Presentation Transcript

1. DOW Corporate Profile Dow combines the power of science and technology to passionately innovate what is essential to human progress. The Company connects chemistry and innovation with the principles of sustainability to help address many of the world's most challenging problems such as the need for clean water, renewable energy generation and conservation, and increasing agricultural productivity. Dow's diversified industry-leading portfolio of specialty chemical, advanced materials, agrosciences and plastics businesses delivers a broad range of technology-based products and solutions to customers in approximately 160 countries and in high growth sectors such as electronics, water, energy, coatings and agriculture. In 2011, Dow had annual sales of $60 billion and employed approximately 52,000 people worldwide. The Company's more than 5,000 products are manufactured at 197 sites in 36 countries across the globe.
2. Innovator: DOW Chemical Company Innovation: Agent Orange Innovation Intended Use: Defoliate (strip leaves/vegetation from habitats) Innovation Unknown Use: Created “hot spots” all throughout North & South Vietnam along with neighboring countries of Cambodia & Laos.

3. Innovation: Agent Orange

   Introductory Video to Agent Orange: Warning This Video Contains Graphic Material/Disturbing Visuals – Viewer Discretion is Advised http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJxb7CY13uc
4. Vietnam What countries border Vietnam? China Laos Thailand Cambodia
5. History… Agent Orange is the code name for one of the herbicides and defoliants used by the U.S. military as part of its herbicidal warfare program, Operation Ranch Hand, during the Vietnam War from 1961 to 1971. It was given its name from the color of the orange-striped 55 US gallon barrels in which it was shipped, and was by far the most widely used of the so-called "Rainbow Herbicides". Agent Orange was manufactured for the U.S. Department of Defense primarily by The Dow Chemical and Monsanto Corporation
6. During the Vietnam War, between 1962 and 1971, the United States military sprayed nearly 20,000,000 US gallons of chemical herbicides and defoliants in Vietnam, eastern Laos and parts of Cambodia, as part of Operation Ranch Hand. Operation Ranch Hand’s goal was to defoliate forested and rural land, depriving guerrillas of cover induce forced draft urbanization, destroying the ability of peasants to support themselves in the countryside, and forcing them to flee to the U.S. dominated cities, thus depriving the guerrillas of their rural support base and food supply
7. United States Air Force records show that at least 6,542 spraying missions took place over the course of Operation Ranch Hand Overall, more than 20% of South Vietnam's forests were sprayed at least once over a nine year period Click Here to View Spraying Mission Timeline
8. Social Effects of Agent Orange Short Term Health Effects: 1. Chronic Headaches, Blood Discharge, Fly Like Symptoms 2.Diharhea Long Term Health Effects: Soft–tissue sarcoma, a cancer that attacks the soft tissues of the body, such as fat, muscles, nerves, tendons, and lymph vessels. Chronic lymphocytic leukemia or CLL, a slowly progressing cancer in which there is an abnormal increase in the number of white blood cells called lymphocytes. This is the most common type of leukemia. Non–Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a cancer of the lymph nodes and the lymph system, and Hodgkin’s disease (aka Hodgkin disease), a less common cancer of the lymph system that involves specific types of tumor cells. Respiratory cancer (cancer of the lung, larynx and trachea). Prostate cancer. Type 2 diabetes, in which the body does not produce enough insulin or cannot react to insulin. Multiple myeloma, a cancer of plasma cells or the white blood cells that produce antibodies. The disease causes bone pain and fractures. Damage to the peripheral nervous system, which transmits information from the brain and spinal cord. Severe skin diseases such as chloracne and porphyria cutaneatarda. Chloracne patients have blackheads, cysts and lesions. The condition is almost always caused by exposure to dioxin or other chemicals in the group known as halogenated aromatic hydrocarbons. Porphyria cutaneatarda is a disorder involving odd pigmentation, increased hair growth and blisters on exposed skin. .
9. Lawsuit Brought Against Chemical Companies List First Case’s File Date List Monetary Cash Amount Created in Fund, and nclude the date range List and Describe 2 problematic area post 1994 with regards to this lawsuit. Analyze and explain the Importance of Dow Chemical VS Stephenson case Click HERE Describe the outcome of the link between Agent Orange and Chronic Lymphocytic leukemia List the companies that created and are liable diseased brought on by Agent Orange. Be sure to highlight the major companies.
