Impact of industry on people and the environment

Ukraine

52 million people live there. Farming communities make up most of population, producing wheat. More power was needed to supply energy for the growing population. Nuclear Power was chosen as it was seen as cheap and efficient. Chernobyl was the chosen location.

On the 26^th April 1986, the core of the reactor got too hot. The operators lost control and the reactor exploded. The poisonous fire burned for 10 days. The poisonous gases were cancer causing. Many fire fighters died from radiation sickness. By 29^th April, poisonous clouds spread over Belarus and Poland. Children were fed iodine to protect them. 10 days after the accident, the cloud spread over the UK (2400 km away). Low levels of radiation were recorded. Wind blew the clouds over many countries. After 9 days, 20,000 people were evacuated from nearby cities. One year later they were still in exile.

The land around the site was devastated. 135,000 people were moved in total. Trees grew upside down, cattle grew with deformed heads. Some people were not evacuated. The radiation seeped into water supplies underground. People have been living there ever since. Babies have been born with deformities and abnormalities. Many have cancer. 90% of children have thyroid problems and lung diseases. Many people eat the contaminated food produced in the area otherwise they face starvation.

Bhopal, India

Many parts of India rely on subsistence farming. Many have been forced into cities to find employment. Union Carbide, a US based company, set up in Bhopal to make pesticides. This attracted many people searching for work. On December 2^nd 1984, a malfunction in the plant released a lethal cocktail of chemicals into the air including Methyl Isocynate. The people living in the surrounding squatter settlements were affected. Babies and the elderly died instantly. Tens of thousands of people tried to escape but couldn't see due to the toxic cloud. Many were killed in the stampede. 500,000 people were injured as eyes, lungs and hearts were corroded by the poison. Many survivors suffered psychological trauma. Thousands of dead animals littered the streets and no birds sang. The disaster cost the company $470 million. The plant is now empty. The poor have not received compensation and therefore can't afford to move away.

Seveso, Northern Italy

A factory was set up to make weed killer to help farmers on the rich and fertile north Italian plains. In July 1976, a batch of chemicals was left unattended over the weekend. The temperature rose and by noon the next day the heat build up reacted with the chemicals and blew the factory apart. The poisonous cloud covered an area 6km south east of the plant. Nobody told the residents of the area. A white dust covered surrounding towns. Birds feel dead from the sky whilst cats and dogs died. People began getting sores, dizziness and headaches. The cloud covered 6000 people.

9 days later, dioxin was found to have been released one of the deadliest chemicals. People were evacuated. Children developed lung disorders. Women had abortions fearing for the health of their unborn children. It took 7 years for topsoil and buildings affected to be removed and buried.

D.Drake 2008