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Carbide Criminal found

Protest on the 17th anniversary of the Bhopal disaster. Enlarge Image

Dow CEO called upon to accept responsibility for 1984 Bhopal chemical disaster by survivors representatives and Greenpeace at Dow AGM.

Dow CEO called upon to accept responsibility for 1984 Bhopal chemical disaster by survivors representatives and Greenpeace at Dow AGM.

Protestors draw attention to the contrast between efforts to find Osama bin Laden and those to extradite Warren Anderson, former chief executive of Union Carbide. Anderson is evading justice in the United States and wanted for crimes in Bhopal. Enlarge Image

Where's Warren?

The start of the Earth Summit in South Africa, a comfortable residence somewhere in the US and a small Indian court house. One man connects all these things in a 18 year tale of disaster, death and corporate irresponsibility.

Rasheeda Bee, Bhopal survivor Enlarge Image

The testament of a Bhopal survivor

That night I was sleeping, we had no notion that any thing like this would happen. It was around the middle of the night. I woke up to the pungent smell of irritation of something like burning chilis. Everyone was coughing in the house, everyone had got up. We started asking each other, 'Who has burned chili’s in the house?'

Survivors display a poster calling for the extradition of Warren Anderson, former Chief Executive of Union Carbide, from the US. Enlarge Image

Small step towards justice for Bhopal

Against many people's expectations a judge in Bhopal has rejected a request to lower the charges against corporate criminal Warren Anderson, former CEO of Union Carbide. Anderson is wanted in India to answer how the actions of Union Carbide contributed to the world's worst industrial disaster on the night of December 2/3rd 1984 when a toxic gas leak killed an estimated 20,000 people and left 120,000 people chronically ill.

Activists remind Dow that it is responsible for the ongoing disaster in Bhopal. Enlarge Image

A timely reminder

Dow Chemicals plant in Mumbai, India, the Earth Summit and the voice of the people.

Lone survivor. This elderly woman was badly injured when exposed to the poisonous gas, but survived. Everyone else in her family died. Suffering from her injuries, she has an uncertain future. Enlarge Image

Dow shuns responsiblity for disaster

Dow Chemical is shunning their responsibility for cleaning up the worst industrial disaster in history. When they bought out Union Carbide, they only saw the assets it would bring, they turned a blind eye to the to the 8000 that died in the immediate aftermath of the explosion in Bhopal. They ignored the 20,000 people who have died from exposure-related illnesses since. They continue to ignore an estimated 120,000 who remain chronically ill. Their attention is focused firmly on the bottom line which just reported third quarter sales of US$ 7 billion.

Fences at Hindustan Lever Limited keep public scrutiny out but they haven't kept mercury waste in. Enlarge Image

Workers die after mercury exposure

The gas leak that killed thousands in Bhopal 18 years ago was the worst industrial disaster in history and a poignant reminder that multinational companies must not dump their dirty technologies on developing countries. Although Bhopal is the worst case, it is not the only one in India.

Greenpeace activists and locals are arrested before starting to clean up contamination site in Bhopal. Enlarge Image

Bhopal cleanup team arrested

Within a half hour of arriving on site to clean up Bhopal, around 60 protesters including local residents and Greenpeace activists were arrested. It was estimated that more than 100 police in riot gear swarmed over the peaceful action, which was taking place at the former Union Carbide factory, now owned by Dow, where a deadly gas leak in 1984 killed thousands and blinded and maimed thousands more. Former Union Carbide CEO Warren Anderson has been wanted for culpable homicide for more than a decade for his role in the accident.

Victims of the Bhopal disaster protest outside Dow's headquarters in Bombay. Enlarge Image

Dow gets what it deserves

Eighteen years is a long time to wait for anything. If you are waiting for the day your drinking water is free of poisons, a time when you have more than a few dollars compensation to help relieve the pain of chronic illnesses and an environment not littered with toxic wastes, then it is an eternity. When the company responsible for 18 years of suffering is the world's richest chemical company there is a clear message - Dow clean up Bhopal now!

Bhopal activist Nity Jayaraman arrested in Bhopal. Enlarge Image

Charges dropped and apologies offered

Specialists and trained activists from the International Campaign for Justice in Bhopal were brutally assaulted by the police last week when they entered the derelict Union Carbide factory site trying to contain a fraction of the tonnes of hazardous waste lying abandoned at the factory site. But now charges will be dropped and the brutal treatment acknowledged.

Greenpeace activists and Bhopal residents today placed a monument at the Dow headoffice in Terneuzen, Netherlands. Enlarge Image

Investment firms tell Dow to invest in Bhopal clean up

A group of socially responsible investment firms, with combined assets valued at $13 billion, are urging Dow Chemical Company to address the ongoing economic, health and environmental liabilities stemming from a poisonous gas leak in Bhopal, India in 1984, which has killed and injured tens of thousands of people.

Warren Anderson, former CEO of Union Carbide in India, at his door in Bridgehampton, Long Island, New York. Enlarge Image

Justice for Warren Anderson?

George Bush is willing to spend billions, sacrifice many innocent lives, break international laws and dole out summary justice in the pursuit of his misguided 'war on terror'. However if you are a rich American ultimately responsible for the death of more than 20,000 poor people in far off India, you can expect a life of luxury safe from the long arm of the US law.

On the 19th anniversary of the world's worst industrial disaster, the Bhopal gas tragedy of 1984, activists from Greenpeace held a protest activity at the headquarter of Dow Chemical Europe as part of the Global Day of Action against Corporate Crime. Enlarge Image

Message in a bottle for Dow

It's 19 years since the world's worst industrial disaster in Bhopal, India. Deadly gas leaked from the poorly maintained and understaffed plant owned by Union Carbide, killing up to 20,000 people and leaving 120,000 chronically ill. For 19 years the companies responsible have done almost nothing to help. Now you can do a little something to help the survivors of the ongoing disaster and send a message to Union Carbide's new owner Dow Chemical that it should be cleaning up its toxic mess.

Celebrations on the streets of Bhopal. Now almost 20 years later all survivors will finally get meagre compensation. Full justice will require Dow Chemical to clean up the polluted site. Enlarge Image

Bhopal survivors continue fight for justice

India's Supreme Court has ordered the government to release millions of dollars in compensation for victims of the 1984 Bhopal gas disaster. This, and other recent positive developments, are good news for the Bhopal survivors but far from the end of their battle for justice. Our Indian campaigner, Shailendra takes up the story.

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Action against Dow Chemical at Earth Summit.