Yeah, Al Gore wants you to turn off your air-conditioning, go carbon neutral, use those awful fluorescent bulbs, drive a Prius, etc. etc. amen. Yeah. We get that, thanks, Al. We get that the whole global warming thing means maybe we should not burn through a whole lot of fuel to get across the planet or across town. We think polar bear cubs are cute and we totally dig snow sports. We get it.
But there’s something else to think about when it comes to giving up oil: the effect oil production has on societies at the source. National Geographic is running a multimedia presentation about the impact of oil companies on the lives of the inhabitants of the Niger Delta. Who’s reaping the benefits of the wells? Not the people of the Niger Delta. If Al Gore doesn’t make you go on an oil diet, you might consider doing it for the people of the Niger Delta. From the full story:
Beyond the city, within the labyrinth of creeks, rivers, and pipeline channels that vein the delta—one of the world’s largest wetlands—exists a netherworld. Villages and towns cling to the banks, little more than heaps of mud-walled huts and rusty shacks. Groups of hungry, half-naked children and sullen, idle adults wander dirt paths. There is no electricity, no clean water, no medicine, no schools. Fishing nets hang dry; dugout canoes sit unused on muddy banks. Decades of oil spills, acid rain from gas flares, and the stripping away of mangroves for pipelines have killed off fish.
In my treehugging lefty world, this totally underscores my desire for an eBike. Who says green products won’t get you greenbacks? I’m ready to hand over some Benjamins for a sweet electric ride.
Via the Travel Photographer, my favorite new discovery on the web. Bookmark and learn, comrades, bookmark and learn.
[tags]oil, National Geographic, global warming[/tags]
Thanks for getting the word out on these criminal acts. Here’s a related site with good info: :
http://www.myspace.com/boycottshell
The Chron picked up a story about this recently. Thanks for the link.