To Cook a Continent: Destructive Extraction and the Climate Crisis in Africa

by Nnimmo Bassey

Arguing that the climate crisis confronting the world today is rooted mainly in the wealthy economies’ abuse of fossil fuels, indigenous forests, and global commercial agriculture, this important book investigates how Africa has been exploited and how Africans should respond for the good of all. As it examines the oil industry in Africa and probes the causes of global warming, this record warns of its insidious impacts and explores false solutions. Demonstrating that the issues around natural resource exploitation, corporate profiteering, and climate change must be considered together if the planet is to be saved, the book suggests how Africa can overcome the crises of environment and global warming.

Genres: Climate Change, Africa, Environment, Science, Nonfiction, World History, History

190 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2012

Reviews

[Lauren]

TO COOK A PLANET: Destructive Extraction and the Climate Crisis in Africa by Nnimmo Bassey (2012).

Bassey is a Nigerian enviornmental activist. The book is a history/polemic on the centuries-long destructive resource extraction - oil, diamonds, rare earth metals, water, and many other resources. He uses a pan-African lens for assessments, often going region by region.

Through colonialism and "progress", he weaves the economics with the environmental, the varying policies of colonial powers and post-colonial governments and their views on extraction and global trade, and how it relates to climate change, human rights and social justice.

"The plundering of the continent translates into direct loss of human lives..."

[Ricado · Rating 4 out of 5]

A remarkable book written in poetical fashion about how the looting of Africa's natural resources is leading to a ecological crisis. The book lays bare the impact on particularly women and children on the continent. In minute detail Nnimmo Bassey focus on the minerals -energy complex, with a special focus on the oil industry. The recolonization of Africa is taking place to feed the overconsumption of the citizens of the north and the greed economy. The book aptly ends with a poem "we thought it was oil.... but it was blood.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

While this book is a great introduction to the plundering of Africa, it contains a heavy bias which uses affective writing as a way to emphasize certain points or make allusions to allegations which can be argued either which way depending on the position of the debater. While I wouldn't discount any portion of this novel, I would have liked to see a more analytical argument being made rather than a purposely exaggerated set of claims and stories that clearly are out of place in a novel whose goal is to address a topic which is extremely pertinent in the history and contemporary coverage of Africa, not write a piece of literature whose main purpose is made to move readers emotionally.

[Nicolas Lontel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un essai assez troublant sur les horreurs de la colonisation et de l'exploitation pétrolière et minière des pays impérialistes et les entreprises. On couvre autant les créations d'instabilité politiques par les compagnies et certains pays, que les guerres internes, la création de pauvreté, la destruction environnementale et la pollution massacrant des territoires, les procès complètement inégaux (quand ta compagnie fait plus d'argent que ton pays, une poignée de citoyens, même dans les cas où ils remportent un procès, n'auront dans les faits rien ou presque), la corruption, etc. L'auteur discute aussi de la réponse des superstructures internationales chargées de contrôler et empêcher ce genre d'exploitation, mais la vision à court terme (voire aveugle) qu'elle a et qui permet de telles destructions.
Les premières pages de l'essai qui parle de son expérience de "détention" avec des diplomates hollandais charger d'inspecter une zone par une milice armée refusant de les laisser passer donne le ton du restant de l'ouvrage: on parle souvent d'un cas particulier avant de l'étendre et de parler plus largement de X ou Y problème.

On sent définitivement un ton très militant tout au long de l'essai, les sources sont définitivement fiables (je les ai vérifié parce que des fois, ça semble un peu bizarre dans la méthode de citation), mais ça reste un essai rigoureux sinon que probablement trop personnel pour plusieurs. L'insertion de plusieurs poèmes étaient aussi définitivement intéressants. Ça peut être une bonne introduction aux enjeux d'exploitation des pays africains par les états impérialistes et la complaisance de plusieurs dirigeants africains (et des contre-pouvoirs internationaux) à laisser faire malgré la création d'instabilité, de pauvreté et de dommages environnementaux dans le pays (pour lesquels les compagnies et états ne sont jamais tenus responsables évidemment).

[Paul · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bassey makes some prescient points not least about neocolonialism via TNCs, the WTO and Bretton Woods institutions, as well as corrupt people officials fracturing communities in their own nations to line their personal coffers.
Yet the way Bassey writes makes much of this content fade into the periphery. The first 40+ pages appear as an unscripted rant that jumps from one thought to another often with no clear link between one and the next. The use of sub-headings seems arbitrary at best and the author could really do with including a map of Africa and another of Nigeria locating the various examples and communities referred to throughout.
As a teacher I feel the main take-away is the m safe that it is dangerous to teach a single story and that the destructive extraction of neocolonialist TNCs and governments must be taught to our children in the global North, so they can alter our behaviours towards the people of the south before we can no longer turn back.

[Aston Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Took a while to finish this as I ended up reading 5-10 pages a day and didn’t read for a week lol.

I found this book when in America at a random bookstore for $1. It was not what I expected, as it was quite a heavy read, and the personification of Africa really emphasised the damage that had been incurred. It really puts it into perspective the damage that anthropogenic activities have caused, and their negative impacts on local communities and watered areas.

From where I stand, there’s still a lot to unpick and take into account, though fortunately it has tied in with my module “Climate Change: Causes and Consequences” though not in the greatest way (referring to how heavy it was for me). However, it is good for me to be aware, about these things as most of what happens in the world is hushed away unless you proactively look for it, or unexpectedly fall into it.

Anyways, definitely not hitting my reading goal this year, however I have read meaningful books, so I’m not fussed!

[Nat Krieger · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Africa has been exploited almost to death. While her children hack at each other's limbs, others adorn their fingers with the diamonds snatched from their lands. While the blood of her children flows in her numerous oil fields, these fuels roar in engines of the fast life an egregious consumption far off her shores. Mountains and oceans of waste take over Africa while her exploiters dance on piles of dollars and euros. She gasps for breath while transnational rippers and local rapists plunder her lands."
"Do not mistake the stumping, singing and jumping for a dance party, these are the generators that power the dynamos and set the path for resistance and for change"

[Mell Aguiar · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fairly informative read, but I feel like it lacked a lot of context and would drop in references to organizations or conflicts and not further explain what they are. I only have a vague understanding of things, but it’s probably a good enough introduction/segway into further reading