quilotoa has a salty volcanic-origin lake that is 3,940 meters in elevation and is approximately 3000 meters in diameter. Overall, the Andes are a remarkable ecosystem that house a plethora of flora and fauna dotted across mountain landscapes as well as near volcanoes. The volcanoes located along the mountain chain in Ecuador vary in height, shape, and location.
The Andes are a colossal mountain chain that runs for 8000 km through both North and South America and the Ecuadorian Andes are covered with volcanoes that are over 5000 meters high. The Andes form a mixture of peaks and plains that form patchworks of light and shadow which creates tranquil forms of nature. In contrast, the powerful volcanoes that are found within the chain, help to remind us that nature has two sides: the potential to destroy and the potential to create. Tungurahua is a volcano located in the Cordillera Oriental of Ecuador and is 5,029 meters in height. It is a coned shaped volcano that has a ring of snow around the top during the colder months. The snow plays a large role in the ecosystem of the volcano as it hydrates the land as it falls via a system of waterfalls. The soil is rich in nutrients which gives life to various fruits, native flowers, and other plant life. The Andean forests are beautiful: every species is biologically unique. Cotopaxi has permanent snows and ancient glaciers that offers a frozen white landscape. To get to the base of the mountain, tourists pass through three towns before making it to the base camp. Cotopaxi is 5,897 meters high and its perfect form is filled with stunning views. Illinizas has two peaks: Illiniza Sur (5,248 m) and Illiniza Norte (5,126 m). The southern peak has four routes to access the summit and the last one is a variation of the common route but is safer. Quilotoa has a salty volcanic-origin lake that is 3,940 meters in elevation and is approximately 3000 meters in diameter. Overall, the Andes are a remarkable ecosystem that house a plethora of flora and fauna dotted across mountain landscapes as well as near volcanoes. The volcanoes located along the mountain chain in Ecuador vary in height, shape, and location.
Cloud Forests
Tropical mountain cloud forests contain the lush green and colorful vegetation but with a twist: clouds are forming among the branches of trees. Cloud forests get their name from the constant "clouds" or mist that looms among the treetops and consist of single-story trees. The high moisture levels promote a high biomass and a large diversity of epiphytes, such as orchids, lichens, and mosses which cover tree trunks and branches, as well as an abundance of ferns and other flowering plants. Cloud forests make up only 1% of the world's woodlands and are found predominantly throughout the tropics. In the Caribbean and Latin America, there are 272 cloud forest sites which includes Mindo in Ecuador. Each site's appearance and form varies depending on altitude, temperature, cloud cover, soil conditions, and exposure to prevailing winds. According to Marlon Beale the executive director of the Jamaica Conservation & Development Trust, cloud forests are formed by the "movement of air currents to create clouds" and the clouds in turn would "release moisture onto the forest creating condensation...[which is] retain by the forest" in order to supply water to the leaves and various epiphytes (2012). The altitude in which cloud forests are found, vary considerably: on large inland mountains they can be found between 2000-3000 m while on coastal mountains, they can be found at 1200 m. In coastal areas and on islands that are very humid, cloud forests can be found at altitudes as low as 500 m. Cloud forests play an important role in maintaining water quality and the patterns of streams which makes them more dependable during times of drought. Epiphytes play the largest role in the abundance of water supply as they capture and store water directly from clouds and fog. The water stored in epiphytes has been calculated to range between 3,000 liters per hectare to 50,000 liters in hectare. Water from cloud forests is a vital resource in many regions because it is unpolluted and available year round. Cloud forests also help to reduce flash flooding as they ensure that the rainfall that occurs is collected and percolates to the water table rather than running off the land, removing soil, and ending up in streams or causing chaos in the lower elevations. Threatened and endemic species seek refuge in cloud forests adding to the already diverse ecosystem. Because of their uniqueness to the surrounding hotter and more dry areas, cloud forests have also been called sky islands. Cloud forests are home to the wild relatives to many crop species such as tomatoes, coffee beans and avocados while other resources include medicinal plants, herbs, fruits, ornamental plants, and game meats. Cloud forests are not only used for natural resource but are also very important in ecotourism. These forests face many of the same threats as other tropical forests but are more susceptible to climate change and deforestation. Deforestation mainly comes from agriculture both small scale farming and commercial farming. Commercial farming happens at the bottom of slopes while small scale farming (mainly for the production of family food) can happen well up on the slope. Natural threats also occur in cloud forests especially non-native plants coming in and overtaking areas creating monocultures which decrease the biodiversity of the ecosystem. Some ways in which we can reduce the amount of devastation to the cloud forests is by creating more protected areas such as national parks, nature reserves, biosphere reserves, and protected watersheds. More popular protected areas include private reserves and reserves that are designated for the indigenous people. Reserves are very important to cloud forests throughout the world because they are significant ecotourist attractions due to their pristine beauty, rare birds and other species, and breath-taking mountain environments. Restoration has become a vital part of maintaining the ecosystem and the biodiversity of the woodlands. The surviving trees allow for the planting of seeds via birds and also help to keep the soil and water protected. In order to fully protect cloud forests, we must all work together to preserve what is there, help restoration efforts, and bring awareness of how important cloud forests are to the local area.
