Blood Oil

Curse of the Black Gold is a book of photo essays, with pictures by Ed Kashi and text by UC Berkeley professor Michael Watts, who has written extensively on the Economies of Violence: Petroleum, Politics and Community Conflict in the Niger Delta. (pdf)

© Ed Kashi/2004

The book takes a graphic look at the cost of oil exploration in the Niger Delta and traces the 50-year history of environmental degradation and community conflicts that have plagued the region. [Thanks, Shell.]

NPR has featured the book in July; so has Slate.

Related:
- Earlier post on the photo-essays book, What Really Matters, which includes pictures from Ed Kashi.
- Nigerian Oil - The Great Spoiler: A National Geographic video, where you can "hear how the people of the Niger Delta view their oil-rich, cash-poor region." You should also read the corresponding NG article, with pictures by Ed Kashi.
- Vanity Fair article by Sebastian Junger about Blood Oil in the Niger Delta, including more pictures, these taken by Michael Kamber.

Picture © Michael Kamber