Stephen F. Austin RB – Affirmative – Niger River Delta Energy Companies

Contention One: They Kill. They Drill. 

The Niger River Delta is in a state of environmental crisis. Blatant neglect from trans-national oil corporations has led to constant oil spills, destroying the water, agriculture, and killing organisms within the Delta. This threatens both the Delta and the people who live there.

 
Koriambanya S.A. Carew, Drake Journal of Agricultural Law, Summer, 2002, 7 Drake J. Agric. L. 493 

This ecological damage has put the Niger Delta on its deathbed. Oil companies within the Delta have launched a war on the environment-this environmental terrorism is the greatest threat to human survival.

Bassey, Executive Director, Environmental Rights Action- Nigeria, 2001.   (Nnimmo.   http://www.waado.org/environment/petropolution/thelandisdying.html. “The Land is dying.”  November 2, 2001  

Thus the plan: 

The United States federal government, specifically the United States congress, should substantially increase its public health assistance to African countries south of the Sahara by imposing monetary sanctions on transnational energy companies operating in the Niger River Delta proportionate to the amount of profits that the corporation derives from its extraction of minerals and natural resources to force companies to use global uniform operating standards and clean up all pollution currently in the Niger Delta attributed to transnational energy companies . The revenue from the monetary sanctions should be used to financially compensate people and communities in regions of the Niger Delta affected by pollution from transnational energy companies, for the purpose of treating health problems caused by pollution within the Delta. We reserve the right to clarify.  

Contention two: The Deadly Delta 

The destruction of the Niger Delta destroyed the lives of those living in the Delta, forcing its citizens to respond. Yet peaceful protest resulted in violent response from the government. And demands for compensation or resource control were ignored. Left with no other option for peaceful resolution, the people turned militant.

Long, 2007 (Jessica, not a fan of corporate globalization, lived with the Lou tribe, “The Niger Delta crisis”, The Dissident Voice)  

More specifically, the lack of environmental safety has led to violent insurrection from the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, also known as MEND. This group is more powerful and more lethal than previous insurgent groups. 

International Crisis Group 2006 (“The Swamps of Insurgency: Nigeria’s Delta Unrest”) 

In addition, militant instability risks state failures and destabilizes the whole of West Africa, risking the death of millions

Pham 5/6/07 (Peter, director of the Nelson Institute for International and Public Affairs at James Madison University, Africa News, lexis)  
 

We’ll isolate several impacts to this instability- 

Sub-point A: Global Oil Shocks 

The government cannot stop MEND- MEND is simply too powerful. Soon, MEND will shut down all oil production in the Delta 

Ashby, 2006 (Tom, The Scotsman, “Nigerian Oil Dispute Flares into Full-Scale Revolt,” Reuters) 

And, no other supplier will fill in- collapse of Nigerian oil output will result in a collapse of global oil supplies.  

Widdershoven, 2006, Cyril editor of Global Energy Security Analysis (GESA) and Institute for Analysis of Global Security associate fellow, 4-12-2006, Resource Investor, http://www.resourceinvestor.com/pebble.asp?relid=18746 

This causes massive global recession 

Robert F. Wescott, Ph.D., April 2006, What Would $120 Oil Mean for the Global Economy?  

The impact is extinction

Bearden, Tom, Director Association of Distinguished American Scientists, U.S. Army (retired), 2000 (“The Unnecessary Energy Crisis: How to Solve It”) 

Sub-point B: Red Spread 

Red Spread is real! Russia is reinforcing alliances, building missiles, and increasing its power projection in attempt to counter the US. A new arms race is upon us- made possible by high oil prices- Russia is coming to end the world if we can’t stop them. 

The Spectator, 2007 (“The new arms race is so deadly because Russia is so fragile,” July 14) 

And, ignoring the resurgent Russia is equivalent to global suicide 

Nyquist, 2k7 (Jeff, renowned geopolitical analyst, and regular columnist for worldnetdaily, newsmax, and other news sites, “The Assassins,” July 20) 

And, the plan lowers global oil prices. This uniquely checks back Russia’s new play for power dominance. 

Africa News, January 5, 2007  

Contention Three: Solvency

First, transnational companies should be held accountable for their abuses.  The use of criminal sanctions and global operating standards can end the environmental destruction.

Koriambanya S.A. Carew, Drake Journal of Agricultural Law, Summer, 2002, 7 Drake J. Agric. L. 493

Additionally, U.S. action is key to reform the strong grip on oil companies in the Nigeria.  We have the ability to reform oil companies within the Delta,  but oil company lobbies keep us from taking action 

Essential Action, June 2001  http://www.essentialaction.org/shell/issues.html 

And, only the US has the ability to influence key Oil producers in the region

Turner and McMurtry, Associate Professor of Sociology and Anthropology and Professor of Philosophy @ University of Guelph, Ontario, 1998 (Terisa E. & John.  “Brief to the Roundtable on Nigeria” February 23, pg. online.  http://www.uoguelph.ca/~terisatu/Counterplanning/c8.htm 

And, Nigeria is strong U.S. ally, and they welcome U.S economic reforms

Heflin, 2007 (Donald, office director of West African Affairs, member of Advisory Committee of International Economic Policy, July 31, U.S. Dept of State, “Political Dynamics affecting business climate in Nigeria”, lexis)  

Historically, sanctions have been successful against oil companies- the Exxon-Valdez spill proves 

Robert W. Adler, 1991, Senior Attorney with the Natural ResourcesDefence Council, The George Washington Law Review APRIL, 1991 59 Geo. Wash. L. Rev. 781 

Finally. the people of the Delta are demanding compensation- yet oil companies have refused Nigerian court orders that require them to compensate victims of pollution 

Lindsay, 2006 (Hillary, International affairs, “Shell Shocked: People of the Delta Fight Back against violence and corruption”)