Nigeria has oil spill that's been going on for over 50 years!

Alright, dude. Here we are, the whole world watching closely this huge oil spill caused by BP at Deepwater Horizon platform. We are all concerned and hoping for the best. But doesn't it feel wrong that we can get all that attention to an incident in american waters, but we have neglected attention for FIFTY FREAKING YEARS to what's been happening in Nigeria?

BODO, Nigeria — Big oil spills are no longer news in this vast, tropical land. The Niger Delta, where the wealth underground is out of all proportion with the poverty on the surface, has endured the equivalent of the Exxon Valdez spill every year for 50 years by some estimates. The oil pours out nearly every week, and some swamps are long since lifeless.

50 years of the equivalent to the Exxon Valdez spill every single year. And nobody knew about this? That´s ridiculous, man!

That the Gulf of Mexico disaster has transfixed a country and president they so admire is a matter of wonder for people here, living among the palm-fringed estuaries in conditions as abject as any in Nigeria, according to the United Nations. Though their region contributes nearly 80 percent of the government’s revenue, they have hardly benefited from it; life expectancy is the lowest in Nigeria.

“President Obama is worried about that one,” Claytus Kanyie, a local official, said of the gulf spill, standing among dead mangroves in the soft oily muck outside Bodo. “Nobody is worried about this one. The aquatic life of our people is dying off. There used be shrimp. There are no longer any shrimp.”

Africa is probably one of the toughest and most neglected places on this planet. And it´s in the middle of of the rest of the world. Our continents surround it and it´s both as close to each and everyone of us as it is far away.

And then, at the end, we read the news and can do nothing but hope for those in power to change things. Well, so here is hoping we can solve both BP´s oil spill and get some attention to Nigeria´s as well.

Link to The New York Times article


[edit on 17-6-2010 by henriquefd]

This is one of the most sickening things I've read lately.

I agree. As soon as we deal with our own mess, the world has to come together and solve this problem. Even if it means the oil companies have to "donate" men and equipment to get it done.

We need to be as noisy about this one as we have our own, until it's done.

This is appalling, infuriating and depressing all at once.

reply to post by henriquefd


Your link goes to the sign in page. Could you find a more workable link?

I have a username on the NYT's, but this is saying the article can't be found.

thanks.

Yes and as one other member puts it this thread will die in a matter of hours. Bloody Spill sound familiar? Lets prove him wrong!

Help keep this thread up as well. S&F

THis has some thumbnail photos of the destruction. Prepare to be sickened.

Oops. I messed up that link. But here is another. Notice the date. Nigeria begging an AMERICAN company, ExxonMobil, to come clean up it's mess. It has three, and Shell apparently has one.

Nigerian officials saying the three "aren't that bad", but they haven't been cleaned up as it was promised, and they are a growing concern.



www.unpo.org...






[edit on 6/17/2010 by ladyinwaiting]

update your link or post some parts of the article

Originally posted by ladyinwaiting
reply to post by henriquefd

 

Your link goes to the sign in page. Could you find a more workable link?

I have a username on the NYT's, but this is saying the article can't be found.

thanks.

Weird. I am not a NYT´s user either, but I had access to the article with no problem. Try googling:

Nigeria oil spill

It should appear on the top results of the search.
new LINK attempt


[edit on 17-6-2010 by henriquefd]

[edit on 17-6-2010 by henriquefd]

It is sad how the Niger Delta has been overrun by oil companies.
I seen a special on this a while back. It was on Current TV's Vanguard series.
Lot's of good info on the Niger Delta oil problems here...
current.com...

google link


This is the link for the thumbnail picts of Nigerian oil spills.

Don't know why link looks so weird. Maybe it will work.


mod edit, attempt to fix link

[edit on Thu Jun 17 2010 by DontTreadOnMe]

Ah, the link will not work because look what word is in the word Nigeria. It is of course filtered on this website.

I knew about these for a few years, one of the reasons I have not been running around shouting that the end of the world is coming.

Something should be done, however, not at the cost at lowering the average quality of life of all residents of America and England and whoever decides to jump in to "save" the planet.


[edit on 17-6-2010 by UniToxic]

Originally posted by ladyinwaiting
www.google.com...:en-us&oe=UTF-8&rlz=1I7GZAZ_en&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=2ioaTIyUIsKclgeI7smSCw&s a=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=6&ved=0CD0QsAQwBQ


This is the link for the thumbnail picts of Nigerian oil spills.

Don't know why link looks so weird. Maybe it will work.

