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Union carbide's Bhopal incident: A retrospective

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Abstract

This article examines the actual events of the Bhopal gas disaster as a prelude to considering the social treatment of catastrophic risks of this variety. In the context of the conference, Bhopal is held out to be symbolic of man-made catastrophes having sudden impact and is therefore the contrasting episode to an examination of the symbolic episode for gradual man-made catastrophes, asbestos liability. Bhopal is then connected to the circumstances which created a shortage of commercial catastrophe liability insurance in the 1980s. Its influence on the restructuring of the market is then discussed. A commentary on the buying habits of large industrial corporations is also included.

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References

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Fischer, M.J. Union carbide's Bhopal incident: A retrospective. J Risk Uncertainty 12, 257–269 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00055797

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00055797

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