CHEMISTRY IN THE REAL WORLD

Chemistry in the Real World

Chemistry in the Real World

Chemistry is one branch of knowledge that grew from human curiosity about the world and has played a central role in the development of the modern world. Chemistry is the study of the composition of matter, the stuff things are made of, and the changes that matter undergoes. Now, we may not think chemistry plays such a big role in our life but it perhaps more than any other branch of science has bettered our lives. Almost anything we touch today has benefited from chemical technology, and there for chemistry has had a huge influence on human life. Chemistry is truly a powerful tool. It can create a better future for us, or if misdirected, can lead to our doom. It's important that we study chemistry everyday and understand its principles. Chemistry helps us understand ourselves and the world we live in better.

The modern chemical enterprise began 150 years ago. Experience since has taught us that we cannot have certainty that any chemical in use today will not elicit an unknown toxicity. Green chemistry seeks to develop real world solutions to the problems of hazardous substances through a new design approach based upon our considerable existing understanding of hazards. But the proclivity of industry trade associations to spin important matters of toxicity is a huge burden on our health and a giant obstacle to sustainability. Acknowledging rather than camouflaging the science of toxic chemicals is key to creating green chemistry solutions that will bring long-term financial stability to industry and sustainability to the chemical dimension of our civilization. As odd as it may seem, it is rare for professional chemists to have any training in toxicology. So there is a lot of catch-up needed to bring rigor to the ...