Much is being made of a landmark decision made by voters in the South American Republic of Ecuador. On Sunday, they used a referendum held in the country to vote against oil drilling in the country’s Yasuni Park, a Protected Area in the section of the Amazon that is part of Ecuadorean territory. Ecuador’s decision to opt for environmental protection over consolidating its position as the fifth largest oil-producing country in South America, has caught regional and international attention on account of its rare departure from the global trend of ignoring environmental considerations and opting instead for the economic gains to be had from fossil fuel recovery.