Yasuni National Park, part of Amazonian Ecuador, is very often referred to as the most biodiverse spot on earth. It is a paradisiacal home to a plethora of animal and plant species, many of which are not even discovered yet. One of the richest places for birds and all sorts of reptilians and amphibians, Yasuni sports an estimated 100 000 insects per hectare (the highest concentration on the planet)and also constitutes one of the last refugiums for a number of endangered species such as the white-bellied spider monkey or the giant river otter. It is also home to some un-contacted indigenous tribes that live deep within the jungle. 
The days of its pristine forests and also the traditional life style of the local people, the Huaorani, Kichwa, Tagaeri and Taromenane are counted, however, if the international community can not decide on taking action rapidly, for Yasuni National Park is also a hot candidate for oil extraction. The exploration of the massive oil deposits discovered (oil companies calculate with 900 million barrels of crude, an amount nine times greater than Ecuador's annual oil export!) naturally presents a great economic opportunity for a country that still ranges among the poorest in South America and largely if not entirely depends on oil exports, but the beginning of drilling in Yasuni would also mean the end of one of nature's last great resorts, the irrevocable destruction of a unique habitat and its magnificent populations. When oil production starts, spills will sooner or later occur. And the Ecuadorians are well acquainted with the problem of oil waste and environmental pollution: One of the largest environmental cases ever, the Ecuador-Chevron lawsuit, has, after 17 years of fighting, still not brought any desirable outcome for the 30 000 plaintiffs, many of whom are affected by cancer and other ailments due to contaminations (mainly of their drinking water) that result from uncleared waste deposits left by the responsible oil company (then Texaco, now Chevron) after retreating from the drilling sites. But not only spills would be inevitable; heavy machinery, the building of roads and camps and eventually the presence of people are bound to destroy the region forever. Though the prospects of the National Park look dim and time is running out, the cause is not yet entirely lost: We still can help Yasuni by financially supporting the Yasuni-ITT Initiative, a deal proposed by the Ecuadorian government. The country would refrain from exploiting the oil deposits in the area in exchange for around $3.6 billion that are to be paid over the next thirteen years, a sum that approximately equals 50% of the crude oil's value that could potentially be extracted from the national park's grounds. The money would feed a UN-backed fund financing projects that promote renewable energies and social development. With the initiative, Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa has made a clear offer: His country is willing to help conserve the rain forest if the international community also shows a willingness to take on (financial) responsibility when it comes to preserving the world's ecological heritage and averting climate change. The main addressees of the Initiative are official institutions; however, also private donators are welcome. Some of the most prominent supporters of the Initiative include Leonardo Dicaprio, Edward Norton, Al Gore, and UN General Secretary Ban Ki Moon.