Skip to Content
Streetsblog Los Angeles home
Streetsblog Los Angeles home
Log In

The extraordinary documentary movie Crude is showing in Santa Monica this week.
It's a compelling portrait of epic legal struggle by indigenous peoples
in Ecuador to force Chevron/Texaco to clean up the toxins left behind
from decades of oil extraction in the Amazon rainforest.

Streetsblog generally focuses on the local impacts of our car
culture (and the hopeful stories of greener transportation
alternatives.) Crude tells part of the other end of the story
of car culture. Excessive reliance on automobiles doesn't just
pollute, disrupt, kill and maim locally; it poisons the peoples, the
lands, the rivers and watersheds of peoples from Ecuador to Nigeria to
the Middle East.

Crude features some famous faces - Ecuadorean President Rafael Corea
and even rockstar Sting - but the real inspirational hero of the story
is Pablo Fajardo, the resourceful Ecuadorean lawyer behind the case.
Due to Fajardo and his team's efforts, the courts have recommended $27
Billion in damages, but Chevron is still dragging things out.

Catch Crude on the big screen this week, and redouble your efforts to minimize your dependence on oil.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog Los Angeles

L.A. City Approves Measure HLA Ordinance

Both City Council and Mayor approved the city HLA ordinance, which goes into effect on August 18.

July 17, 2025

Supes Move to Restore Measure J

Supes look to fix an oopsie that lead to accidentally repealing criminal justice reforms.

July 16, 2025

City Breaks Ground on Mid-City Greenways Bike/Walk Improvements

The 4+mile Mid-City Greenways project is focused on three streets: Rosewood Avenue, Formosa Avenue, and Orange Drive

July 15, 2025
See all posts