Regreening Galapagos

摘要

The islands that inspired Charles Darwin's theory of evolution are being loved to death. Every year, more than 140,000 tourists descend on the isolated archipelago to ogle its cactus-studded scenery and bizarre wildlife. And amid the blue-footed boobies and giant tortoises sits a handful of towns whose population has tripled to nearly 30,000 in the past two decades. To support all those people, 10 million gallons of diesel fuel and gasoline are shipped to the Galapagos annually, a fifth of which is used just to generate electricity, f Regular tanker traffic in one of Earth's most fragile ecosystems is a disaster waiting to happen (just ask an Alaskan), so the Ecuadoran government is trying to go green. Naturally, the remote location involves challenges, but several proj ects to cut fuel use and boost pro-rntections are up and running, with more in the works. After all, evolution takes time.