Week 4: Green Chemistry As a Social Movement

I think that one of the testimonials to how the Green Chemistry Social Movement is doing, is the fact that prior to attending this class, I had never heard about such a concept. Not that I am at the pinnacle of the Green Movement in America -but- I would have thought I would have at least heard about this concept.

That being said, after reading the 12 Principles of Green Chemistry, I can see that there are several of these principles that are embodied in the environmental changes that people the world over are adopting in the face of global warming. Hopefully, it isn’t too late.

And I can also see that on other levels policies are also changing. Take for examples the Presidential Green Chemistry Awards that have been in effect since 1995. Many of the companies who have won the award since the programs inception, are those chemical corporations that we might have identified as the biggest offenders to the environment. Companies such as Dow Chemical, Cargill Dow and Shaw Industries are winning this award because of the cutting edge green chemistry programs they are enacting to reduce toxins, use safer solvents and eliminate waste in their production processes.

In 2006, the University of California, Berkeley, published a report on potential chemicals policy for the California Legislature entitled, Green Chemistry in California: A Framework for Leadership in Chemicals Policy and Innovation (http://coeh.berkeley.edu/greenchemistry/). The report finds that “long-standing weaknesses in the U.S. chemical management program, have produced a chemicals market in the U.S. that discounts the hazardous properties of chemicals relative to their function, price, and performance. The report concludes that these market conditions represent a key barrier to the scientific, technical, and commercial success of green chemistry in the U.S., and that fundamental policy changes are needed to correct these weaknesses.”

In 2007, Europe enacted legislation that requires companies to prove that their products are safe. Unfortunately, as of yet, the U.S. has not yet brought any similar legislation into effect. Need I say more?