The Bhopal Disaster of 1984 - 6444 Words

Bulletin of Science, Technology Society http://bst.sagepub.com/ The Bhopal Disaster of 1984 Roli Varma and Daya R. Varma Bulletin of Science Technology Society 2005 25: 37 DOI: 10.1177/0270467604273822 The online version of this article can be found at: http://bst.sagepub.com/content/25/1/37 Published by: http://www.sagepublications.com On behalf of: National Association for Science, Technology Society Additional services and information for Bulletin of Science, Technology Society can be found at: Email Alerts: http://bst.sagepub.com/cgi/alerts Subscriptions: http://bst.sagepub.com/subscriptions Reprints: http://www.sagepub.com/journalsReprints.nav Permissions: http://www.sagepub.com/journalsPermissions.nav†¦show more content†¦R. Varma, 1986; D. R. Varma Guest, 1993). In 2002, a play â€Å"Bhopal† was staged in Canada as well as in India. The Nature of Things of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation screened the documentary â€Å"Bhopal: The Search for Justice,† directed by Peter Raymont and Lindalee Tracey, on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the Bhopal disaster. The Bhopal issue has been taken up by numerous organizations. Sambhavana Foundation, which came into being as a response to the disaster, operates a free clinic for the victims, does epidemiological and envi- I Bulletin of Science, Technology Society, Vol. 25, No. 1, February 2005, 37-45 DOI: 10.1177/0270467604273822 Copyright ï›™ 2005 Sage Publications Downloaded from bst.sagepub.com at University of Wollongong on March 3, 2012 38 BULLETIN OF SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY SCIENCE / February 2005 Figure 1. Map of Bhopal showing the location of the UCIL plant and the areas most severely affected (shaded). Inset: Location of Bhopal in India. ronmental research, and is building a hospital. Rashida Bee and Champa Devi Shukla, two survivors of the tragedy and activists of the International Campaign for Justice in Bhopal, won the prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize in 2004. In this article, we present what happened in Bhopal and why. We outline the doubleShow MoreRelatedBhopal Gas Disaster Of 19841247 Words   |  5 PagesThe Bhopal Gas Disaster of 1984 INTRODUCTION On the Night of December 2, 1984, there was a horrific accident at the Union Carbide Pesticide Chemical Factory in Bhopal, India. The factory produced a chemical called methyl isocyanate (MIC) also know by Union Carbide as â€Å"Liquid Dynamite†. It is an organic compound with the molecular formula CH3NCO MIC is a highly reactive intermediate chemical used to manufacture various pesticides. This chemical reacts exothermically with water and produces a poisonousRead MoreBhopal, India Disaster Of 19841028 Words   |  5 PagesIntroduction This paper will examine the Bhopal, India disaster of 1984 focusing on the ethical responsibility of Union Carbide. In the rest of this document is the case that a corporation has a responsibility to behave ethically if for no other reason than increase in long term profitability. Background In 1969 the Union Carbide plan was built in Bohpal India. The plant was operated by Union Carbide India Ltd (Leonard, 2010). 50.9% of the plant was owned by Union Carbide (of which Union CarbideRead MoreUnion Carbides Bhopal Disaster1301 Words   |  6 PagesUnion Carbide s Bhopal Disaster In 1984, as if in a nightmare, a cloud of poison gas reached out and snuffed the lives of thousands of people in the sleeping city of Bhopal, India. The residents awoke to a terrible disaster, a chemical explosion whose memory could never be erased. At the center of the tragedy was the Union Carbide pesticide plant, and surrounding the accident were doubts and accusations of negligence and unethical practices. The Disaster On December 3, 1984, one of the worldRead MoreEssay about Bhopal Ethical Issues1307 Words   |  6 Pages1. Introduction: In the morning of December 3, 1984 a tragic event occurred in the city of Bhopal, the state of Madhya Pradesh, India. It has been known as the worlds worst industrial disaster. A Union Carbide India, Limited (UCIL)s plant released 40 tonnes of methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas which instantly killed over 3,000 people and carrying on causing the death of more than 20,000. This tragic event involved not only the technical, safety issues at the time, but also ethical issues on the responsibilityRead MoreBhopal Gas Tragedy984 Words   |  4 PagesBhopal Gas Tragedy Product - Brand name Sevin (Union Carbide) - Third most used insecticide in US - Not fatal to people Carbaryl - Does not cause cancer Chemistry TLV = 0.02 ppm Methyl isocyanate Methyl Isocyanate (MIC) Clear, colourless, b.p. 39oC, odour threshold 2.1 ppm Effects of 0.4 ppm - Coughing - Chest pain - Breathing pain (dyspnea) - Asthma - Eye irritation - Nose, throat, skin damage Effects of 21 ppm - Lung oedema - Emphysema (damage of lung tissue) - hemorrhaging - bronchialRead MoreBhopal, Bhopal And Its Effects900 Words   |  4 Pagesyears ago in Bhopal, India, an accident at the Union Carbide pesticide plant led to around thirty tons of highly toxic gases to fill the air and spread through the nearby towns. When the accident occurred, over 600,000 people were exposed to the very deadly gas. Over the past years, 15,000 people have been killed by the disaster and it’s effects. (Union Carbide Corporation, 2001-2014) Toxic material still remains in Bhopal to this day. (Taylor, 2014) This accident occurred in 1984 at the Union CarbideRead MoreBhopal Ethical Issues1350 Words   |  6 Pages1. Introduction: In the morning of December 3, 1984 a tragic event occurred in the city of Bhopal, the state of Madhya Pradesh, India. It has been known as the world s worst industrial disaster. A Union Carbide India, Limited (UCIL) s plant released 40 tonnes of methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas which instantly killed over 3,000 people and carrying on causing the death of more than 20,000. This tragic event involved not only the technical, safety issues at the time, but also ethical issues on the responsibilityRead MoreDisaster Is A Blind Killer1457 Words   |  6 PagesDisaster is a blind killer as it erupts and affects thousands worldwide. The severity of disasters is expected to increase as a result of contemporary threats (biological, cyber, nuclear, etc.) in addition to increased globalization and climate change. Yet sometimes government bodies, corporations, and the like fall short in instituting preventative systems to avert a disaster, oftentimes causing the general populous to be inadequately pre pared should a catastrophe occur. Union Carbide’s gas leakRead MoreComparing and Contrast the Chemical Disasters at Bhopal in India and Seveso in Italy1362 Words   |  6 Pagesmade some serious mistakes which caused a huge damage and large amount of death to people. In this essay, I am going to write about the two disasters that caused a lot of injures by the explosion of poisonous chemicals, which located in India and Italy. According to Shrivastava (1996), on the night of 2/3 December 1984, an enormous accident happened in Bhopal, India, the highly poisonous and unbalanced chemical gas was escaped from the factory and continue to spread over the city which caused byRead MoreThe Gas Leak Tragedy Of Bhopal1071 Words   |  5 PagesThe Gas Leak Tragedy of Bhopal, India is considered the worst industrial disaster in history. Originally, the Bhopal pesticide plants were to be some of the best and most beautiful plants which would have huge production capabilities. However, in 1984 there was a massive leak of methyl isocyanate (MIC) which spread out to local communities and has negatively affected the health of hundreds of thousands of people. The reason why the pesticide plant was created was for the â€Å"Green Revolution† in the