Asbestos Stories
In the first half of today’s show, hear the radio documentary, Asbestos: The Silent Killer, part of series Looking out for Number One, produced by the Public Media Centre. One of the most versicle fibers, asbestos has been in virtually every household item, from clothes to insulation to building materials. It is also known as one of the most dangerous cancer-causing substances ever known. Asbestos: The Silent Killer, narrated by Kris Welch comes from the vault of the from the Pacifica Radio Archives (www.pacificaradioarchives.org).
In the second half of today’s Radio Chronicles, hear another documentary from the vault of the Pacifica Radio Archives, Asbestos: The Deadly Mineral, including personal testimonies about the spraying of asbestos and its use outside the workplace. Then it’s a mix of comments from filmmakers Drury Gunn-Carr and Doug Hawes-Davis, along with excerpts from the Point of View documentary film, Libby Montana. Nestled below the rugged peaks of the Northern Rockies of Montana–as iconic a representation of America’s "purple mountain majesties" as one can find–lies one of the worst cases of community-wide exposure to a toxic substance in the history of the USA. In the small town of Libby, many hundreds of people are sick or have already died from asbestos exposure. Libby, Montana takes a long working day’s journey into a blue-collar community and finds a different reality–one where the American Dream exacts a terrible price. Music in today’s show includes The System, by Mutabaruka and portions of Ned Mudd’s original score from the film, Libby Montana.
Today’s Radio Chronicles is hosted by Safi wa Nairobi.