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GREEN CHEMISTRY CHALLENGING PERSPECTIVES
Pietro Tundo Paul Anastas
Green Chemistry: Challenging Perspectives Pietro Tundo and Paul Anastas, Eds. Oxford University Press Oxford, UK November 2000, 290 pp., $110 ISBN: 0198504551 In a panel discussion at the June 2001 CHEMRAWN XIV World Congress on Green Chemistry, Hermann Peutter of BASF (Germany) referred to green chemistry as a “borderline” science. The comment was not pejorative but intended to highlight what is a key strength of green chemistry; it is an intensely multidisciplinary science, and it is the interactions at the “borders” of disciplines that offer the greatest opportunities for innovation. However, this strength is a vulnerability when trying to attract scientists from the talented core of many different disciplines to work together. There are also limited venues in the scientific literature where such collaborations find a ready audience. Paul Anastas created the Green Chemistry Series with Oxford University Press in the mid-1990s, filling a niche unmet by scientific journals. This latest book, with coauthor Pietro Tundo of Italy, again illustrates that scientific borders are being merged and, in many cases, stretched by green chemistry. © 2001 American Chemical Society
The book is derived from papers presented at the European Green Chemistry Conference in Venice, Italy, from September 28 to October 1, 1997. The chapters reflect the growing international character of the field with authors reporting work from Finland, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Spain, Switzerland, and the United States. Disciplines covered include catalysis, organic synthesis via biocatalysis, photochemistry, biomimetic synthesis, and alternative synthetic pathways. Individual chapters cover topics as diverse as biodesulfurization in the oil refining industry, use of heterogeneous catalysis under solventless reaction conditions in the selective synthesis of fine chemicals, biotechology approaches for pharmaceutical production, the use of photocatalysts like TiO2 for waste treatment, and the reduction of carbon dioxide and microwave-mediated synthetic reactions. Of particular interest is the chapter by Terry Collins and colleagues at Carnegie Mellon University detailing mechanisms for the activation of hydrogen peroxide as a replacement for chlorine in pulp and paper bleaching. This work incorporates a blend of biology, chemistry, and engineering to address realworld environmental problems. The Green Chemistry Series from Oxford fills a niche by providing a publishing forum for solid peerreviewed scientific discoveries. However, the series also illustrates the need for more journals focused on this developing field. The Journal of Green Chemistry published in the United Kingdom is a good start; however, technically more diverse, faster, and more international venues are needed. The limitation of the series is that the contents are often the proceedings of specific conferences or symposia and therefore dependent on the interests and talents of the attendees. This book reflects the broader integration of disciplines and nations required to address complex, intense-
ly interconnected environmental problems such as persistent pollution, water resources, global climate change, and the challenge of environmentally neutral energy. Additional publication routes are required to highlight the truly “borderline” science of green chemistry. Reviewed by Dennis L. Hjeresen, Green Chemistry Institute, ACS. E-mail: dlh@ lanl.gov
Books Air Pollution and Health Risk, T. Beer, Ed. (Clean Air Society of Australia and New Zealand Special Interest Group, 2000, 116 pp., $55). This peer-reviewed collection of research addresses topics such as exposure and health risk assessment, health effects of particles, technology-based standards, modeling, and other emerging issues in air quality risk assessment. City Limits: Putting the Brakes on Sprawl, M. O’Meara Sheehan (Worldwatch Paper, 2001, 85 pp., $5). This report examines the many costs of sprawl, including the impact of car usage, links to climate change, decline in quality of life, and increased air pollution, and compares sprawl in U.S. cities and regions with those around the world. Climate Responsive Design, R. Hyde (E&FN Spon, 2000, 244 pp., $42.99). The author examines how consideration of climate and energy when designing buildings can provide strategies toward improving the fit between user, building, and the climate in which a building is located. Environmental Chemistry, I. Williams (John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., 2001, 388 pp., $75). Intended for chemists, as well as for environmental and other science
