I recently watched a documentary called Poison Fire produced by Lars Johansson in conjunction with Friends of the Earth International and communities affected by gas flaring in Nigeria’s Niger Delta. Poison Fire documents Ifie’s (a local artist, feminist and environmental activist who works to promote dialogue between the communities, the oil industry and the federal government) journey across three communities in the Niger Delta in 2005 and 2006 her trip to The Hague, where she attends Shell’s annual general meeting. I might be a year and a half late in watching this documentary, hence this post is also late but rather late than never.
Shell moseyed on down to Nigeria some 50 years ago when black gold was discovered (oil). Nigeria is sitting on copious amounts of dollars worth of oil; it is the 10th largest oil exporter in the world and the largest in Africa. In fact Nigeria should be a superpower but it isn’t. The Niger Delta, the home of Nigerian oil is not only that, but also the largest wetland and maintains the third largest drainage basin in Africa. It is a fantastically populous ecosystem, which contains one of the highest concentrations of biodiversity on the planet, in addition to supporting abundant flora and fauna, it can sustain a wide variety of crops, lumber or agricultural trees and more species of freshwater fish than any ecosystem in West Africa.
The problem, Nigerians have a fair amount of problems but the biggest and possibly the most plaguing is the constant power outages. A problem the government has been trying to rectify for the last three decades. Back to Shell, they burn off billions of dollars in natural gas every year through gas flaring. What that means is that they waste gas simply because it maximises oil production. Yes they waste gas worth billions of dollars, gas that can be used to power the entire country and more for many years. This flaring releases greenhouse gases equivalent to 18 million cars a year. Aside from this method being environmentally unfriendly and a waste, it is also harmful to human life; these flares are only a few miles away.
How on earth does Shell justify this? They don’t really. Gas flaring is one of the many problems Shell has caused for these communities according to Poison Fire. There have been major oil spills every year for 50 years, that means more than 50 oil spills. The aquatic life, which is a major part of the communities’ livelihoods, is dying because of the oil spills and also the vegetation — their crops have become poisoned. Shell has been ordered by a Nigerian court to stop gas flaring (2005) and be kinder to the environment. They still haven’t though. They had hoped to phase it out by the end of 2009. Phase it out as in a slow and possibly never-ending process? The whole situation is reprehensible, how is it possible that Shell doesn’t get it? How is it possible that the government doesn’t give them an ultimatum? Apparently Shell is now considering pulling out of Nigeria, perhaps that’s for the best.
The Niger Delta is home to 20 million people.
Thanks for bringing this important issue to our attention.
In the USA 25 000 people die each year from air pollution from coal use. The sooner fossil fuels head for extincion like the dinasaur the better.
This is what happens when you mix neo-imperialist corporatism with inevitably crony and corrupt government. I feel a great deal of empathy for the people of the Niger Delta in this regard, the state of their environment truly is shocking and it is an absolute disgrace to the government-corporate nightmare relationship.
Please note, I must accent that this is not a raw consequence of capitalism (as I am sure many environmentalists and their ilk will be quick to scapegoat). We must make a distinction between free market capitalism and the government-sponsored corporate malfeasance that caused the Delta’s predicament.
What’s needed in this situation is less government and more property rights to the people of the Delta. If the government ends its preferential treatment of Shell and its no-doubt foreign “guest workers” then the people of the region will have the power in their hands to offer the terms upon which Shell may operate its facilities there as rightful entities to that property and its resources.
Why? The government did nothing. Because they were being paid back handers. Only The government will save the people and its Fuana. Another problem is that the Nigerian governemnt know everything that is happening but do not plough some of the money back into the area. That was the direct cause of the uprising in the sixties and the continued rebel presents in that area.
How is it possible that the government doesn’t give them an ultimatum?
Quite simple… weak governance and corruption.
Shell has been in the process of ‘pulling out’ of 15 countries in Africa for some time, downscaling their presence of personnel, in the case of Nigeria primarily due to disruptions caused by rebel militia.
The void left will be simply filled by others, whose scruples are no more certain.
Engen (Southern Africa) is set to take over from Shell in Nigeria.
