needs will be about the same, and 29% expect to hire fewer graduates. For master's degree holders, needs will be higher for 48% of the firms, the same for 14%, and lower for 38%. For all fields, the survey shows demand to be up 9% for bachelors and 11% for masters, compared to 1975. However, demand for bache lor engineers is up 13%, with 127 responding firms planning to hire 3022. And 44 employers say they will hire 475 engineers with new master's degrees—a sharp 26% in crease from this year. Endicott says these employers seem to be indicat ing a need to rebuild engineering R&D staffs following cutbacks in recent years. But there is no real shortage of new engineers, accord ing to 68% of the employers. The outlook for bachelor chemists is rel atively good: 32 companies say they will hire a total of 152, 45% more than the 105 hired by 29 responding firms in 1975. α
Report cites effects of fluorocarbon ban Ten primary industry sectors will be affected in some way by any restric tion on the production or emission of certain chlorofluorocarbons and chlorocarbons, says a report pre pared by Arthur D. Little Inc. for the Environmental Protection Agency. Just how severe the im pacts will be depends on how the agency goes about its regulation. The report, however, gives no quan titative estimates of changes in job or production levels, but gages such changes variously as "severe," "sub stantial," or "moderate." Entitled "Preliminary Economic Impact Assessment of Possible Regulatory Action to Control At mospheric Emissions of Selected Halocarbons," the report focuses on industries involved with the pro duction or use of five compounds— chlorofluorocarbons F - l l , F-12, and F-22; and chlorocarbons carbon tetrachloride and methyl chloro form. It defines the impacts as severe where more than 40% of the directly related business activity will be ended or significantly dis rupted, as substantial where greater than 10% but less than 40% of the businesses will be so affected, and moderate where less than 10% are affected. Eighteen regulatory options are examined by the report, divided into three implementation time frames—six months, three years, and six years. The options include 8
C&EN Dec. 15, 1975
the total ban of the five chemicals (except for replacement uses in existing refrigeration equipment), ban of propellant uses and regula tion of nonpropellant uses, and ban of propellant uses and no regulation of nonpropellant uses. For instance, the report points out that a ban on all uses of F - l l , F-12, and carbon tetrachloride with in six months after the issuance of an order would result in an esti mated 92% reduction in U.S. emis sions of the compounds over a 20year period. Such a ban, however, would have "severe" economic im pacts on manufacturers of the chemicals, makers of valves and cans, contract fillers of aerosol cans, and manufacturers of air condition ing and refrigeration equipment. The ADL report also gives world production and emission statistics for the five compounds in 1973. For instance, total world emissions to the atmosphere of F - l l , F-12, and carbon tetrachloride were about 740,000 metric tons (40% of world production), and emissions of F-22 and methyl chloroform were 380,000 metric tons (75% of produc tion). The U.S. accounted for about 45% of world production of F - l l , F-12, and carbon tetrachloride, and 55% of world production of F-22 and methyl chloroform. D
Peterson: outright economic advantage
by federal, state, and local govern ments and private industry will reach $15.7 billion this year. The chemical industry alone will spend more than $320 million. Combined spending over the 10-year period 1974-83 is expected to exceed $200 billion, with the chemical industry spending $9.3 billion for water pol lution control. Peterson points out that the Bureau of Labor Statistics esti mates that each $1 billion spent for pollution control translates into about 67,000 jobs. This means that pollution control expenditures re sulted in more than 1 million jobs in 1975, and this number will increase severalfold over the next decade. Thus, he says, "the charge that en vironmental spending increases un employment simply does not hold u p . " In fact, the CEQ study finds The Council on Environmental that environmental-control-related Quality sponsored a two-day con employment has been one of the ference in Washington, D.C., last relatively few areas of job strength week aimed at combating the idea during the current recession. The CEQ study also shows, Peter that the U.S. is now in a position where it must choose between son says, that easing pollution con having a healthy economy or a trol requirements would not signifi healthy environment. At the open cantly reduce U.S. energy consump ing of the conference, CEQ chair tion. CEQ estimates that the direct man Russell W. Peterson said that energy required to operate sulfur the repeated arguments that invest dioxide controls on all U.S. power ments in environmental protection plants, to operate tertiary waste are nonproductive, represent pure water treatment plants for the en costs, and drain funds badly needed tire U.S. population, and to collect for investments in other parts of and properly dispose of solid wastes the economy are being given new would add up to 747 trillion Btu force because of the U.S.'s shaky per year. That amount represents economic position. only 1.04% of total U.S. energy de But these arguments, Peterson mand at present. Taken together, Peterson says told the some 300 representatives of the environmental control industry these facts amount to an argument attending the conference, fail to that "industry's costs for pollution take into account the fact that fed control are well within the capacity eral environmental control legisla of our economy to sustain, even in tion has led to the creation of a new a sluggish period." But when all industry. It is creating jobs, profit factors are considered, including the opportunities, and a new market for beneficial impact of pollution con investments. A CEQ study, released trol on health and property, there at the conference, shows that com appears to be an outright economic α bined spending for pollution control advantage to pollution control.
Benefits of pollution control costs argued
