Perfectly Green Chemistry

Joseph G. Acker's guest editorial "It's Not Easy Being Green" (C&EN, Aug. 6, page 3) may have been better entitled "It's Not Easy Being Perfectly Green." He questions the rationale behind companies' programs to phase out certain chemicals in their products. He reminds readers that "many product substitution advocates" ignore ACS Green Chemistry principles. And he argues for the need to achieve agreement among stakeholders throughout the entire supply chain on definitions, principles, testing, modeling, risk analysis, evaluation of alternatives, and so forth.

I came away with the strong feeling that Acker was trying to raise a dust storm of complications so as to discourage us from going anywhere. As with the definition of "safe," the definition of "green" will never be agreed to by everyone, but this is no reason for all of us—companies and individuals—to discontinue our efforts, however imperfect, to live more "green."

Richard Heys
Litchfield, Conn.