The research
Our research started with searching for existing nature events as inspiration, because the four of us connected through nature, art and aesthetics. We wanted to dive deeper in how the environment exists now and chose to focus on a company that has big connections to The Netherlands and impact on the world's climate. Shell seemed like the right choice. So we started do research into this company and found really disturbing facts such as the dates shown below.
WHAT
research
WHERE
Rotterdam
WHEN
2020
Shell’s biggest (known) scandals 1991 until 1999
1991 – Release of “Climate of Concern”
An educational film released by Shell that warned about the company’s own product and how it could ruin the environment and endanger people's lives. They show a clear understanding of what they are doing, and what their company will continue to do in the future. This was the time to take action, to make a change, but they didn’t.
1993 – Alleged violation of human rights. Murder, torture, and rape.
MOSOP, a Nigerian protest movement who stood up against the pollution and oppression Shell caused. declared Shell was no longer welcome in Ogoniland, to which the military responded with force resulting in the violation of human rights.
1994 – Shell states that its industry is unstainable, but because the company was the result of economical development, they HAD to continue.
1995 – Alleged violation of human rights. Murder, unlawful arrest, detention, and execution.
Shell encouraged the Nigerian government to stop MOSOP. This resulted in violence against and killing of hundreds of protestors and the unlawful arrest, detention, unfair trial, and execution of nine Nigerian men (the Ogoni Nine).
Health damage in Brazil.
Shell's pesticide plant in Brazil caused impotence and cancer among workers and local residents. Shell built the plant in the 1970s and sold it in 1995. In the meantime, wastewater leaked into the ground. Shell dumped barrels of toxic waste in the area and filled illegal dumps with incinerator ash.
1999 – Big oil spill in Argentina.
A Shell oil tanker crashed into a German ship off the coast of Argentina. 5,400 m3 of oil leaked into the sea. Less than a third of the oil was disposed of by Shell, they thought the damage wasn’t big, but the leak resulted in the pollution of three protected nature areas.
Sources: Amnesty, de Correspondent, Greenpeace