Ghana to submit oil bill ahead of Jubilee production
Ghanaian President John Atta Mills said Thursday his government will soon submit to parliament an oil and gas revenue management bill ahead of planned oil production in the last quarter of this year.
“Ghana is preparing an oil and gas revenue management bill to be submitted to the parliament for approval,” he told lawmakers while presenting his state of the nation address.
“The [Oil and Gas Revenue Management] bill will ensure transparency in management and will commit the bulk of the oil revenue to a shared growth fund to finance investments and infrastructure development,” he said.
Uganda: Uganda oil contracts give little cause for optimism
Uganda's oil production sharing agreements point towards a resource extraction programme designed for company profit, not country development, writes Taimour Lay
The Katine project is providing a compelling case study in the complexity of sustainable development. Genuine progress - when possible within the constraints of a liberal capitalist model - comes from solutions that are local, evidence-based and democratically accountable. There are few quick fixes and no magic wands.
But the exploration and imminent production of oil in western Uganda is being seen as just that - an easy answer to complex problems. Both government and the oil companies involved have been busy painting a roseate picture of bumper revenues and a country transformed. Forget the intricacies of agricultural reform, social ownership and political liberalisation; Uganda, we are told, will be turned into a middle- income country by $2bn a year in hard cash.
COP15: CALL FOR THE EMANCIPATION OF TERRITORIES AND PEOPLES FROM FOSSIL ENERGY
Press Release - 11th December, 2009, KlimaForum09
The planet is experiencing a severe ecological crisis and communities living in harmony with and caring for nature are being pressured to unbearable extremes. The atmosphere is being polluted, rivers damaged, forests destroyed, and so is the livelihood of communities in the South, health of individuals, communities and nature.
It is clear that the greatest efforts against climate crisis are those made in different models other than the polluting model that has driven the world into the present crisis. These efforts are being made within communities, organizations and amongst groups of women and men around the world who are committed to life and nature. This knowledge and these efforts, locally, regionally or globally, gain more importance when they are collectively articulated.
Nigeria: Nigerian farmers take Shell to court at the Hague
A unique court case, brought by four Nigerian victims from Goi-Ogoni, Rivers State, Ikot Ada Udo, Akwa Ibom State and Oruma, Rivers State of Shell oil leaks, in conjunction with Milieudefensie [Friends of the Earth Netherlands], begins on Thursday in the court at The Hague. This is the first time in history that a Dutch company has been brought to trial before a Dutch court for damages occurring abroad.
The Nigerian farmers and fishers, who lost their livelihoods after oil from leaking Shell pipelines streamed over their fields and fishing ponds, are claiming compensation from the Dutch multinational. They also want Shell to clean up the oil which remains in the ground, so that they can fish and farm once again.
The four victims of the leaks are from three Nigerian villages. They have subpoenaed both Shell’s subsidiary in Nigeria and the Dutch Headquarters. They allege that as the result of Shell's negligence, agricultural lands have been devastated, drinking water polluted, fish ponds made unusable and the environment and health of local people harmed.
Congo: ENI'S New Energy Projects Threaten Congo Rainforest
Press Release - 9th November, 2009
Plans by oil company Eni to develop tar sands and oil palm in the Congo Basin risk irreversible damage to biodiversity, local communities and our climate, and break the company’s own guidelines, according to Congolese human rights organisations and their international partners. In a report published today, Energy Futures? Eni’s Investments in tar sands and palm oil in the Congo Basin, the groups argue that given their potential for local harm and their huge carbon footprint, such investments should be considered too high risk for Eni or any other energy company.
This is the first tar sands exploration in Africa, while the palm oil project for food and agro-fuels would be one of the largest on the continent. Eni’s deal was signed in 2008 with the Republic of Congo (Brazzaville), an oil-rich but poor state with minimal transparency and respect for human rights. Forests cover two thirds of Congo and are essential for the livelihoods of local people, as well as a vital carbon sink. Congo’s Government wants to lead on stewarding the global resource of the Basin, but its record on forest law enforcement and environmental protection is weak.
