Niger delta - Nigeria Gas flaring |
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Despite an injunction by a Nigerian judge, in 2005 Shell still flared nearly 600 million cubic metres of gas in this country. In 2001 the amount flared equalled 40 per cent of gas consumption on the entire continent of Africa. In spite of all its promises to stop flaring gas, a good deal more gas was flared in 2005 than in 2002. The flaring causes serious air pollution. The population of the Niger Delta suffers from a range of health problems: an increased risk of asthma, chronic bronchitis, leukaemia and increased child mortality. According to the World Bank, smoke emitted during the flaring is the major source of greenhouse gases in Sub-Saharan Africa. |