Heroes Wanted - Save the Niger Delta

We're looking for heroic souls to help right a wrong in the Niger Delta. Oil bound largely for US and European markets continues to poison one of the richest agricultural regions and fisheries. Will you help?

Understanding the Problem

Fareed Zakaria

Seeing A Solution

Oil Spill Cleanup and Poverty Alleviation

The Phoenix Project - Niger Delta envisions creating Enterprise Recovery and Empowerment Zones in the Niger Delta”

Cleaning up Oil Spills in the Niger Delta and building a sustainable enterprise community around the cleanup process.

This blog proposes a pilot project aimed at Creating Sustainable Enterprise Recovery and Empowerment Zones in the Niger Delta Employing a carbon negative, scale-able, cost effective and sustainable oil cleanup and reclamation process to enable the development of Sustainable Cleanup Zones that drive the development of indigenous entrepreneurial ventures created around the opportunities generated by the cleanup, and the profitable by-products of pyrolysis and electricity generation.  Additionally, research, capacity building and empowerment opportunities will be created; funded by the profit streams and catalyzed by the energy and creativity of the partner organizations and other local individuals, businesses and organizations.

We believe that this venture will not only yield enough revenues for the next cleanup but also generate a small profit over and above the cost of financing the next spill.

Creating Sustainable Enterprise Recovery and Empowerment Zones in the Niger Delta

Overview

Creating Sustainable Enterprise Recovery and Empowerment Zones in the Niger Delta 

A Market-driven Sustainable Cleanup Solution

Carbon-Negative, scaleable, and sustainable oil cleanup model and reclamation process enabling the development of Sustainable Enterprise Recovery & Empowerment Zones 

Phoenix: a legendary bird which according to one account lived 500 years, burned itself to ashes on a pyre, and rose alive from the ashes to live again; also :  A symbol of regeneration, renaissance, recovery, revival or rebirth; also: a person or thing likened to the Phoenix.

Executive Summary

The Phoenix is an ancient symbol for rebirth and renaissance. The Thunderbird Project intends to create an Enterprise Recovery and Empowerment Zone in the Niger Delta. This is a pilot project proposed by The Electronic Community Project,  The Institute for Communications and Development Assistance; and The Women’s Empowerment Network of Nigeria; in cooperation with MOP Environmental Solutions, Inc., Texas Aquatic Harvesters, Indian Country Environmental Associates, Vincent Corp  and local NGOs and communities in the Niger Delta. It is a concept that has been in the making for more than four years as members of our team have developed and researched the various components of the project and developed the capabilities.

In short, we will clean up oil spills and use the cleanup technologies to drive economic opportunity, local entrepreneurial activity, research and poverty alleviation within the Zone. Once we have restored the agricultural vitality of the Zone we will move on to the next identified area replicating the concept and making it available to others through Open Source distribution of the technologies.

Enterprise Recovery and Empowerment Zones will:

•  Create reliable electricity for the communities and businesses within the zone using a CARBON NEGATIVE technology for generating electricity in a region without reliable electricity. The results will be more reliable electricity, jobs and both research and entrepreneurial opportunities. The electricity can be used for the growth of indigenous businesses or sold into the grid to fund other important activities.
•  Use a Carbon Negative Green Technology that will sequester more carbon than it produces. Other than steam and a minimal amount of Co2, there is NO effluent or emissions from our closed carbon negative system. There are NO noxious emissions.
•  Produce, for market, BioChar, a soil amendment that enhances agricultural productivity and plant growth by up to 400%. Biochar may also have bio-remediation capabilities and we will conduct research around this.
•  Clean up Oil Spills that have plagued the Niger Delta;
•  Qualify for and sell through a qualified broker, carbon credits under the Kyoto protocols. (***Note We are trying to determine whether this project will qualify***)
•  Create a Zone of Enterprise and Empowerment where multiple streams of economic activity, training and research provide home grown benefits to indigenous people.
• Create alliances with local and regional NGOs like the Women's Empowerment Network to provide training and entrepreneurial activities around the various profit centers generated by the activities of the ERE-Zone.

We intend to do what Oil Companies and the government have failed to do. Clean up the oil that has been spilled in the Zone, restore the agricultural vigor of the Zone and provide meaningful employment opportunities to local people.

We intend to encourage/compel the oil companies to act, to participate in the funding of future ERE-Zones by showing them that there is a way to cleanup oil spills that can benefit the community and demonstrate their goodwill and willingness to accept responsibility, AND LOWER THEIR COSTS.

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Dedicated to Dr. Chidi Nwachukwu, colleague and friend, mentor, loving husband, proud father and proud Nigerian. A native of Nigeria, and a citizen of the US and Nigeria who's vision for his beloved homeland lives on even after he lost his fierce battle with leukemia. To this day we can hear his voice saying
"CORRECT . . . Never Give Up!"