Justice on the 25th anniversary of the Bhopal disaster
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Twenty-five years ago, the residents of Bhopal, India awoke to what would become known as the world’s worst industrial disaster. During the early morning of December 3, 1984, a huge cloud of poisonous gas escaped the Union Carbide pesticide plant in Bhopal, killing at least fifteen thousand people and leaving a legacy of toxic pollution that persists today, sickening hundreds of thousands more people. Today Dow Chemical owns Union Carbide, but still refuses to take responsibility for clean-up, provision of clean drinking water, or justice for survivors. Please help us honor the legacy of Bhopal by contacting Dow’s North Carolina Board member today to ask for justice for Bhopal. |
Indian survivors of the Bhopal gas disaster protest outside Dow Chemical's office in Noida, India on November 19th. Photo: Agence France Presse Take action for justice today, on the 25th Anniversary of the chemical disaster in Bhopal, India. >>Email Dow Board member and North Carolinian Ruth G. Shaw >>"Dump your Dow" - action ideas from Students for Bhopal >>Support our work. Donate today! |
Take Action
Around the world today, people are contacting Board members of the Dow Chemical Company, the company liable for the ongoing contamination in Bhopal. Dr. Ruth G. Shaw is a Board member of the Dow Chemical Company and a North Carolina civic leader who is active in educational and environmental causes. Please email her today with your message about justice in Bhopal.
Ruth G. Shaw
C/o Donna Brady, Secretary
UNC-Charlotte Board of Trustees
Donna.brady@uncc.edu
>>Here is a sample email which you can use for your email to Ruth Shaw.
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Please contact Toxic Free NC at or (919) 833-1123 to let us know you're taking action, or if you have any questions. Thank you! |
Sample Letter
Instructions: Copy and paste the text below into the body of an email to Dr. Ruth G. Shaw, care of the UNC-Charlotte Board of Trustees. Please feel free to customize your letter's subject and text, and be sure to add the information [IN BRACKETS].
Ruth G. Shaw
C/o Donna Brady, Secretary
UNC-Charlotte Board of Trustees
Donna.brady@uncc.edu
Dear Dr. Shaw,
I understand that you are a fellow North Carolinian and a Board Member of the Dow Chemical Company. Today, December 3rd is the 25th anniversary of the disaster in Bhopal.
My message is that Dow must face their liabilities in Bhopal. When Dow purchased Union Carbide, you took on all their liabilities. Today, thousands of tons of toxic waste still persist at the site, and hundreds of thousands of people are affected, creating a second generation of victims of the Bhopal disaster.
Compensation to the affected individuals is both Dow’s legal and moral responsibility. I am encouraging you to address your liabilities and immediately clean up the site. Please send Union Carbide to face the Chief Judicial Magistrate’s court in Bhopal so that justice may finally be enacted.
The legacy of 1984 persists today as toxic pollution and human suffering in Bhopal. These images remind us of Dow's responsibility to help put an end to this suffering:
http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2008/07/07/world/20080707BHOPAL_index.html
Please do your part as a Board member to help Dow become a better corporate citizen by cleaning up the mess it left behind in Bhopal. Thank you.
Sincerely,
[YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS HERE]
Background Information
The disaster on December 3rd of 1984 was just the beginning for Bhopalis. Union Carbide left Bhopal without cleaning up the site, leaving thousands of tons of toxic chemicals behind, which are now poisoning the groundwater for the area’s residents. Children of parents who survived the Bhopal disaster are now being affected with health problems ranging from learning disabilities to severe birth defects. It is estimated that around 600,000 people suffer from chronic health problems associated with the Bhopal disaster site. Around the world, people are calling on Dow Chemical to take responsibility for the mess it acquired when it bought Union Carbide, and to finally bring justice and healing to the people of Bhopal, India.
Learn more about the ongoing disaster and Dow’s responsibility.
Bhopal in the news
Dow Shall Not Trespass (Toxic Free NC's blog, Fair Ground)
December 3, 1984 (Toxic Free NC's blog, Fair Ground)
Toxic Wastes Plague Bhopal (Photo essay, New York Times)
Bhopal water still toxic 25 years on (Agence France Presse)
Bhopal survivors fight for justice (BBC News)