The Democratic Republic of Congo is auctioning off land for oil and gas exploration this week. And we’re not just talking about any old land here. Parcels extend into one of the largest old-growth rainforests on Earth, parts of Virunga National Park, the world’s most important gorilla sanctuary. There are also tracts in wetlands that store a lot of carbon, and if that’s released the consequences could be nothing short of setting the entire planet back in the fight against climate change. The World’s host Marco Werman discusses the story with Corneille Ewango, a forest ecologist and the 2005 winner of the Goldman Environmental Prize. Corneille joins us from Goma in the DR Congo.
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