Tropical mountain cloud forests contain the lush green and colorful vegetation but with a twist: clouds are forming among the branches of trees. Cloud forests get their name from the constant "clouds" or mist that looms among the treetops and consist of single-story trees. The high moisture levels promote a high biomass and a large diversity of epiphytes, such as orchids, lichens, and mosses which cover tree trunks and branches, as well as an abundance of ferns and other flowering plants. Cloud forests make up only 1% of the world's woodlands and are found predominantly throughout the tropics. In the Caribbean and Latin America, there are 272 cloud forest sites which includes Mindo in Ecuador. Each site's appearance and form varies depending on altitude, temperature, cloud cover, soil conditions, and exposure to prevailing winds. According to Marlon Beale the executive director of the Jamaica Conservation & Development Trust, cloud forests are formed by the "movement of air currents to create clouds" and the clouds in turn would "release moisture onto the forest creating condensation...[which is] retain by the forest" in order to supply water to the leaves and various epiphytes (2012). The altitude in which cloud forests are found, vary considerably: on large inland mountains they can be found between 2000-3000 m while on coastal mountains, they can be found at 1200 m. In coastal areas and on islands that are very humid, cloud forests can be found at altitudes as low as 500 m. Cloud forests play an important role in maintaining water quality and the patterns of streams which makes them more dependable during times of drought. Epiphytes play the largest role in the abundance of water supply as they capture and store water directly from clouds and fog. The water stored in epiphytes has been calculated to range between 3,000 liters per hectare to 50,000 liters in hectare. Water from cloud forests is a vital resource in many regions because it is unpolluted and available year round. Cloud forests also help to reduce flash flooding as they ensure that the rainfall that occurs is collected and percolates to the water table rather than running off the land, removing soil, and ending up in streams or causing chaos in the lower elevations. Threatened and endemic species seek refuge in cloud forests adding to the already diverse ecosystem. Because of their uniqueness to the surrounding hotter and more dry areas, cloud forests have also been called sky islands. Cloud forests are home to the wild relatives to many crop species such as tomatoes, coffee beans and avocados while other resources include medicinal plants, herbs, fruits, ornamental plants, and game meats. Cloud forests are not only used for natural resource but are also very important in ecotourism. These forests face many of the same threats as other tropical forests but are more susceptible to climate change and deforestation. Deforestation mainly comes from agriculture both small scale farming and commercial farming. Commercial farming happens at the bottom of slopes while small scale farming (mainly for the production of family food) can happen well up on the slope. Natural threats also occur in cloud forests especially non-native plants coming in and overtaking areas creating monocultures which decrease the biodiversity of the ecosystem. Some ways in which we can reduce the amount of devastation to the cloud forests is by creating more protected areas such as national parks, nature reserves, biosphere reserves, and protected watersheds. More popular protected areas include private reserves and reserves that are designated for the indigenous people. Reserves are very important to cloud forests throughout the world because they are significant ecotourist attractions due to their pristine beauty, rare birds and other species, and breath-taking mountain environments. Restoration has become a vital part of maintaining the ecosystem and the biodiversity of the woodlands. The surviving trees allow for the planting of seeds via birds and also help to keep the soil and water protected. In order to fully protect cloud forests, we must all work together to preserve what is there, help restoration efforts, and bring awareness of how important cloud forests are to the local area.
Latin Pulse - Water Crisis
Latin America has one of the biggest sources of freshwater in the world and yet for most, clean drinking water is a luxury. The sources of freshwater in Latin America are the Andes, the Amazon Basin, and glaciers. In Central America, the lack of drinking water along with pollution are causing effects on the population's health, the economy, and the war on poverty. In Honduras, the water supply has been reduced substantially during the last few years as demand has increased greatly. However, contamination is lowering the quality of water and is therefore affecting people's health. According to Leopoldo Dimas, "access to adequate water and health services are key factors to the economic growth of the country and to the war on poverty" (LinkTV, 2008). The National Service for Territorial Studies has proven that only 20% of the country's surface water can be purified for human consumption. Renewed efforts for water conservation have been seen across all South American countries. In Chile, experts are recommending that residents install clocks in shower stalls to reduce the amount of time spent in the shower. By doing so, showers are shorter and therefore use less water and energy. High tech shower heads are also recommended that add air creating a jacuzzi effect that is not only enjoyable but saves money on water use. The president of the Ecuadorian Citizen's Committee for Public Services went to the U.S. to lobby against the privatization of water services. By privatizing water services, access to water is limited to the poor putting those lives at risk especially in the poor areas of cities and rural areas. The policies also impact agriculture and if they continue to happen, the economy would suffer as well. According to ____ "privatizing water is an unsustainable policy, as is privatizing delivery systems because it allows private companies to trample over human rights and the laws and constitutions of countries where they operate" (LinkTV, 2008). In order for Latin America to fix their water issue, they should focus on funding and having the same expectations as the U.S. such as not expecting poor citizens who make a dollar a day to pay for public services. At the turn of the century, the U.S. created a public policy that provided potable water and had sufficient funding. All humans need water in order to survive and therefore systems in Latin America should be improved to provide water services to all citizens.
