Canberra Times: In the 1960s asbestos mining was a very profitable business. And it created a lot of jobs. Asbestos was very useful - indeed, one of the best insulating materials known to humankind.
The link between asbestos and cancer was known as early as the 1930s. But mining continued. Hot water pipes were sheathed in it. In Australia, it was mined into the 1970s despite the known risk. Asbestos was mixed with cement to make building materials and sprinkled in roofs to insulate Canberra houses from the cold....