Fellow Story

Climate Alliance maps Amazonian oil reserves and impacts of extraction

Fellow(s): Tracey Osborne
Topic(s): Climate Change, Environmental & Social Justice, Environmental Policy & Law, Natural Resource Management, Energy Resources & Access

Dr. Tracey Osborne, partnering with Amazon Watch on the Climate Alliance Mapping Project, built a platform that factually and compellingly demonstrates the geographic footprint of Amazonian oil reserves and the human and natural resources its extraction threatens. Specific outcomes of this Switzer Leadership Grant project include:

● The launching of the Climate Alliance Mapping Project (CAMP) that identifies priority areas for keeping fossil fuels underground, and includes stories of indigenous and frontline communities discussing their experiences with fossil fuel exploitation.  The launch of this project was picked up by several news media outlets and is a critical component of a larger multi-organization project aimed at keeping fossil fuels in the ground and advancing climate equity throughout the Americas.

● Through the work of Amazon Watch staff, CAMP has gained the attention of Google Earth Outreach, which plans to promote the project on their website.

● Using CAMP maps and resources, Amazon Watch’s upcoming Amazon Crude Tracker campaign is now well-positioned to make a compelling case for drastically curtailing oil extraction in the Amazon.

Dr. Osborne and her team at the University of Arizona will continue to refine the maps with data provided by Amazon Watch and more than 50 other organizations involved in a larger climate equity campaign.  They also expect to develop similar maps for all of the Americas as the work continues.
 

Meet the Fellows in this Story

Tracey Osborne

Tracey Osborne

2004 Fellow
Tracey Osborne is Associate Professor and Presidential Chair in the Management of Complex Systems Department at the University of California, Merced. She is also the founding director of the University of California Center for Climate Justice. Tracey’s research focuses on the social and political economic dimensions of climate change mitigation in tropical forests and the role of Indigenous Peoples, the politics of climate finance, global environmental governance, and climate equity and justice. She has worked on these issues globally with extensive field experience in Mexico and the Amazon. Tracey is a member of the Global Climate Leadership Council, a body that advises UC President Michael Drake on successful implementation of the UC Carbon Neutrality Initiative’s mission. She received her PhD from the Energy and Resources Group at the University of California, Berkeley.