Document Type
Article
Publication Date
10-18-2016
Department
Department of Chemistry
Abstract
Green chemistry can advance both the health of the environment and the primary objectives of the chemical enterprise: to understand the behavior of chemical substances and to use that knowledge to make useful substances. We expect chemical research and manufacturing to be done in a manner that preserves the health and safety of workers; green chemistry extends that expectation to encompass the health and safety of the planet. While green chemistry may currently be treated as an independent branch of research, it should, like safety, eventually become integral to all chemistry activities. While enormous progress has been made in shifting from “brown” to green chemistry, much more effort is needed to effect a sustainable economy. Implementation of new, greener paradigms in chemistry is slow because of lack of knowledge, ends-justify-the-means thinking, systems inertia, and lack of financial or policy incentives.
Publication Title
Physical Sciences Reviews
Recommended Citation
Green, S. A.
(2016).
Green Chemistry: Progress and Barriers.
Physical Sciences Reviews,
1(10).
http://doi.org/10.1515/psr-2016-0072
Retrieved from: https://digitalcommons.mtu.edu/michigantech-p/14766
Version
Publisher's PDF
Publisher's Statement
© 2016 by Walter de Gruyter Berlin/Boston. Publisher's version of record: https://doi.org/10.1515/psr-2016-0072
Article made available here in compliance with publisher policies.