Today is the 25th anniversary of the Bhopal, India disaster. On December 3, 1984, a plant, owned by Union Carbide, that manufactured pesticides leaked methyl isocyanate gas. It is often cited as the worst industrial disaster in history. Approximately 8,000 people died and many people were sickened with illnesses that would plague them for the rest of their lives. The soil and the groundwater are still contaminated by the deadly chemicals that leaked from the plant. The residents of Bhopal are still battling illness and disability caused by this accident. Many people who were exposed to the deadly gas have passed on defects to their children and even grandchildren. There are still lawsuits pending against Union Carbide (now Dow Chemical) because there are approximately 390 tons of toxic chemicals still on the site, leaching into the ground. Oddly enough, the pesticides at the plant were being produced to aid Indian farmers with the Green Revolution, brought to India by innovators like Norman Borlaug. In a previous post I praised Borlaug and his work but many times something that seems like a sound plan has many unforeseen consequences.
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