Guyana, A Poor Country, Was A Green Champion. Then Exxon Discovered Oil.

"GEORGETOWN, Guyana – For more than a century, a wide, low seawall has protected the country of Guyana from the depravations of the Atlantic Ocean.

Today, the weathered old seawall is a cheerful place. Vendors sell beer and coconut water, blasting local radio stations as they look out over muddy waters. Kids play, couples flirt. Exhausted workers catch a cool breeze after another 90-degree day in the capital city of Georgetown.

But for climate expert Seon Hamer, standing beneath a wild almond tree next to the wall, the view is not as peaceful as it seems.

'All of this,' he says, 'could be gone.'"

Camila Domonoske and Ryan Kellman report for NPR November 7, 2021.