Green Chemistry

With the increased onslaught of global pollution, there has been a heightened sense of awareness and growing activism amongst the population to curb the damage mankind is inflicting on Earth. Thus the term “Green Chemistry” has of late been commonly spotted in various forms of media, as it is touted to be the sole answer to protect and maintain the sustainability of our life on Earth. It is invented to minimise and eradicate the emission or usage of harmful matter.


A supporter of Green Chemistry, Mary M. Kirchoff states in the first article “Promoting sustainability through green chemistry” that should mankind which to benefit from increased living standards and not result in detrimental effects on their health or the environment, implementing green chemistry is an unavoidable issue. It is so because mankind’s current way of life and large volume of daily emissions are depleting the Earth of its natural resources more rapidly than they can be regenerated. According to Kirchoff, the tripartite consisting of the academia, the industry and the government is crucial if green chemistry is to bear its fruit of labour. Academia, which consists of research and the edification of mankind, together with the Industry (a main culprit of toxic emissions) and the Government, will be able to implement and uphold policies made while simultaneously educating the population. Further proving her point, she also listed various inventions that were the brainchild of the above-mentioned tripartite such as biocatalyst and super critical carbon dioxide.


In the second article “Green chemist shows the way for Singapore” by Shobana Kesava, it focused on the cross-cultural collaboration between Japanese Research Institute – Riken and the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*Star). It mentioned the unique importance of Singapore’s position in the world of green technology as Singapore has positioned herself to be the petrol refining hub of Southeast Asia. As so, there is a possibility to branch into further green technology related areas and to hopefully use Singapore as a launching pad to influence and to harness green technology in the countries around us.


Both articles mention the importance of Green Chemistry with the first stating the need to implement this technology and the second article citing the actual implementation of the very inventions brought to fruition by the Green Chemistry theory. As such both succeed in presenting a clear stand on green chemistry and the immense benefits it has on mankind as well as the pressing need to implement this technology as soon as possible.


Bibliography:

1. Kirchoff, M. M. (2005) - Promoting sustainability through green chemistry.
Resources, Conservation and Recycling 44 , 237-243.

2. Kesava, Shobana. (2007, May 19) - Green chemist' shows the way for Singapore.
The Straits Times, http://www.wildsingapore.com/news/20070506/070519-2.htm