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Cautionary Tales · December 15, 2024 · 42m
The Night the Gas Came: Bhopal
Cautionary Tales
The Bhopal disaster of 1984 — when a pesticide plant in India released 40 tons of methyl isocyanate gas, killing thousands immediately and tens of thousands over the following decades. The worst industrial disaster in history.
Highlights
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Safety equipment that isn't maintained isn't safety equipment — it's decoration
Harford reveals that Bhopal's safety systems existed on paper: a flare tower, a scrubber, a water curtain. None were functional on the night of the disaster — they'd been shut down, undersized, or neglected to save money.•
Environmental injustice — the plant was in Bhopal because Indian lives were valued less than American ones
Harford notes that Union Carbide's identical plant in West Virginia had stricter safety measures, better maintenance, and more redundant systems. The difference was the value placed on the surrounding community's lives.