Cindynics, The Science of Danger

Appendix 8More Information About Bhopal

Union Carbide (UC), one of the most significant multinational chemical companies in the US, decided in the 1950s to produce pesticides with the slogan: “holding the line for a richer harvest”. In 1957, three Carbide researchers developed the formulation of Sevin, a pesticide; using MIC, Sevin was presented as a “miracle” pesticide, acting on almost all parasites. Its advertisement praised its non-toxicity by presenting a human tasting grapes treated with Sevin. Carbide was not completely transparent about MIC. While the company had implemented numerous safety procedures and recognized its lethal nature in case of inhalation, it did not disclose a study that mentioned that MIC produces cyanidric acid under the effect of heat and that an injection of sodium thiosulfate is an effective antidote.

Carbide built an MIC plant in the US in the early 1960s in a highly dangerous chemical complex and presented the plant as a model of safety. In the Carbide plant in the US, the motto displayed was: “safety first”. Between January 1, 1980 and the end of 1984, the Federal Environmental Protection Agency (USA) found 67 MIC leaks in the US Carbide plant.

In the 1950s, India planned a “green revolution” aimed at achieving food selfsufficiency. This project included significant development of agriculture, both extensive and intensive. From 1966 to 1971, the Green Revolution in India resulted in a threefold increase in fertilizer consumption. The need for ...