Before the earth bleeds again

Reports and analyzes the proceedings of a conference held in 2003 to discuss the impending exploitation of bitumen deposits in Nigeria. Advises the government to carefully weigh the social and ecological impact that the extraction mining would have on the communities affected and recommends that a thorough environmental impact analysis be done beforehand. Points out the disasterous results of past oil drilling in the Niger River Delta and encourages the direct involvement of the local population in the fate of their region.