The Obama administration’s backing of Shell’s drilling in the Arctic Ocean comes just as the United Nations has issued a report on the extent of the environmental damage caused by Shell in Nigeria for more than 50 years. United Nations Environment Programme spokesperson Nick Nuttall said damage to Ogoniland in the Niger Delta is more extensive than previously thought.

Nick Nuttall: “The oil pollution has gone further and farther than perhaps many people previously supposed, so in terms of exposure to the people of Ogoniland, it’s probably true to say that, with this scientific evidence, there are probably more people at risk than had been supposed before this report came out. And certainly, one of the findings is that there are probably tens of thousands of wells in Ogoniland which could potentially be contaminated.”

The United Nations estimates it could take 30 years for the region to recover from widespread pollution and ecological damage. U.N. official Ibrahim Thiaw says around $1 billion will be needed to begin what would be the world’s largest oil clean-up effort.

Ibrahim Thiaw: “We feel that an initial investment of $1 billion will be necessary to actually do the initial clean-up of the topsoil over the next five years and to also cover some of the costs that are associated with that activity, including the capacity building activities, and the center for excellence that was proposed needs to be also supported.”