Asbestos Disaster

Japan’s asbestos disasters, encompassing both occupational disease and environmental pollution, have been caused principally by the asbestos textile, asbestos cement water pipe, and construction industries. This book is unique in its interdisciplinary approach to those disasters as it incorporates medical science, economics, political science, law, architecture, environmental engineering, sociology, and journalism. Written by authorities in their fields, the chapters reflect the integration of these disciplines in topics that include a historical review of asbestos issues in Japan, asbestos-related diseases, international aspects of the asbestos industry, public policy, divisions of responsibility, relief activities in emergencies, and countermeasures enacted by local governments. The lessons of asbestos problems and policies in Japan are particularly important for developing countries to prevent the proliferation of asbestos disasters. This volume serves as a textbook on asbestos issues for all countries, especially where there is widespread use of asbestos.

An Air That Still Kills is the alarming and still-unfolding story of the deadliest environmental disaster in the United States. The catastrophe began in Libby, Montana, where hundreds of people died and thousands more were sickened from the asbestos that contaminated a vermiculite mine. But mine owner W.R. Grace spread the danger across North America when it exported the lethal vermiculite, which still lurks in as many as 50 million homes, businesses and schools. First authored by Andrew Schneider and David McCumber, this updated book includes frightening new disclosures by Schneider about the growing threat from Libby's uniquely potent form of asbestos. The latest studies by some of the nation's foremost experts say that Libby asbestos - with even minimal exposure - can sicken and kill at rates thousands of times greater than previously thought. But few people know the danger that hides in their attics and walls, because regulators have repeatedly failed to warn the public effectively. No one is tracking how many people have died from asbestos contamination, or where, or how many more will die. The only certainty is that the toll will continue to rise. An Air That Still Kills is a haunting, meticulously reported account that will introduce you to the courageous miner's daughter and the cowboy crooner who took on one of the nation's most powerful corporations, and to the government team who at first refused to believe the duo. That team now continues to risk careers by fighting uncaring bureaucrats to help prove the town's residents right. The greed, power and politics that claimed so many lives will make you furious. The stories of tireless perseverance against all odds will astonish you. And the ongoing risk of a horrifying death faced by millions should make you mad as hell.

Mark Langworthy has just returned home after a stint as a colonial administrator in India. Once a promising writer, his dreams and idealism have been extinguished, and he returns stricken with malaria and fatigued in both body and spirit. When he meets his nephew, Paul, an ingenuous orphan of eighteen and an aspiring writer, Mark sees in the boy a chance for redemption. Over the course of an English summer they form a close though sometimes difficult friendship, but when Paul begins a love affair with one of his uncle's former acquaintances, Anne, things begin to unravel. A series of circumstances threatens the bond they have developed, and when Anne suggests that Mark's interest in Paul may not be what it seems, both Mark and Paul will have to come to terms with their feelings and discover the true nature of love and friendship. Published in 1948, An Air That Kills is the third of Francis King's more than thirty novels. Widely acclaimed as one of the finest novelists of his generation, King displays in this early work all the imaginative energy and ardour of a young writer dealing with a theme which he clearly felt profoundly. This 60th anniversary edition includes a new introduction by the author.

Japan’s asbestos disasters, encompassing both occupational disease and environmental pollution, have been caused principally by the asbestos textile, asbestos cement water pipe, and construction industries. This book is unique in its interdisciplinary approach to those disasters as it incorporates medical science, economics, political science, law, architecture, environmental engineering, sociology, and journalism. Written by authorities in their fields, the chapters reflect the integration of these disciplines in topics that include a historical review of asbestos issues in Japan, asbestos-related diseases, international aspects of the asbestos industry, public policy, divisions of responsibility, relief activities in emergencies, and countermeasures enacted by local governments. The lessons of asbestos problems and policies in Japan are particularly important for developing countries to prevent the proliferation of asbestos disasters. This volume serves as a textbook on asbestos issues for all countries, especially where there is widespread use of asbestos.

Toxic production, disrupted lives and contaminated bodies. Care for unacknowledged suffering, incurable cancers, and immeasurable losses. This book bears witness to the invisible disasters provoked by the asbestos market worldwide and gives a voice to the communities of survivors who struggle daily in the name of social and environmental justice. Grounded in a profound, touching ethnography, this book offers an original contribution to understanding global health disasters and grassroots health-based activism.