Sunday, November 21, 2010

Oil War - Nigeria

At the Delta of Niger River in Nigeria, where a vast proportion of planet's oil is excavated, bomb attacks, abductions and murders form part of daily routine. Nigeria's lucrative oil reserves may have enriched its politicians but they've brought little but misery to ordinary people. Now, a rebel group is fighting for a share of the profits. Nigerians no longer expect help from their own government. It's militia leaders like Asari who are winning their trust.The documentary portrays the image of "development", the way giant multinational petroleum companies would define it. Petroleum leaks in the River destroy flora and fauna, poison the food chain and consequently wipe out the 27 million indigenous people of the area - the Ijaws, the Ogoni and the Itsekiris. The inhabitants dare to ask the self-evident, they demand an end to it. As a response they are massively and brutally attacked by special forces of the army and the police, which are armed by the oil companies. The camera meets at the river militia of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta-MEND- and presents to the world for the first time shattering images of their speed boat patrols and of their heavy weaponry.

The Delta of Niger is a lost paradise. As the documentary reveals, it is a place where despite the natural beauty, contemporary "globalized" hell prevails.

Peak Oil

September 2006
Is the age of cheap oil about to come to an end? According to many experts, we are about to reach the point of "peak oil" -- the level at which supply can no longer keep up with demand. This, say the doomsayers, could send economies spinning into turmoil and up-end our comfortable, urban lifestyles. But others claim predictions like this are simply scaremongering. They believe supply will match demand for decades to come. So who's telling the truth? 'Peak Oil' investigates.

Produced by ABC Australia
Distributed by Journeyman Pictures

Evan Smith Likes Oil, Mining and Agriculture Stocks

Nov. 15 (Bloomberg) -- Evan Smith, a portfolio manager at U.S. Global Investors Inc., discusses his investment strategy for commodities and some of his stock holdings including CF Industries Holdings Inc. and Massey Energy Co. Smith speaks with Margaret Brennan on Bloomberg Television's "InBusiness." (Source: Bloomberg)
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