Environmental Ruin in Nigeria by Foreign Oil Corparations Essay

Environmental Ruin in Nigeria by Foreign Oil Corparations - Essay Example It causes disruption of human, animal and plant populations. Pollution caused by dumping of oil waste is a major threat to biodiversity. The effect of oil spillage on the marine life cannot be ignored. Both the physical properties and chemical properties of the oil have caused the death of many marine flora and fauna (Agyeman, 424). Introduction Nigeria, being a major oil producer, has not escaped these predicaments. The case is abundantly evident in the Niger delta region of Nigeria where oil mining is mostly practiced. Farmers have watched their source of livelihood taken away by oil pollution. Many of the tribes around are traditionally anglers, but the oil spillage has caused considerable reduction in number of fish in the river Niger. Nigeria is the land that has been endowed with both fertile agricultural lands and a rich oil resource. Major oil companies, including Shell, established mines in this country in 1950s. Since then, the oil mining activities have slowly damaged the natural habitats of the country through pollution of water, land and air. The effects have been this extensive that the livelihood of the Ogoni people who have lived in the Niger Delta for over 500 years is threatened. This paper focuses on how failure of the government to enact policies guarding the degradation of the environment has contributed to the state of environment in the Niger delta. ... Ground water has become contaminated and the people cannot dig up wells to get drinking water. Rainwater is also not safe to drink, as it falls in the form of acidic rain. This acidic rain greatly reduces the fertility of the soil, making it inviable for agricultural production. It is unfortunate that there is no piped water for people living in the region. Human right activists say that the foreign oil company has taken the people’s right to access to safe water. The government has instituted legislations that require mud drilled from mines to be confined in wells or landfills, avoiding seepage in developed countries. The Nigerian government lacks such legislation, and the foreign corporation dumps its drilling wastes directly into the rivers. Air pollution Oil mining has largely contributed to the air pollution in the area around the Niger delta. Flaring of natural gas methane is conducted near people’s homes, producing carbon dioxide fumes and soot. The release of th is gas causes a lot of pollution associated with diseases, such as asthma and lung cancer. This flaring has also caused stunted growth of crops in nearby farms. This is because the soot settles on the leaves of plant inhibiting photosynthesis and transpiration, and this has caused reduced crop yields from nearby farms. Oil spills and wastelands The most evident type of pollution is land pollution that is caused by oil spills. Oil spills causes degradation of the top soil by leaching of nutrients and adding toxic chemicals in the soil, making them unsuitable for plant growth. This oil spills cause destruction of vegetation and pollutes water, if released in the water bodies. There are several