UNIT 5 Galápagos Tourism

Narrator The Galápagos is a collection of 13 main islands in the Pacific Ocean. They are a thousand
kilometers—or six hundred miles—from the coast of Ecuador in South America. The Galápagos is
famous for the animal species that live here. Because the islands are isolated, animals evolved into unique
species that do not exist anywhere else in the world.
But another species is invading these tropical islands— humans. They’ve been living here for more than a
century. But in the past few decades, tourism has increased dramatically. And workers from Ecuador have
come, too, to open businesses and provide services for the tourists. Some estimate the local population on
the islands has increased by as much as 300 percent.
Lauren Spurrier In the 1980s, there was a local population of about 3,000 people living here on the
islands, and today, we have a local population of more than 25,000 people.
Narrator Tourism brings much-needed revenue. But all these people generate pollution through vehicle
emissions and energy consumption. And like almost all humans, they create trash. Environmentalists
worry that tourism is having a negative impact on the islands’ original inhabitants—the animals.
Recently, an oil tanker that was trying to deliver fuel to the Galápagos crashed. The oil spill that resulted
from the crash eventually killed an estimated 60 percent of nearby iguanas. Researchers now say even a
small amount of pollution can harm the islands’ famous animal species.
Fortunately, the oil spill turned out to be a wake-up
call. Now, with a series of ambitious projects, environmentalists and corporations are working together
with the Ecuadorian government to minimize human impact. The goal is to end the use of fossil fuels on
the Galápagos in the next decade, and to use only renewable, nonpolluting energy.
The goal is to make the islands “green.” For example, these modern oil tanks replace rusty older ones that
were about to fall into the sea. Contaminants in the fuel are removed to reduce pollution. An ultra-modern
gas station has barriers to contain leaks. There’s an ambitious plan
to convert boat engines to cleaner and more efficient engines. And to replace cars on the islands with low-
emissions vehicles.
A World Wildlife Fund recycling campaign is teaching islanders about the importance of preserving the
natural beauty of their islands. For example, Lourdes Peñaherrera and her family have won a World
Wildlife Fund award for reducing the amount of waste they produce.
Lourdes Penaherrera (translated) “Not only us, but the whole community has to recycle,” she says.
“It’s to protect the environment. Almost everybody in our neighborhood does it now.”
Narrator Environmentalists say humans will continue to have an impact on the Galápagos, but local
cooperation, combined with the help of international environmental organizations, such as the World
Wildlife Fund, may help to control the impact. There once were no people on these isolated islands, but
now the world has arrived. Instead of ruining the Galápagos Islands, perhaps with a united effort, they
will save them.