No Global: The People of Ireland Versus the Multinationals

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Ireland's economy has seen phenomenal growth since the 1990s, as a result of an earlier decision by the state to chase foreign investment, largely from US corporates. As a result, manufacturers of raw chemicals, pharmaceuticals and highly dangerous substances came to Ireland, where they could make toxic products free from the strict controls imposed by other nations. Robert Allen's book reveals the consequences to human health and the environment of the Irish state's love affair with the multinational chemical industry. The cost to Irish society was a series of ecological and social outrages, starting in the 1970s and continuing into the 2000s. No Global is a lesson for countries who seek to encourage multinationals at the expense of the health of their population and the delicate nature of their ecosystems. It is also a heart-warming record of the successful campaigns fought by local people to protect themselves and their environment from polluting industry.

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Robert Allen is a sub-editor at The Sunday Times. He is also part of an eco-social group, An Talamh Glas, which publishes www.bluegreenearth.com, featuring media activists from across the world.