Poisoning The Earth And People And Animals And Plants And Everything. Again.

An estimated 50 000 barrels of oil per day are currently flowing into the Gulf of Mexico. An estimated 100 000 barrels of oil is currently poisoning the Niger Delta (1). For your information one barrel of oil is equivalent to 158.9873 litres of crude. That means the Gulf of Mexico has 7, 949, 365 litres of oil floating on the surface taking up an area about the size of Scotland while the Nigel Delta from a single leak was soaked in 15, 898, 730 litres for each day until that rupture was mended, an operation that took a week. Sadly for the people living in the Niger Delta this is just one of many incidents they suffer. Almost sixteen million litres of oil a day! In one leak! That one day loss is enough to drive a mini cooper around the earth 26 times, drive off to the moon for the weekend make it all the way back home and still have enough fuel left over to commute to work for the rest of the year if you assume crude oil is the equivalent of what goes in the petrol tank. How many leaks have they had in the past year? How much gas is flared each day? Hardly the sign of an efficient, well-run industry is it?

These ecological disasters also present a major problem for the health. I’m sure you are aware of the effects of crude oil on human health, not only during the days following exposure but also long term health problems (2). Indeed, there are rumours that those working to clean up the Gulf of Mexico are having difficulty in accessing suitable respirators (3, 4). I dread to imagine the damage to health that will be found in the Niger Delta.

A £50 million fine on BP or any other organisation involved in the extractive industries for not adhering to any environmental or work-related legislation is no more than a business cost. They could drop that in the street and not notice. A £50 000 million fine would be more effective as a deterrent. That, combined with long prison sentences for responsible directors would be exceptionally constructive not only for the global population, but for future generations. No organisation should be allowed to operate and put at risk not only the waters of the Gulf of Mexico but international waters too. Regardless of US regulation, BP could simply have followed best practice. Allegations are now being made that BP did not do so (6). Just how bad, just how much damage will we wait for before we decide to assess these corporate failures and negligence as real crimes against humanity? I’m not concerned about where these disasters happen. The fact is they do and they are. We need to have international responsibility and enforcement. We need it now.

I would like to see the UK government establishing strong legislation that would hold extractive industries liable for the environmental destruction they inflict. Attempts at clean-up and repair are not enough. They must be held liable for the costs incurred as a result of extractive industries by the local communities. Significant fines must be imposed on those industries that result in damage to human and environment health or work within areas where human rights abuses are rife. Surely the human rights of those living in the Niger delta are as important as any European? Surely the human rights of those Congolese miners are as worthy of yours. Yet they are among the most insecure communities in the world. We would not tolerate such a toxic and health-insecure environment.

Why are we allowing a British company to abuse so many communities and the Gulf of Mexico? Why are we dealing with companies that inflict such harm in the Niger Delta? The headquarters of Shell are in the Netherlands. Chevron, Exxon-Mobil and Texaco-Chevron are American, while Total is French. When will our governments and our political leaders stand up and remind these organisations that the world, this beautiful planet belongs to people, to all of us, rather than corporations? When will our governments and political leaders find the backbone to close down companies, our companies that pose such a clear danger to millions of people and to the global environment? When will our government and political leaders find the backbone to refuse such companies access to our markets? Because some things are simply far more important than revenue sources.

1. http://www.commodities-now.com/news/power-and-energy/2649-africas-oil-spills-are-far-from-us-media-glare.html

2. http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/may/28/bp-gulf-oil-spill-pollution

You can refer to academic journals for scientific data. I include a quick-to-read-article here for simplicity.

