As Economy Lags, Green Chemistry Industry Grows

Posted on Apr 7, 2009 | Comments (0)

While most industries are facing difficulties in this weak economy, the green chemistry industry and the green economy in general are relatively shielded from these worries. More and more companies are seeing the value of offering “eco-friendly” products, whether they may be cleaning products, personal care products, or something else entirely, according to a story in Scientifc American.

"Industry really sees the value of 'green chemistry,'" said Julie Haack, assistant head of the University of Oregon's chemistry department." If you want to recruit the best chemists, wouldn't it make sense to promote the opportunity to work in an environment where they can align their interest in the environment with their passion, which is chemistry?"

Universities have been responding by adding green curricula to their general chemistry departments. New green curricula can change the fact that chemistry students in the past have had no requirement to learn about toxicology– the effect that chemicals can have on living organisms.

“Students can earn a doctoral degree in chemistry in nearly every university in the country and not have to demonstrate a basic understanding of toxicology or eco-toxicology – how to design a molecule that doesn't disrupt the endocrine in some way," said Michael Wilson, assistant research scientist at the University of California, Berkeley.

Green curricula at various universities would be fundamentally interdisciplinary, with course topics ranging from ethics to marketing to development. Students have met the concept of green chemistry with much enthusiasm.

“Young people today are on fire to take their skills and know-how and make a difference in the world,” said Neil Hawkins, vice president for sustainability at Dow Chemical Co. “These issues of sustainability are very important to students.” Hawkins predicts that green chemistry will continue to grow due to market forces; in other words, more and more consumers want environmentally healthy products. This will translate into more and more companies working to green their products. Universities are responding by supplying eager students with green chemistry courses that will land them ready waiting jobs in one of the only sectors of the economy not suffering at this time.

To learn more about what California is doing to promote Green Chemistry, see our section on the Green Chemistry Initiative.

By Farah Ereiqat