On December 2nd, 1984, near densely-crowded neighborhoods of Bhopal, India, a pesticide factory owned by Union Carbide (now Dow Chemical Company) leaked tons of poison gas into the air. With the factory’s warning system turned off and other safety systems broken, the community was not alerted in any way except by the toxic clouds that reached them in their homes and on the streets.  

In the following 3 days, 8,000 people died. In the 30 years that have passed since what is now known to be one of the worst industrial disasters in history, more than 25,000 people have died from the poison in their bodies, and many more have developed terrible illnesses including pain and difficulty breathing, constant cough, cancer, and fear and depression. Many children then and a second generation of children now suffer from severe birth defects, including withered limbs, slow growth, and reproductive and nervous system problems. Over 150,000 people have been deeply affected by that one terrible, and preventable, incident in Bhopal.

Today, the factory site has yet to be cleaned up and continues to leak pesticides into Bhopal’s groundwater.  As consumers of the chemicals produced in Bhopal, we have a responsibility to take action and demonstrate our solidarity with the thousands still affected by this disaster. The International Campaign for Justice in Bhopal has provided ways to get involved and demand justice and accountability for those responsible, including ideas to “Dump your Dow” and stop using Dow Chemical products in your neighborhood and school.

If you’re in the Bay Area, take part in a series of events organized by Beyond Holistic that will be happening all week, including art exhibits, film screenings, and performance art.

30 years have passed since the Bhopal disaster, but every day people die in order to produce the products, clothes, and food that we consume. Let’s organize to make sure that large multinational corporations are held accountable to improved safety and health standards and to show through our actions that we value all lives equally by supporting campaigns by the International Labor Rights Forum, Workers Rights Consortium, and the Clean Clothes Campaign. And stay tuned for Hesperian’s upcoming title, Workers’ Guide to Health and Safety, due out this spring!

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