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students, this well-illustrated text provides a comprehensive introduction to the subject and covers both theoretical and experimental aspects. How Green Is the City? Sustainability Assessment and the Management of Urban Environments, D. Devuyst, Ed. (Columbia University Press, New York, 2001, 457 pp., $70). This book introduces sustainability assessment, with several local and global urban examples, and includes a discussion of sustainability targets, reporting, and lifestyle management. Indoor Air Quality Issues, D. L. Hansen (Taylor & Francis Publishing, 2001, 100 pp., $39.95). This book explores indoor air quality in nonindustrial settings, considering factors such as medical aspects, microbial concerns, building design, and psychosocial aspects and provides guidelines for indoor air investigations and prevention. Molecular Modeling Theory: Applications in the Geosciences: Reviews in Mineralogy & Geochemistry, Volume 42, J. J. Rosso, P. H. Ribbe, Ser. Eds. (The Geochemical Society and Mineralogical Society of America, 2001, 531 pp., $32). This comprehensive volume examines topics such as simulation of crystal structures and properties of ionic materials, molecular simulations of liquid and critical water, and molecular dynamics simulations of silicate glasses and glass surfaces. Solar Energy, Technology Policy and Institutional Values, F. N. Laird (Cambridge University Press, 2001, 248 pp., $54.95). The author examines U.S. renewable energy policy from the end of World War II through the energy crisis of the 1970s as a case study to illustrate the difficulties faced by advocates for renewable energy. War and Nature: Fighting Humans and Insects with Chemicals from World War I to Silent Spring, E. Russell (Cambridge University Press, 2001, 315 pp., $54.95). The author, an associate professor of technology, culture, and communication at the University of Virginia, uses the history of chemical warfare and pest control to show that war and control of nature coevolved. 418 A
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Web Sites The Center for International Forestry Research’s (CIFOR’s) Web site (www.cgiar.org/cifor) allows users to access media and news updates and a searchable publications database. Publications include the CIFOR annual report and research reports on topics such as genetic resources management and sustainable forestry practices. Users can access research on topics such as biodiversity and genetic management, forest products and people, underlying causes of deforestation, and forest degradation. The site also maintains research and policy information on global trends in forestry. Users can access useful “methods and tools”, which include mapping, criteria and indicators, and modeling. There are also several links, a searchable library, and a listing of job opportunities. Funding Opportunities: Faculty Opportunities (www.osu-ours. okstate.edu/osuresre/funopp/ FacOpps.htm) has extensive links to federal and private funding and faculty opportunities in environmental sciences and technology. These include several listings for the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Energy, which links to lab awards, environmental research programs, and postgraduate research programs. NASA has several research announcements, including one for advanced life support and environmental technology in outer space and one for investigations of the Arctic atmosphere, ocean, and ice that affect climate change. The National Science Foundation and the National Research Council have several links to award and fellowship opportunities, including a National Center for Environmental Decision Making and Interactive Partnerships with Science and Technology Centers. Private organizations with funding opportunities include corporations, the BiNational Science Foundation, Rockefeller Center, and the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture. The site also links to useful grant newsletters, faculty publications, the Pew Higher Education Roundtable, and Northwest College and University Association for Science.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY / OCTOBER 1, 2001
Marine Sciences Institute (www.msi. ucsb.edu/Pages/reshi.html) ranks nationally and internationally as a leader in ocean research. Site visitors can access research highlights in the institute’s 14 disciplines, including marine biology, ocean engineering, physical oceanography, and marine biotechnology. Current highlights include research on long-term ecosystem changes, ocean coastal policy, watershed, deep sea/extreme habitats, and climate change. Users can also access award information, educational outreach, and information on research instrumentation. Natural Environment Research Council (www.nerc.ac.uk) maintains a site with daily news updates, funding news and publications, and a searchable database on current research in areas such as polar science, freshwater and marine sciences, atmosphere, and interdisciplinary sciences. Current funding news includes a “Science & Innovation Strategy Publication” to be released in 2002 and calls for fellowships and awards. Under “funding schemes”, users can access several programs that are listed as “likely to issue calls for proposals”, including Detection and Assessment of Environmental Contamination; Coupled Ocean Atmosphere Procedures and European Climate; Clouds, Water Vapor, and Climate; and Environmental Diagnostics. The site includes forms and handbooks for fellowships, recent award information, and links to peer review committees. U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT’s) Center for Climate Change and Environmental Forecasting (http://climate.volpe.dot.gov/about. html) fosters awareness of causal links between transportation and global climate change, and develops related policies. Site users can access data, such as percentages of greenhouse gas emissions caused by transportation and a searchable database of transportation information. Users can also link to DOT programs such as transportation and automotive fuel economy and air quality. The site links to other government climate change research programs, including the U.S. EPA and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Climate Challenge, Global Climate Change Page, and Energy Statistics.