3. http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/may/30/bp-oil-spill-gulf-mexico

4.  http://www.democracynow.org/2010/5/27/coast_guard_grounds_ships_involved_in

5.  http://www.sundayindependent.co.za/index.php?fArticleId=3245293

6.  http://www.democracynow.org/2010/5/5/bp_funnels_millions_into_lobbying_to

It All Seems So Wrong

I remember many years ago having a conversation with one of my bosses. This particular boss liked to paint himself as a deep thinking, intelligent man. He wasn’t really either of them. On this particular day he’d interrupted a conversation with one of our other bosses and a few of us staff. The topic was the recent visit of the top executives of one our national banks with our new government leaders who were supposedly discussing what strategies would be available to our country as we sought away to improve our economy and in particular the problem of finding work for everyone who needed it.

The whole thing struck me as being very odd. The people of this country vote for the candidate they view as having the best strategies, the best policies for our economy and for our futures in so many respects. If you are a pensioner then you are likely to vote on the basis of issues that concern pensioners. If you care deeply about the environment, then you are likely to vote for the party that promises to govern with polices that will protect and mend our environment.

So why on earth were are out political leaders discussing anything at all with business leaders? The not-so-intelligent boss interrupted to inform us that our leaders were being reasonable in that they would devise strategies to suit the business leaders. If the strategies didn’t suit the business men, then they’d simply leave, taking their businesses and employment opportunities with them. And they've been doing it again! All those business leaders getting their knickers in a twist about a tiny increase in NI contributions. How many of them haven't been making a profit? How many of them are sitting eating beans on toast, the seven pence tin that not even a dog would scoffle - for the fifth night this week because that is all they can buy? The bare-face cheek!

If we truly do live in a democracy then each adult has an equal say. It can’t be a democracy if our governments then invite in the business leaders who are there purely to hand over a list of requirements. I don’t remember there ever being any votes awarded to any kind of business. They obviously weren’t there asking for better policies on health care for their varicose veins or dementia care for their parents!

If that is what is happening then we do not live in a democracy.

We’ve just had a recent election. We’ve seen a host of rent-a-quotes appearing on our TVs over the years and especially in the few months before voting day. Our political candidates have certainly been spending a considerable amount of time in their company as they worked to formulate the policies with which they would use in offering for our votes. Who are these people?

Well, there is always the CBI and the Chambers of Commerce people calling for policies that suit their demands. I’ve no idea why their views should carry any weight! Politicians are employed by people to do the bidding of the electorate, not of businesses. Business success is dictated by their ability to provide the goods and services to consumers. Strictly speaking, consumers are not the same as the electorate! I have no need whatsoever of Y-front manufacturers and retailers. If you can’t make money from them, then move on rather than harassing politicians! Try training some people to make and sell fishing rods!

Then come of people from various things called ‘Policy Institutes’. These people seem to be selling policies! Why can’t our politicians devise their own policies? Aren’t they smart enough? Or are they smart enough, but just too lazy? Perhaps they are too busy with the business leaders! They aren’t employed by a bunch of pensioners looking to have bingo halls heated! They aren’t employed by the huge numbers of voters who want to have our environmental problems dealt with, and dealt with intelligently. Clearly, too many of these people are lobbyists for the businesses. And remember, businesses don’t get to vote, so just what is going on? They are interfering with our democracy!

If we want to know what is the best care for dementia patients then it is the professional medical associations, our academics and the carers who should be consulted, not business leaders.

If our politicians are too dim, or too lazy to formulate the policies they will use in order to stand apart from their competitor candidates in each constituency, then perhaps they shouldn’t be standing for election. If they need help, there are plenty of people sitting bored in front of the TV they could talk to; if you want to know how to improve the lives of the electorate then maybe, just maybe … you might possibly consider talking to the electorate. Or didn’t they include that as part of the political science course?

There are plenty of universities brimming over with academics who would love to show off their data and conclusions. All those geographers, biologists, medics, business researchers… We pay them to do those things. So why not pop along to them rather than listening to a pretend charity/policy institute that is funded by the Y-front seller and his brother?

PS

If that Y-front manufacturer is doing so well he can afford to fund his own policy institute, complete with rent-a-quote people, then maybe they aren’t paying enough tax. Just a thought.