Green Chemistry

Guest Blog by Paul Anastas Assistant Administrator for the U.S. EPA for Research and Development and the Agency Science Advisor For too long sustainability and environmental protection have been defined by those saying that we need to do less, have less, expect less.   For too long, we have been told that we need to consume less energy, use less materials, travel less, give up the vast array of modern conveniences.  I couldn't disagree more and thank goodness the leading inventors and designers of our time agree with me. I believe the problem of sustainability largely isn't that we use too…

If you really want to protect the environment, it's not enough just to care about it; you need to learn and really understand something in order to protect it. That's the lesson that Dr. Paul Anastas' father taught him after bulldozers had destroyed the wetlands down the hill from his childhood home, turning what was once a place for adventure and natural beauty into parking lots and an office park. Paul clearly took this early lesson to heart. Widely known as the "Father of Green Chemistry," he has devoted his career to learning about how to create a more sustainable society. For him, this…

On January 9, 2014 a leak was reported at Freedom Industries’ storage tanks on the banks of the Elk River just upstream of a water treatment plant that services tap water for about 300,000 residents in and around Charleston, West Virginia. The resulting release of at least 10,000 gallons of toxic chemicals used to clean coal contaminated the community’s water supply, making it unfit for use. More than a month later, it remains unclear if this water is truly safe to drink and what the health consequences of exposure to these chemicals may be. But this is far from the only disastrous toxic…