mesothelioma

When I told my mum that I was embarking on this project, she informed me that on her last visit to Niue the entire island was covered with asbestos laden rooves and houses, slowly deterioirating. Since then, there has been a cyclone, and she cringed as she recalled the sheer lack of talk about what exactly was going to be done about this fairly serious problem.

It always surprises me just how happy we are to overlook the plight of those less wealthy - while our cleanup teams wear masks and protective gear, those that have been living in the houses for many years, even since the threat of asbestos was made clear, have been living with no protection at all.

Funnily enough, a case in Montana has found that "Grace knew when they took over the mine in 1960 that the vermiculite ore was tainted with asbestos and that asbestos exposure was deadly." While these guys are in deep trouble of their own - facing jail terms. I wonder, if people knew the threat way back then, why were houses ridden with asbestos still being built in places like Niue in the 1970's to the claims that 'no one really knew the threat then.'

Of course, Mesothelioma is not the only threat to the health of thousands of people who have been exposed to asbestos, those spikey fibres stick right to your lungs, causing coughing, respiatory problems and a range of other negative health effets - even better, as, I'm sure those in the know have understtod for a good couple of decades, because of the nature of asbestos, it can be years before the effects are known, making it fairly difficult to pin them back to asbestos.

There are certinly some bad guys in this story, murderers really. The question is, how do those who have been affected by diseases such as mesothelioma find justice and live out a decent life?