10. Lawsuit Brought Against Chemical Companies The first Agent Orange class action was filed in 1979, the largest mass tort class action of its’ time. There were 2.4 million Vietnam veterans that the Agent Orange class action lawsuit sought to represent. Little progress was made with the Agent Orange lawsuit, until October 1983 when Judge Jack Weinstein was assigned to the Agent Orange lawsuit and it was put on a fast track to settlement. 2. The 1985 out of court Agent Orange settlement made between the companies and the veterans created a $180 million fund that was financed by the chemical companies to pay those veterans that claimed disease and serious illnesses from Agent Orange exposure. For each year between 1971 and 1994 that the Agent Orange class members could demonstrate what was classified as “total disability” a small amount of compensation would be given. Under these rigid guidelines, a high number of the 2.4 million Vietnam veterans were not included in the Agent Orange settlement. 3. Anyone suffering an illness following 1994, which was very likely considering the illnesses associated to Agent Orange could take 20-30 years to develop in some instances, did not qualify to receive payment under the settlement terms. In addition, a lump sum payment was provided for the Agent Orange families of veterans that died from diseases that may or may not have been related to Agent Orange, and quickly the $180 million fund was depleted by 1994. Just 50,000 Agent Orange members received a small compensation. When the Agent Orange class notice was mailed out, the opt-out deadline had already expired, leaving the court with barely any time. At the time, the class notice included only those Vietnam veterans that were injured by Agent Orange exposure and the settlement notice stated those Vietnam veterans that have not yet manifested injury would also be released. Despite this, an opt-out period was never provided for the potentially very high number of new Agent Orange class members. While many Vietnam veterans continued to suffer the deadly diseases beyond 1994 associated to Agent Orange exposure, none could seek damages because the 1985 settlement. Vietnam veterans that were injured during the 1985 Agent Orange settlement window were also left out because they were not made aware of the lawsuit. Due process requires notification of the class suit, however many Vietnam veterans were not aware, including Stephenson and Isaacson. 4
11. Lawsuit Brought Against Chemical Companies (continued) Dow Chemical v. Stephenson involved Vietnam veteran Daniel Stephenson who developed a deadly form of rare cancer called multiple myeloma in 1998 and was not only unaware of the 1985 Agent Orange settlement but felt he and other veterans were unfairly represented. The June 9, 2003 deadlocked Supreme Court vote resulted in the automatic affirmation of the lower court’s ruling, which had been the New York based U.S. Court of Appeal for the 2nd Circuit. This “loophole” will allow representation for those Vietnam veterans that were unrightfully left out of the Agent Orange settlement, and the court also ordered the 2nd Circuit to reconsider the claim of Joe Isaacson. 5. Analyze and explain the Importance of Dow Chemical VS Stephenson case A Supreme Court tie vote is a rare occurrence that was able to occur because the ninth justice, John Paul Stevens, sat the case out. Giving no reason, Stevens has had a personal experience with losing a son to cancer in 1996 that was a former Vietnam veteran. A nationwide precedent was not set with the Supreme Court justice issuing no opinions. Cancer, diabetes, and neurological disorders are just a few of the Agent Orange side effects identified. The Department of Veterans Affairs announced in 2003 that the link to chronic lymphocytic leukemia to Agent Orange exposed Vietnam veterans is so strong that benefits would automatically be given to any new diagnoses of it. There are as many as 1,000 new patients for chronic lymphocytic leukemia alone expected amongst Vietnam veterans. 6. Dow, Monsanto, Diamond Shamrock Corporation, Hercules Inc., Uniroyal inc., T-H Agricultural & Nutrition Company, and Thompson Chemical Corporation all produced Agent Orange for military use and were included in the Agent Orange settlement. Upset with the June 9, 2003 Supreme Court outcome, these companies may once again become the target of Agent Orange litigation.
12. Political Effects Geneva Protocol 1925 – The Protocol for the Prohibition of the Use in War of Asphyxiating, Poisonous or other Gases, and of Bacteriological Methods of Warfare, usually called the Geneva Protocol, is a treaty prohibiting the first use of chemical and biological weapons. It was signed at Geneva on June 17, 1925 and entered into force on February 8, 1928.
13. Economical Effects Cost to Clean Up 1. List and describe the 3 major hot spots that Vietnam and America are working together to clean up. Include the prices spent on these clean ups and a map containing their location. 2. What Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) are currently helping contain dioxin hot spots? List and explain their level of assistance (include relevant figures/information)
14. Economics of Vietnam 1. 3 Major Hot Spots in Vietnam Bien Hoa Da Nang Phu Cat 2. NGO’s Involved in Dioxin Containment The Atlantic Philanthropies The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. In May 2011 the Ford initiative on Agent Orange transited to the Aspen Institute
15. Military Effects List and describe 2 effects that Agent Orange has had on the United States Military. Be specific and include and information found through research.
16. Cite Sources Used Using APA 1. 2. 3. 4.