One of the readings this week that really stood out to me was the article in Environment "Ken Saro-Wiwa, from Genocide in Nigeria: The Ogoni Tradegy." What a sad story! My heart goes out to these people. The article puts most or all of the blame on the Shell company, which I thought was a good company (though this article is from 1992). The pollution caused by the oil and gas extraction is essentially acting as genocide for these Ogani people. It was the numbers that really got to me.
- Shell spent one million pounds on a new theatre. No money to help the people they are destroying.
- Chevron pays more in rent in one year for ONE two-bedroom flat for one of it's middle level employees than it has paid in a total of 10 years to Ogani landlords.
The Ogani people have no electricity, no pipe-borne water, no hospitals, no schools
What is going on here? Do we not hear about/care about/notice these things becuase they are happening so far away? These people are suffering so I can drive my truck... I don't know what to do about it but there's got to be a better way. O wait...there is. All that crazy new techology about hybrids, hydrogen cars, fuel cells, and green energy. Let's do that.
2 comments:
When I read stories like this I get very discouraged as well. But fortunately I've been finding solace in turning on the radio or reading the newspaper and see that everyone in the world is talking about the environment! We will not fix everything this week in Copenhagen, but it is hopeful to me that tomorrow and Friday so many leaders will be in one place discussing solutions to the problems we have inflicted on the planet.
Also, Laell, whenever I am discouraged and read depressing things about giant monster evil oil companies, I like to listen to Jane Goodall speak. I had to listen to her after the war class. And I will probably have to listen to her after the politics class as well. :) I have a few of her books if you are interested. She has an incredible hopeful message and she somehow manages never to lose it, despite stories like the one you were talking about in you blog post.
The worst thing is that stories like the Ogani are happening right here in North America. The Cross Lake Cree in Central Manitoba have had their traditional hunting grounds destroyed, river banks eroded, pay at least ten times as much for electricity than southern Manitobans, and become dependent on government social programs all so Manitoba Hydro can produce electricity to sell to the province and to Minnesota (sorry, but true).
It is discouraging, but we need to keep hearing their stories. Stories from the Ogani, from Cross Lake, from the First nations reserves that have had uranium dumped on them. We can listen, weep with them, protest government and corporate action, and change our behaviours. I think it is possible. It definitely is if we believe it is!
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