Environmental racism: Australia, Shell and Nigeria

Abstract

In May 1994, Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight other Ogoni leaders were arrested for the assassination of four of their own chiefs who had in all likelihood been killed by government agents. Dr Wiwa was in surgery at the time of the arrests. He escaped the crackdown and went underground and now lives in exile in Canada. His brother and eight compatriots were executed by a military-appointed tribunal, despite international protests, on November 10, 1995. The article discusses the environmental degradation caused by the oil facilities of Royal Dutch Shell PLC in Ogoniland, Nigeria. The Ogoni people are an ethnic minority in Nigeria and are mostly fishermen and farmers. Since Royal Dutch Shell began extracting oil from the rich Ogoni farmlands, the lives of those fishermen and farmers have been shattered. Thick soot falls from the gas flares which dot their farmlands and air and water supplies have been contaminated. Besides, the rain is acidic there and the incidence of respiratory and other health problems among the Ogoni has increased. The author also elaborates on the peaceful public demonstrations against the facilities led by Ogoni leader Ken Saro-Wiwa.