Shell polluters of Nigeria sued

This video is called Oil Turmoil – Nigeria.

From daily The Morning Star in Britain:

Thousands of Nigerians sue oil giant Shell in Britain

Friday 23 March 2012

Lawyers said on Friday that thousands of Nigerian farmers and fishermen were taking legal action in Britain in an attempt to win compensation for environmental damage caused by oil spills.

A London law firm representing more than 11,000 people from Rivers state, Nigeria, said claims were being made against oil giant Shell.

Leigh Day & Co said legal action was beginning after compensation negotiations failed.

But Shell, which disputes the amount of spillage it is responsible for, said the launch of litigation was “disappointing.”

Bosses said they wanted a “speedy resolution” to the dispute so “fair compensation” could be paid.

They said that only lawyers would benefit from legal action.

Leigh Day & Co said formal paperwork was being lodged at the High Court in London.

A spokesman said he was not sure when court hearings might begin.

“This will be the first time Shell or any oil company has faced claims in the UK from a community from the developing world for environmental damage caused by its oil extraction operations,” said the Leigh Day spokesman.

Talking about oil: Argentina has publicly warned stock markets in New York and London that five oil transnationals are working illegally off the Falkland Islands: here.

From ForceChange:

The Bowhead whale has been swimming in the arctic waters for thousands of years, they are thought to be one of the oldest mammals on earth. Yet these magnificent giants are now facing existential threats from global warming, noise, contaminants and oil drilling.

The Bowhead is endangered, its population was greatly reduced due to commercial whaling. Protection of the Bowhead resulted in a promising come back, but human interference is now threatening their success once again. The most pressing threat right now is the proposed oil drilling for shell that could be detrimental to the ancient whales’ survival. The Obama administration plans to carry out this harmful plan this summer in the Beaufort Sea but must be stopped.

Sad news from the Gulf of Mexico: At least 32 dolphins in Barataria Bay, Louisiana, one of the hardest hit spots by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, have been given physicals and are reported as severely ill according to NOAA officials: here.