Very powerful images. One of those image files mention that is a SHELL oil spill. Maybe we should all email SHELL and ask them when do they plan to fix that and compensate the nigerian people for that atrocity.

Dude, those images look like they belong to an apocalyptic blockbuster movie.

I'm absolutely horrified. I had no idea. I left this comment on one of the articles:

Nigerian oil spills 1. Thursday, 17 June 2010 15:16 (ladyinwaiting)

This is absolutely disgraceful. And these are mostly American Oil Corporations.

If the people can't stand up on their legs and scream over this until it gets attention, and correction, then maybe the rest of the world should do it for them.

Americans are good at screaming bloody murder.

Oprah seems like a good place to start.

That's really terrible.

Of course this Gulf leak is causing a Valdez-sized spill every 4 days! We're catching up fast to Nigeria on this one. USA! USA! USA! We're #1 again!

We ( as in We, I mean Americans) should be worried about the Gulf spill and Not the Nigeria leak. We need to fix our problems at home. It's not I don't feel for those people but Obama is Not in charge of Africa. Let the African officials deal with their problems.

After this leak is fixed and Americans want to send aid, that's fine. but it is not the USA's place to get involved in every affair of other countries.

I do agree that someone dropped the ball for not jumping on that issue sooner. 50 years is a long time to let something like that go.



[edit on 17-6-2010 by JohnPhoenix]

reply to post by LifeInDeath


I wanted to laugh over your comment, but it was hard when I saw your little sad face. Sad, but true.

Originally posted by JohnPhoenix
We should be worried about the Gulf spill and Not the Nigeria leak. We need to fix our problems at home. It's not I don't feel for those people but Obama is Not in charge of Africa. Let the African officials deal with their problems.

We? We who? When I say "we" on ATS, I mean the ATS community, which is represented all over the globe. I don't mean to be harsh, but your post makes it sound that when you say "we", you mean "us citizens". I am not a US citizen and I will keep worrying for both Nigeria and the Gulf of Mexico oil spills.

But don't worry. Obama has nothing to do with the Nigeria spill. He can focus on Deepwater Horizon. This oil spill is not yet another job for the US to fix. It´s Shell and Exxon who are responsible and who should be working on fixing this. But since it´s been going on for over 50 years, I will conclude that Shell and Exxon just don't give a damn. They can't tell me they have been trying for 50 years and could fix it. They just never cared for it, which is the same as not caring for nature and for human life.

I think I know why this was neglected - in the U.S they only care about what happens in their hemisphere - not about what happens in the rest of the world. look at the chile and Haiti earthquakes, they made such a big deal about Haiti, yet when the chile earthquake happens it was only on the news for about 2 days

reply to post by JohnPhoenix

We ( as in We, I mean Americans) should be worried about the Gulf spill and Not the Nigeria leak

That's nice. And yet you expect the rest of the world to give a damn about YOUR problem.

You do get your comment has yet again solidified the stereotype of uncaring, selfish, uncouth and greedy Americans, right?

Well done. But then I bet you don't care.

Very sad indeed. Just goes to show that there truly is hell on earth; its just no where near 1st world countries.

I would also like to draw everyone's attention to the live feed of the leak, compliments of BP and CNN. It would appear now that there ARE flames spewing out with the oil and gas. Maybe me and a lot of other people are just seeing things, if so can someone please explain what exactly we are looking at?

Originally posted by NightFlyer96
I think I know why this was neglected - in the U.S they only care about what happens in their hemisphere - not about what happens in the rest of the world. look at the chile and Haiti earthquakes, they made such a big deal about Haiti, yet when the chile earthquake happens it was only on the news for about 2 days

I"m going to have to rebut this. Americans do care what goes on in the rest of the world, and if I cared to educate you, I could fill pages with examples. But I'm really not inclined to do so right now. You honestly should know better, whoever you are.

We didn't rush into Chile because Chileans were capable of handling their own problem. In fact, we offered to and were told they would let us know if they needed us.

Have you considered the fact that perhaps we are better at mobilizing and making demands? Less tolerant of this type thing?

Why are we just now hearing about this? ExxonMobil wants it kept quiet, I imagine, and the government and people's reticence allows it be so? Pfft.

Don't you think BP wanted to keep this quiet here? To the point of lying about it? The American people wouldn't permit it.

VOCAL. They have to be vocal and they are not, or this would be a worldwide issue. The people need to learn how to complain loudly. Like we do.

Who's fault is that? Should American's go over there and get them stirred up and mobilized and help them file lawsuits?

You know what? We probably will if we have to.