Green fields.

While the world's most powerful business leaders ask their governments to work to reduce global warming, Ecuador, one of Latin America's smallest and poorest countries, has set out on its own, unique plan to create a green utopia: not doing anything with a major asset. [??] President Rafael Correa wants to prohibit drilling for oil in the Ishpingo Tambococha Tiputini oilfield, one of the country's largest with reserves at 1.50 billion barrels. Drilling it would pump US$700 million into the country's coffers. To leave that bubblin' crude under the ground, the country has asked the international community to finance a trust at half of that figure to let government continue to develop social projects while avoiding polluting the environment. The trust would be created under the shelter of an international treaty headed by the United Nations, shielding it from political influence and guaranteeing its longevity. [??] The project is the brainchild of Energy Minister Alberto Acosta, whom Correa has given until February 2008 to turn the idea into a reality. Acosta feels he'll be successful and adds that the Norwegian government, the Inter-American Development Bank, U.S. universities and other international foundations are interested in the idea. [??] Environmental expert Carlos Larrea, a member of the technical commission appointed to draw up the plan, says the Paris Club, a multilateral lending institution, could work something out to contribute to the fund. Ecuador owes $1 billion to the Paris Club and to foreign governments, mainly in Europe. [??] Oil is Ecuador's chief export, generating $6.91 billion in 2006, 28% more than a year earlier.