http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-10623725 *Sigh*, read in the news yesterday that the asbestos industry is still booming. For those who don't know, asbestos is a material that was once used in a variety of products, but is now banned or severely restricted in developed countries. High-level exposure to asbestos can cause death in less than a decade, while low-level exposure can lead to the development of mesothelioma, which takes 30-40 years to develop. (Interestingly, in developed country that began to widely use asbestos after WWII, an "epidemic" of mesothelioma began in the 1970s.) Currently, asbestos is widely used in developing countries as a cheap and good quality (except for its carcinogenic properties) building material. The asbestos industry has spent hundreds of millions lobbying that the kind of asbestos being used today, white asbestos, is not harmful. Some scientists also echo this view, but most of them have received research funding from the asbestos industry. Looks like the developing countries using asbestos will experience similar mesothelioma epidemics in a few decades time. These companies really have no conscience... :nope:
I was just reading that on BBC. I mean seriously..... That's what lack of education, greed, and disregard for human life brings
Oh man that stuff is really dangerous. My family recently got into construction of a house that was built in the 50's and it turned out that there was asbestos in the insulation of the house so they had to go through months of paperwork, inspections, and special care to get it removed safely before they could start any construction. It's really sad that even with evidence from the past that it's harmful, they're *still* going on doing the same thing.
Apparently asbestos wasn't banned until 1989 or something. That means I'm probably living in an asbestos house right now!
Man, the things people do for money! I cant believe this. Asbestos should have been banned a long time ago.