Advocacy after Bhopal: environmentalism, disaster, new global orders

436 Pages·2009·18.835 MB·English

by  Fortun, Kim

Advocacy alter Bhopal

Advocacy
alter
Bhopal
Environmentalism, Disaster,
New Global Orders
KIM FORTUN
THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO PRESS
CHICAGO AND LONDON
KIMFORTuNisassociateprofessorintheScienceandTechnologyStudiesDepartmentat
RensselaerPolytechnicInstitute.
TheUniversityofChicagoPress,Chicago60637
TheUniversityofChicagoPress,Ltd.,London
©2001byTheUniversityofChicago
Allrightsreserved.Published2001
PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica
10 09 08 07 06 05 04 03 02 01 1 2 345
ISBN:0-226-25719-3(cloth)
ISBN:0-226-25720-7(paper)
LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
Fortun,Kim.
AdvocacyafterBhopal:environmentalism,disaster,newglobalorders/KimFortun.
p. cm.
Includesbibliographicalreferences(p. )andindex.
ISBN0-226-25719-3(cloth:ailepaper)-ISBN0-226-25720-7(pbk.:alk.paper)
1.Disastervictims-Servicesfor. 2.Environmentalpolicy-Citizenparticipation.
3.Socialresponsibilityofbusiness-Environmentalaspects. 4.BhopalUnionCarbidePlant
Disaster,Bhopal,India,1984. 5.Disasterrelief-India-Casestudies. I.Title.
HV553.F65 2001
363.7'058'0954-dc21
00-046716
@ ThepaperusedinthispublicationmeetstheminimumrequirementsoftheAmerican
NationalStandardforInformationSciences-PermanenceofPaperforPrintedLibrary
Materials,ANSIZ39.48-1992.
CONTENTS
LISTOFILLUSTRATIONS vii
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ix
PROLOGUE: THETIMES xiii
INTRODUCTION Advocacy,Ethnography, andComplex
Systems 1
ONE PlaintiveResponse 25
Two HappeningHere 55
THREE UnionCarbide, HavingaHandinThings 87
FOUR WorkingPerspectives 120
FIVE StatesofIndia 144
SIX SituationalParticularities 159
SEVEN OpposingIndia 177
EIGHT Women'sMovements 217
NINE AnarchismandItsDiscontents 251
TEN CommunitiesConcernedabout
Corporations 272
ELEVEN GreenConsulting 314
EPILOGUE 348
ApPENDIX 355
NOTES 359
BIBLIOGRAPHY 385
INDEX 403

FIGURES
Figure 2.1 Worst-CaseScenario 67
Figure 2.2 WeHaveBeenNotifiedCollage 70
Figure 2.3 SafetyStreetorDeathRow? 71
Figure 2.4 ACT: WestVirginiansWanttoWork 73
Figure 2.5 ACT: GymTeachersMust 75
Figure 2.6 SteveMidkiffandTimJones 76
Figure 3.1 Carbide'sAmbassadors 94
Figure 3.2 Carbide'sPortablePower 95
Figure 3.3 Carbide'sWithoutAir, LifeStops 96
Figure 3.4 CarbideBringsSciencetoIndia 97
Figure 3.5 Kalelkar'sPipingConfiguration 103
Figure 4.1 UnionCarbide'sBhopalPlant 122
Figure 4.2 KissingCarbide/Nehru 132
Figure 4.3 Chouhan'sDemon 138
Figure 6.1 IndiaMap withBhopalatCenter 160
Figure 6.2 MapofBhopal 161
Figure 6.3 Statue 167
Figure 6.4 Chouhan'sHangingPeople 169
Figure 8.1 BhopalGasAffectedWorkingWomen's Union 223
Figure 9.1 StatueandMarchers 266
Figure 9.2 PostcardofChild 267
Figure 9.3 PostcardMemorial 268
Figure 9.4 PostcardtoConnecttheDots 269
Figure 10.1 BhopalontheBayou 288
viii ListofIllustrations
Figure 10.2 AnInvitationtoFightBack 289
Figure 10.3 RememberBhopal/CorporateCleanupDay 290
Figure 11.1 TheWorldthroughaBenzeneRing 320
Figure 11.2 BiggestCropofBabies 321
Figure 11.3 Shell: TheOdds NowFavorYou 322
Figure 11.4 EveryoneIsaCustomerforChemicals 323
Figure 11.5 Rhone-Poulenc'sGlobe 342
Figure 11.6 Highlander'sGlobe 343
Figure 11.7 Carbide'sEnvironmentalExcellence 345
Figure 11.8 Oxychem'sHands 346
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
TheBhopaldisasterhasbroughtmanydifferentpeopletogether, formany
different kinds of collaborative work. This book is one example. I have
receivedsomuchhelpwritingitandputtingittogetherthatitisimpossible
to express my appreciation. A few people can nonetheless be named, and
offeredspecialthanks. TheBhopalGasAffectedWorkingWomen'sUnion
must be thanked for all their teaching and good care while I was in Bho
pal-RehanaBegum,HamidaBi,andMohiniandJabbarKhanespecially.
T. R. Chouhan also deserves special thanks for teaching me the techni
cal details, as well as for his friendship. Chouhan's family also must be
thanked, as must the Bhopal Group for Information and Action-Rajiv
Lochan, SurajitSarkarandVani Subramaniam, T. J. Birdi, andSathyuSa
rangi especially. Ward Morehouse is also a special figure. He has been a
greatexample, while helping memakeconnectionsbetweenIndiaandthe
United States. It was through Ward that I was introduced to the people in
Communities ConcernedAboutCorporations. NanHardin, DianeWilson,
and Karen Lynne offered particularinspiration and help, as did members
ofthe Oil, Chemical and Atomic Workers Union in Texas City, Texas. In
West Virginia, Steve Midkiff, Pam Nixon, and Wendy Radcliffe deserve
specialthanks.
The help Ihave receivedin various university settings has also been in
valuable. My Ph.D. advisor, Michael Fischer, mustbe thankedfor his pa
tienceandhisfine-grainedreadings (ofmoreversionsofthisbookthancan
becounted), and,mostimportant,forhelpingmebelieveintheimportance