{"product_id":"bad-dust","title":"Bad Dust","description":"Asbestos was once known as the “magic mineral.” Cheap,\nversatile, and tough, it was used in a wide range of industrial and consumer\nproducts, from fireproofing spray on warships, to insulation panels in\nhigh-rise towers, to tablecloths and ironing board covers. But from the dawn of\nthe industry in the late 1800s, it was apparent that asbestos dust was\nparticularly harmful to workers’ lungs. Later, it became clear that even\ntrivial exposure can cause incurable cancers.  \n\n\n\nBad Dust traces a history of the asbestos disaster\nand shows how the material became so deeply interwoven with the functions of\nthe British state. The first half of the book examines the mining of the\nmineral in apartheid South Africa, its manufacturing in the North of England,\nand its use on the shipyards and building sites of Glasgow. The second half of\nthe book then explores the development of a coherent anti-asbestos movement from\nthe late 1970s. Arrayed against a powerful industry, and against parts of the\ntrade union movement, anti-asbestos groups fought for a ban on the material.\n\n\n\nAsbestos was used extensively in schools,\nhospitals, and housing built in the post-war period. The banning of the\nmaterial twenty-five years ago was not accompanied by a coordinated removal programme—much\nof it remains in place, slowing degrading and placing us all at risk. Far from\na problem solved, Bad Dust shows that the asbestos disaster has really only\njust begun. ","brand":"Watkins Media Limited","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54843938242904,"sku":"9781915672926","price":18.5,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0278\/1295\/4195\/files\/9781915672926_f4c698a3-0229-4f04-a77b-3d41ac9e3dbc.jpg?v=1777948238","url":"https:\/\/agendabookshop.com\/products\/bad-dust","provider":"Agenda Bookshop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}