The Bhopal syndrome

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

In the wake of the Bhopal disaster in 1984, there has been mounting public concern, worldwide, about the safety of pesticide technology. Could such an accident happen again? Weir, coauthor of Circle of Poison, examines the potential at pesticide factories with focus on the Third World. There, plants are springing up amid crowded conditions, frequently with weaker controls and lower standards than their parent companies in the developed world. Many of these factories lack trained personnel and employ illiterate workers. Weir gives an overview of the global pesticide industrythe products, multinationals, the remarkable rate of growth. He cites horrors round the world: Indonesia, Taiwan, Egypt, Thailand, Brazil, Central America, Malaysia; the Kurosaki plant in Japan; Royal Dutch Shell's operations (aldrin and dieldrin) in the Sudan and the Dominican Republic. Weir looks at the pesticide safety record in the U.S. and discusses ``right to know'' and ``freedom of information'' laws. He raises questions about possible hazards of biotechnology. In an afterword, Indian journalist Claude Alvares gives an eyewitness report on Bhopal in the period six to eight months after the disaster. An important and timely book. (October 19)

Library Journal

This book is not only about Bhopal, the city in India that saw thousands killed, hundreds of thousands maimed by a chemical plant accident in 1984. It is also about the conditions that make Bhopals happen. Weir describes factories in Indonesia, Brazil, and Taiwan just waiting to duplicate the Indian experience. Much of Weir's material was gathered through interviews with workers, government officials, plant managers, and local residents. In short, punchy chapters he deals with such issues as relationships between multinational firms seeking new markets and Third World governments striving for industrializaiton. He also warns against the new biotechnologies and their potential for harm. The book ends with a moving account, by reporter Claude Alvares, of Bhopal in the aftermath of the disaster. Highly recommended. Daniel LaRossa, Connetquot P.L., Bohemia, N.Y.