Latin America has one of the biggest sources of freshwater in the world and yet for most, clean drinking water is a luxury. The sources of freshwater in Latin America are the Andes, the Amazon Basin, and glaciers. In Central America, the lack of drinking water along with pollution are causing effects on the population's health, the economy, and the war on poverty. In Honduras, the water supply has been reduced substantially during the last few years as demand has increased greatly. However, contamination is lowering the quality of water and is therefore affecting people's health. According to Leopoldo Dimas, "access to adequate water and health services are key factors to the economic growth of the country and to the war on poverty" (LinkTV, 2008). The National Service for Territorial Studies has proven that only 20% of the country's surface water can be purified for human consumption. Renewed efforts for water conservation have been seen across all South American countries. In Chile, experts are recommending that residents install clocks in shower stalls to reduce the amount of time spent in the shower. By doing so, showers are shorter and therefore use less water and energy. High tech shower heads are also recommended that add air creating a jacuzzi effect that is not only enjoyable but saves money on water use. The president of the Ecuadorian Citizen's Committee for Public Services went to the U.S. to lobby against the privatization of water services. By privatizing water services, access to water is limited to the poor putting those lives at risk especially in the poor areas of cities and rural areas. The policies also impact agriculture and if they continue to happen, the economy would suffer as well. According to ____ "privatizing water is an unsustainable policy, as is privatizing delivery systems because it allows private companies to trample over human rights and the laws and constitutions of countries where they operate" (LinkTV, 2008). In order for Latin America to fix their water issue, they should focus on funding and having the same expectations as the U.S. such as not expecting poor citizens who make a dollar a day to pay for public services. At the turn of the century, the U.S. created a public policy that provided potable water and had sufficient funding. All humans need water in order to survive and therefore systems in Latin America should be improved to provide water services to all citizens.
References
Carrion, D., Vasconez, J., and Bermudez, N. (2003). The Case of Quito, Ecuador. Available from http://www.ucl.ac.uk/dpu-projects/Global_Report/pdfs/Quito.pdf
Cracknell, J. (2003). "Quito Busways, Ecuador." World Bank. Available from http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTURBANTRANSPORT/Resources/Quito-factsheet.pdf
ecuadormycountry (2013). Ecuador. volcanoes (English Language) [YouTube video]. Available from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUx5HVhY730&feature=youtu.be
Flores, F. (2001). Ecuador's Environmental Policies. Earth Island Journal, 16(1), 27. ISSN 1041-0406
Link TV (2008). Latin Pulse - Water Crisis [YouTube video]. Available from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhojFHnfA8E
NIHERST Trinidad and Tobago (2012). Natural Wonders of the Caribbean 2(2012) - Cloud Forests [YouTube video]. Available from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYEilIbX6OQ&feature=youtu.be
Robertson, C.J., Hoffman, J.J., and Herrmann, P. (1999). Environmental Ethics across Boarders: The United States versus Ecudor. Management International Review, 39(1), 55-69. Available from http://www.jstor.org/stable/40835731
Seekle, C.R. (2008). Ecuador: Political and Economic Situation and U.S. Relations. CRS Report for Congress.
Carrion, D., Vasconez, J., and Bermudez, N. (2003). The Case of Quito, Ecuador. Available from http://www.ucl.ac.uk/dpu-projects/Global_Report/pdfs/Quito.pdf
Cracknell, J. (2003). "Quito Busways, Ecuador." World Bank. Available from http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTURBANTRANSPORT/Resources/Quito-factsheet.pdf
ecuadormycountry (2013). Ecuador. volcanoes (English Language) [YouTube video]. Available from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUx5HVhY730&feature=youtu.be
Flores, F. (2001). Ecuador's Environmental Policies. Earth Island Journal, 16(1), 27. ISSN 1041-0406
Link TV (2008). Latin Pulse - Water Crisis [YouTube video]. Available from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhojFHnfA8E
NIHERST Trinidad and Tobago (2012). Natural Wonders of the Caribbean 2(2012) - Cloud Forests [YouTube video]. Available from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYEilIbX6OQ&feature=youtu.be
Robertson, C.J., Hoffman, J.J., and Herrmann, P. (1999). Environmental Ethics across Boarders: The United States versus Ecudor. Management International Review, 39(1), 55-69. Available from http://www.jstor.org/stable/40835731
Seekle, C.R. (2008). Ecuador: Political and Economic Situation and U.S. Relations. CRS Report for Congress.