Twenty-six years after its ban, asbestos, a carcinogenic material, is still present in many buildings in France, particularly schools. Over 85% of school buildings are likely to contain asbestos. Yet no one knows the exact extent of the danger. No official census of asbestos- contaminated schools has yet been carried out by the authorities. Meanwhile, according to figures from Santé Publique France, nearly 100 teachers die every year from mesothelioma: asbestos-related cancer. What about the children?
For a year, the ‘Green Warriors’ team investigated the number of schools in France still containing asbestos, contacting 50,000 schools and 35,000 mayors’ offices. Dozens of samples were then taken in some of these establishments to measure asbestos contamination, with the help of scientists.
The results had an unprecedented impact, resonating as far away as Kazakhstan, where unprecedented analyses were carried out by the ‘Green Warriors’ team. For the first time, people living near Kazakh asbestos mines can hold their authorities to account.
This new season of ‘Green Warriors’ investigates major global environmental scandals and confronts the industrial and political leaders implicated. Their investigations make headlines around the world.