This longread is a wild ride. It documents the attempts of people in Ecuador to go after Chevron in U.S. court for environmental damage to Ecuador's rain forest. The story takes a host of twists and turns and demonstrates how aggressive a major multinational corporation will be in defending against environmental litigation. It also is a reminder that for environmental laws to be effective in any country, they require a legal system that can effectively adjudicate cases and impose sufficient penalties. It also illustrates the missteps taken by the lawyers representing the Ecuadorian citizens and how easily they got carried away in pursuing the cause.
"Reversal of Fortune" by Patrick Radden Keefe
Published in the New Yorker, January 9, 2012
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2012/01/09/120109fa_fact_keefe?currentPage=all
Eric
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