For a Ph D. student, you are woefully short on research. There is far more going on in the Niger Delta than the film showed, it seems. Rebel and criminal attacks and lack of infrastructure to transport the gas cannot all be blamed on Shell. There are also other oil companies in the region. The government wants to harness the gas but, unsurprisingly, wants someone else to foot the bill while it carries off the profits. Central government is actually more the reason that conditions in the delta are so bad; budgets for the area are tight and infrastructure lacking. You may also be interested to know that Angola may soon produce more oil than Nigeria and Nigeria is close to pre-empting SA as Africa’s major economy. Go look it all up! I don’t even have a BA.
The use of fossil fuels is a linear way of relating to nature’s bounty. Nature’s preferred way of operating is cyclic.
The trouble is that the linear way of operating yields quick returns for humsns and their organisations. In the case of oil in the Niger delta this has meant a quick buck for Shell and other oil companies and to hell with the detrimental environmental consequences.
The book keeping delusion within which Shell and many other organisations are ensnared, is that somebody else pays the environmental bill. The truth is that we all pay in the end, maybe with our lives, even Shell shareholders. In my view the directors of Shell and similar companies should be hauled before the International Court in the Hague and charged with crimes against Nature. Such a charge would naturally include humanity as a part of Nature.
Thank you all for your comments.
@MLH – I know all about the rebel attacks, I don’t need to look it up all I have to do is turn on the news and I see it; two more people were taken hostage today in fact. This piece is about a film I watched that got me angry at what Shell and the Nigerian government is allowing happen to the environment. Perhaps if the people in charge cleaned up their act there might me less violence. Also I should hope one doesn’t have to have a degree to actually care about the world and the people in. Yes you are right rebels are there and they are not helping the situation but that is another discussion (one I am actually busy working on). However, this discussion is that Shell and the Nigerian government are happy to waste so much resource in country that needs it desperately. Thank you for your thoughts.
This has all the hall mark of a western engineered destabilisation of an indigenouse people. This is a pattern which has been exacted on countries throughout the world, but not so devastatingly as Africa. Look closer to home, and see the pattern kicking in, the arms deal, Mugabe etc.The first step is to be handed a dysfunctional democracy in the first free democratic elections. The second step is to ensure the criminals come to power. The third step is gang rule in the form of rampant crime and the forth step is to move in and suck the blood out of the country with developement loans and exploitation of natural resources. Basically Nigeria is us as we are Zim. This is our fate and it would appear that we are powerles to stop it.
Dump oil, go renewable energy, end of problem. See New Energy Finance: Solar power 50% cheaper by year end, other clean energy sources drop 10% -
Wednesday, November 25th, 2009
This is a passion of mine too; i will not use Shell petrol at all – only Sasol. i know its not much but i must do my bit. this will anger many people and some that read this comment will have nasty things to say but MEND is one of my faovourite charities because at least they are trying to do something. thanks for the great article and i look forward to the one you mentioned in the comment section.
It looks as if just about every oil company has someone rooting for them, and taking an opportunity to knock the opposition to push their brand. Viral marketing.
In addition, amazing how many people go off topic in the comments section when someone digs up dirt on the oil industry. Trying and take readers attention away from the real issue.
Hey Borris
You would declare war on the entities that rule the world. Ol Nic proposed free energy almost a century and a half ago. Nothing has ever been achieved in terms of this rotating field theory, but he did invent AC flow which was readily picked up. My point is that there are greedy lazy bistards around that see energy as a way of profiteering and screw everyone else. We have to eradicate the “F u Jack i’m ok” flaw in our programming if we are to survive. Only then will we be able to achieve the level of civilisation we think we are capable of. I think the semi real movie “beyond borders” shows us as the animals we are. Whether its terrorists or oil barons, its our human mentallity that has us dubbed “the planet destroyers” by other worldly beings. Our existance is nothing but a huge intergalactic embarrassment for the annunaki, and who can blame them- we are the cockroaches of the universe………….
@Thincat
Don’t know what you’re taking but it sounds like fun.
Nigeria is being Poisoned by Gas Flaring
http://community.livejournal.com/peak_oil/806716.html
Nigeria is being Poisoned by Gas Flaring