At our organisation, we’re always trying to find ways of interesting the youth towards the topic of Green Chemistry. Only if the youth of a nation understand our mission, will it be successful. But, a little complicated that the subject is, getting youngsters enthused proves a tad tough So we got talking to some college students one of these days about our ideologies. These were third year BSc students from a Mumbai college. Admittedly, the session got a little too technical for them and I could see some of the students stifling yawns. One even got to the extent of commenting out loud, “What a waste!”

“Yes”, I said and startled all. They expected a chastisement of sorts but I’d found my turning point there. “It is a waste. If you take no message back, the session will have gone waste. All the precious resources – your time, my effort – everything wasted. It will have polluted our moods in the process and your HOD’s disappointment would be the byproduct. The other alternative is for us to make this session fruitful and negate waste, get a zero e-factor!”

My point had hit home. The whole of the last hour’s presentations fell into perspective. Then questions flew thick and fast from students.

“What exactly is e-waste?” one asked.
I flipped back a few slides and explained. “E-factor is the amount of waste generated per kilogram of final product or the measure of environmental impact of the waste in your production processes.”
“But how is it of any concern to us?” another shot back.
“It concerns you in every living moment you spend on this planet. Every thing you use in the course of your modern life has repercussions on the environment, which has an immediate bearing on your life. The more you pollute, the more polluted things nature will give you. For every bit of plastic waste you generate, you’ll get one toxic fruit, vegetable or meat in the bargain. Now if that doesn’t alarm you, I don’t know what else will.”

“But what is the solution?” questioned one of the back benchers.
“Green chemistry! Just so we don’t have to deal with wastes and break out heads over trying to treat and recycle it, we should stop generating waste.”

“Is that possible?” the back-bencher asked, now riveted.
“Yes. That’s exactly what green chemistry is all about. We formulate solutions in a way that there are little or no by-products. And if there are by-products, we ensure, they are completely bio-degradable. Simply put, we remove the root of the problem!”

I could hear murmurs of approval from the class. I could see realisation in their eyes. And I knew, the session had not gone ‘waste’. Green Chemistry was working here too!

Have you ever faced such an ‘environmental moment of truth’? Tell me about it!

As the prestigious Annual Green Chemistry & Engineering Conference (GC & E) rides its way back into the heartland of green chemistry with a fitting theme in its 14th Annual Green Chemistry & Engineering Conference, a few thoughts on quality are rightly set to take the center-stage. The conference will pull thousands of professionals from different walks of the broad spectrum of this industry towards downtown Washington, DC between June 21 and 23, 2010.

At a time when the Indian green chemistry industry has stamped its credentials across the globe, the need and efforts for regulations, new technologies and its applications in consonance with international norms in the sector will be the key topics enveloping the conference. Rightly, its theme ‘Innovation and Application’ will spur these attempts as industrialists, researchers, chemists, industrial green chemical experts, students, entrepreneurs and scientists will be milling the venue – Capital Hilton, Washington, DC.

This year’s conference will focus on more than twenty areas of green chemistry and green engineering including the topics: Biofuels, Environmental health sciences, Biomimicry, International activities, Education, Pharmaceuticals, Energy, Sustainable Design Concepts, Entrepreneurship and Supply Chain Management. Last year’s conference attracted more than 400 attendees from 17 countries around the globe and according to the conference producers, this year’s conference will see even more people. This year, the world famous environmentalist, author and entrepreneur Paul Hawken, and US Congressman, John Tierney (D-MA) , author of the “Green Jobs” bill will present the key note addresses. There will be a full day of programs for undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral green chemistry and engineering students. The 2010 Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Awards are also something to look forward to. The winners will announced on the June 21.

The event would help the participants identify the various impediments to the growth and functioning of the industry by providing a unique platform to interact and network with the industry and policy makers. It would also help Indian companies like Newreka to showcase the Indian capabilities in the sectors and invite global investors to invest in these upcoming sectors in the country.

So let’s keep our fingers crossed!

Thus,  it is high time that this small but conscious and kind initiatives of companies gets its due notice in the world. Industrial Green Chemistry Workshop (IGCW – 2009),  in order to encourage such companies and  to provide them a platform to expose their initiatives, is all set to felicitate them for their benign initiatives which would help make this earth a better place to live. The award nominations has been divided into four categories, i.e., MNC / Large IGCW Awards, Medium / Small IGCW Awards, Academic / Scientist IGCW Awards, and Students IGCW Awards.

The aim of this workshop is to enlighten, encourage, and expose the impact of green chemistry and green engineering technologies at an industrial scale and allow altering realities on the ground. Industries, researchers and scientists, academia world-wide, committed to implement Green Chemistry based solutions are welcome to present an abstract for Industrial Green Chemistry Award recognition on topics pertinent to the IGCW themes.

So what are you waiting for? Get your Green Chemistry contribution recognized, apply for IGCW Award Nomination!