Green Predictions he environmental impact of society is an oft-repeated phrase in these pages. Many are concerned about how to mitigate present practices. But vital too is thinking about how present growth and trends will necessitate proactive planning. This issue of ES&T has a sampling of prognosticating features and research. The cover Feature by Boyle et al. comes from a late 2008 gathering of environmental engineers and scientists in New Zealand who contemplated the future (Environ. Sci. Technol. DOI 10.1021/es903749d). Observing that megacities are growing in individual size and global number, the authors note that significant urban infrastructure will need to be shored up, expanded, and created. In the present planning of that inevitabilityswhich will necessarily proceed regardless of anyone’s plea to waitsthey urge that green paradigms be holistically embraced. Exponential growth allowed to flourish with merely conventional urban design approaches will bury us in exponentially more waste. Concepts such as wastewater treatment, green architecture, resource distribution, and transportation systems are discussed. In a research piece, Grossmann et al. anticipate the growing need for energy that will come with a larger and denser population, and consider how the best renewable versions can be selected (Environ. Sci. Technol. DOI 10.1021/es903434q). Their concern is that benchtop promise may not scale to truly greener alternatives and/or economically enticing methods that ensure widespread uptake. Using four criteria to drive a selection model, Grossmann et al. assess the potential of technologies including photovoltaics, wind turbines, and bioenergy. While Grossmann et al. are concerned more with generation of electricity, another significant energy issue is vehicular fuel. Renewable/greener discussions of biomass produced ethanol are rampant: (Environ. Sci. Technol. DOI 10.1021/es100186h) is a recent example, in which Hsu et al. project numbers for production and use in the U.S. come 2022. More presently, Karavalakis et al. (Environ. Sci. Technol. DOI 10.1021/es100831j) interrogate how blends of biodiesel affect emissions in European passenger cars. Huo et al. (Environ. Sci. Technol. DOI 10.1021/es100520c) shoot beyond biofuel to the tantalizing prospect of electrical cars, but con-
T
4832 9 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY / July 1, 2010
sider how a Chinese fleet of such vehicles would affect emissions given the materials used to generate said electricity. At the time of this writing, even if alternatives are not as green as they may suggest, they all seem to be worthier than oil-based energy and fuel. Still, as the emotional impact of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill catalyzes next steps, it is vital to carefully choose new means for maximal improvement. The articles remarked on here show the ongoing effort of careful analysis, and hopefully the lessons accrued from studying the present slick will improve the accuracy of prediction and implementation. We at ES&T plan to play host to that evolution of understanding the Gulf oil spill and moving beyond it, as called for in our Editorin-Chief’s July 1, 2010 Comment (Environ. Sci. Technol. DOI 10.1021/es101727m). We also encourage ongoing scholarly discussion of environmental issues in our Viewpoints. This issue hosts three such manuscripts: considering the calculation of ecological “footprints” (Environ. Sci. Technol. DOI 10.1021/es1003582), the cleanliness of coal (Environ. Sci. Technol. DOI 10.1021/es100534f), and how to reduce carbon emissions quickly and effectively (Environ. Sci. Technol. DOI 10.1021/es100896p). Encouraged by the popularity of this revised style of Viewpoints (implemented in 2010), we are making further adjustments to ensure the desired op-ed format and hasten communication (Environ. Sci. Technol. DOI 10.1021/ es1018527). Be it in Features, Articles, Policy Analysis, Critical Review, or Viewpoints, we encourage your contributions to reflect on past lessons, weigh present concerns, and project how to best achieve a brighter, and cleaner, future.
Darcy J. Gentleman Managing Editor
[email protected] 10.1021/es101853a
2010 American Chemical Society
Published on Web 06/29/2010
