Advertisement

If you have an ACS member number, please enter it here so we can link this account to your membership. (optional)

ACS values your privacy. By submitting your information, you are gaining access to C&EN and subscribing to our weekly newsletter. We use the information you provide to make your reading experience better, and we will never sell your data to third party members.

ENJOY UNLIMITED ACCES TO C&EN

Policy

ACS GCI: Past, Present, And Future

by Daryle H. Busch, Chair, ACS Green Chemistry Intsitute Governing Board
May 31, 2010 | A version of this story appeared in Volume 88, Issue 22

Green chemistry is an intellectual movement that is going mainstream. Its roots go back to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in the early 1990s. The ensuing decade saw the creation of the Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Awards, the implementation of the annual Green Chemistry & Engineering (GC&E) Conference (www.gcande.org), and the publication in 1998 of the seminal work “Green Chemistry: Theory and Practice,” by John C. Warner and Paul T. Anastas.

The American Chemical Society became involved with the Green Chemistry Institute (GCI) in 1999, when the global sustainability movement was getting under way. At the suggestion of ACS Board Chair Nina I. McClelland and under my leadership as ACS president-elect, the ACS Board considered a historic proposal to bring GCI into ACS. In 2000, GCI officially became the ACS Green Chemistry Institute (ACS GCI). Anastas, the first permanent director, boosted the institute by raising funds, creating visibility, strengthening the international network of chapters, and building awareness of the annual GC&E conference.

The current director, Robert Peoples, arrived in early 2008. I have witnessed the rebirth of an energized ACS GCI under the new leadership, with an ambitious agenda to drive change. In the past two years, the ACS GCI Governing Board has worked with staff to greatly expand green chemistry activities and increase funding and participation at the annual GC&E conference. Despite the economic downturn, conference attendance last year increased by 10%. ACS GCI also received funding from industry leaders dedicated to implementing green chemistry and engineering practices into their work. ACS GCI is now well positioned to dramatically increase its involvement in the global green chemistry community.

At the request of ACS Executive Director and CEO Madeleine Jacobs, on Jan. 1, 2009, I accepted the role of chair of the ACS GCI Governing Board, a highly astute, engaged, and enthusiastic body whose members are all recognized leaders in green chemistry.

My first task—to stabilize base funding—was successfully completed with the help of ACS Board member Anne T. O’Brien and Jacobs. The positive feedback from the Program Review Advisory Group and the subsequent decision to incorporate ACS GCI into the ACS budget has energized the institute. At a recent retreat, the governing board’s commitment and enthusiasm were evident as we deliberated current and future opportunities for ACS GCI.

Looking to the future, I see a key role for ACS GCI in building, expanding, and enabling the network of green chemistry and engineering centers of excellence around the globe. We expect to deliver the new American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Greener Chemical Products & Processes Standard (GCPPS) by the end of the year—a major accomplishment involving more than 60 stakeholders from industry, academia, government, nongovernmental organizations, and other end users. GCPPS represents a commitment to increasing ACS GCI’s external funding in the future.

As I share my enthusiasm for ACS GCI and its mission—to catalyze and enable the implementation of green chemistry and engineering throughout the global chemical enterprise—I call on you and the scientific community to help us bring the movement further into the mainstream.

First, tell us your thoughts about the most pressing global challenges you believe green chemistry and engineering can help solve. Second, attend the 14th annual GC&E conference in Washington, D.C., on June 21–23 to share your work, network with fellow practitioners, and help advance our collective green chemistry and engineering expertise. Also, attend the Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Awards, which inaugurates the conference, and hear directly from people receiving recognition for their implementations of green chemistry.

Third, put your money where our dreams are: Make a $10 commitment to GCI by going online to chempower.org and clicking “Support” to make a donation. Some companies will even match your gift. Our goal is for 1 million individuals to take action by making small donations that make a big difference to the future of humankind.

Be a part of the solution and ask your friends to join efforts to advance green chemistry. We have to change how we make chemical products. Nature is telling us that we have no other choice. Are we smart enough to read the signs?

Daryle H. Busch, Chair, ACS Green Chemistry Intsitute Governing Board

Views expressed on this page are those of the author and not necessarily those of ACS.

Advertisement

Article:

This article has been sent to the following recipient:

0 /1 FREE ARTICLES LEFT THIS MONTH Remaining
Chemistry matters. Join us to get the news you need.