Sometimes we read in newspaper articles or in certain blogs about the environmental and humanitarian disasters caused by big multinational co-operations as a result of their horrendous practices. Coca Cola, Star Bucks, Exxon-Mobile, Nike and Shell are some of the few such guilty companies! In this post, I would like to concentrate on a court case that was suppose to take place in New York City on the 27th of May, 2009, brought by the indigenous (Ogoni) people of Niger Delta, upon Shell! (Wiwa vs. Royal Dutch Shell)
Shell is a British/Dutch company, which is one of the leading oil and gas producer in the world. They have existed in Niger Delta for decades, extracting oil while causing tremendous damage to the indigenous people, while emitting dangerous amounts of greenhouse gases that add to the current climate crisis.
Shell is involved in a practice called “Gas Flaring”, which is basically burning off gases, that is released through oil extraction activities. These gases are highly toxic and very dangerous. They have been doing this for many years because it’s cheaper and easier. Shell could never get away with such practices here in the US or in Europe, yet they have been doing this at a high cost to the people living in Niger Delta without an ounce of guilt or remorse, while making billions of dollars each year.
Ken Saro-Wiwa was the founding member and the president of “Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People”, a group dedicated to help the indigenous people of Niger Delta to stop the damaging practices of gas flaring by Shell. He was an outspoken environmental activist who tried to negotiate but unfortunately was able to come to an amicable agreement. When the community protested, Shell bribed the military government in Nigeria to suppress the Ogoni people by means of violence. Ultimately Ken Saro-Wiwa was arrested by the military dictatorship and framed. He was quickly tried for crimes he did not commit and hung soon after. This trial was widely condemned by independent observers such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch as being a sham and a total injustice of the law. Year’s lager, many damaging information came out that Shell had a big role in the whole process of bribery and witness tampering.
A landmark court case was supposed to take place on May 27th against the infamous gas/oil company however, by vigorous attempts to stop the Ogoni people having their day in court, Shell made sure the court case was delayed at a later date. It seems Shell wants to settle outside the corridors of the court room in order to cover up it’s track of human rights violations and environmental damages that has taken place for many years in Niger Delta.
Below are some web sights where you can take action and read more about the court case against Shell.
Please read the article in the Independent)
Take Action
Oil Change International
Earth Rights International
* Photo taken by me.
11 Comments:
Our crippling addiction to oil drives all these robber barons to pollute, murder and degrade everything they touch. Exxon being another example.
We can't run out of oil soon enough to bring us all to our senses.
XO
WWW
I'm certainly watching this case with interest.
You might be interested in a few photos I took in 2006 at the unveiling of a living monument to Ken Saro Wiwa
http://thepoormouth.blogspot.com/2006/11/living-monument-to-ken-saro-wiwa.html
Very thought-provoking case and sculpture. A bus is a great metaphor.
I am just waiting for the day that we have windmills spinning and solar panels heating instead of this colonial rape of the land and her peoples. Change is coming.
I've been closely familiar with Occidental and its exploitation of native sacred lands in South America, and I can tell you the oil companies do try to clean up their act as best they can. And we need to compromise in the name of progress in certain situations at certain times... After all, humans are in charge... even of oil companies...
:)
Nevin,
Not sure if you have come across the 'Shell to Sea' campaign in Ireland. It is an international non violent campaign, rooted in the Erris community. They seek to ensure the proposed Corrib gas terminal and pipeline are constructed offshore, as is best practice. In doing so they seek to highlight the negligent environmental, health, safety, planning and economic consequences of this government backed plan. They are not the property of any party or movement and disassociate themselves from negative campaigning and tactics that many media outlets have attempted to associate with them. They have been campaigning for several years and continue to face intimidation, slander and significant hardship as a result.
However, they are growing in strength, numbers and confidence and will remain peaceful, committed and determined in the coming days, weeks months and years if necessary!
They have a web site here,
http://www.corribsos.com/index.php?id=1&type=page
Oil extraction and mining leave scars on the landscape as well as "pollution" in the environment. Bribe hungry politicians in Africa, South America and Asia exacerbate the problem as they provide protection against prosecution and relax necessary standards. Without the removal of fuel and minerals the ability to communicate as freely as we do on the internet, to fly around the world and protest, to ride to the top of the Empire State Building, ride the subway, switch on lights and enjoy the lifestyle we do would be severely compromised. So what to do, of course the answer is simple comply with all the necessary environmental regulations, treat indigenous people with respect, don't touch my pristine environment, build nothing, exploit nothing, stagnate and die.....oh and where do you think the raw materials for wind turbines and solar panels come from, oil and metals which have to be extracted from deep in the earth using horrifically expensive technology......
Gulay, I agree. Sometimes, at the expense of progress and for the safety of some of the people on the lifeboat which would otherwise sink ending life for all, it's OK to throw some people overboard...
WWW, Jams, mberkmen and Mick: Thank you for your thoughtful comments.
Jams, the bus looks amazing and please post more info on this issue in your blog.
Mick, great link.
TT and Gulay, I disagree with you...
I will leave it at that!
http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/20090526_chevron_shell_and_the_true_cost_of_oil/
Multi-corporations are just Big Time Mafia. They think they can roll up and do what they like and if you protest you die. Simple!
We could protest by not buying OIL? Well thats NOT about to happen, so we grin and bear it.
Ardent, if rich country's governments didn't cooperate with these corrupt multi nationals, perhaps, we wouldn't feel so helpless...
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