POSTED IN POLITICS...

December 28, 2006

Pipeline tapping and the disruptive effect of oil in Africa

Given the recent pipeline explosion in Nigeria that took over 200 lives, maybe it's time to take a look at just what's going on in Africa vis a vis your gas tank. It turns out the recent explosion was due to "tapping", a practice where Nigerians siphon off oil from a pipeline that they wouldn't have access to otherwise. In fact, most of Africa suffers from a system where the elite get rich off oil revenues (while we send the stuff back home to fuel our industry, homes and vehicles) and the poor live in what amounts to Stone Age squalor. For a really interesting analysis of the situation, check out "The Curse of Oil," an essay by John Ghazvinian.

1 comment(s) so far (Post your own)

1

On December 28, 2006 1:29 PM, I am Steven. said:

With the controversry about blood diamonds getting more prime time attention (thanks in part to a not bad movie starring Leo DiCaprio on the subject), maybe this will get some attention, too. "Blood Oil", to go with "Blood Fish" (watch "Darwin's Nightmare" for the ghastly details about that), "Blood Pills" (Africa being a testing ground/tax break for drug companies), and, soon, hopefully, "Blood Chocolate".

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