OIL, BLOOD AND
SWEAT
The U'wa people of Colombia consider the
rich veins of oil running far Beneath their
feet as the earth's blood. In order to
preserve their harmonious and long-standing
balance with the environment, they think
that this oil should stay buried
underground. Others - including indigenous
groups, environmentalists, residents of
small islands and corporate critics - tend
to agree that oil is often better left
undisturbedt. The northern hemisphere's
unhealthy addiction to oil as a source of
energy is accompanied by a host of
unpleasant side effects, including air,
water and soil pollution and the dangerous
climate change which is already causing
people in the more vulnerable parts of the
planet to sweat. The ruthless power of the
oil industry is another argument in favour
of a move towards more sustainable and less
disruptive sources of energy. Shell, Exxon,
Mobil, Chevron, Texaco, Agip, British
Petroleum, Elf and Occidental Petroleum can
all be implicated in ongoing gross abuses
of human rights, environmental devastation
and undemocratic interference in political
processes in their 'host' countries as well
as at home.
This issue of LINK takes a look at oil,
and highlights its bloody and sweaty
impacts on groups and peoples in countries
ranging from Cameroon to Colombia, and from
Italy to Nigeria. Also covered is FoEI's
participation in the heated debates taking
place in the official climate negotiations.
Finally, some of the FoEI network's
inspiring and fearless oil campaigners give
their perspectives on strategies of
resistance against the dirty deeds of the
global oil industry.
Ann Doherty, FoEI
