^ > n e w s of t h e w e e k where sales volumes showed doubledigit growth. On the down side was Eastman Chemical, whose earnings declined 59% to $33.0 million. Sales were up 5% to $1.19 billion, but the company was hard hit by raw material costs, especially for propane, which had a market price increase of 40% in the quarter. Ethyl Corp.'s earnings fell 32% to $16.7 million, while sales dropped 24% to $216.6 million. The company is experiencing continuing competitive pricing pressures, overcapacity, and a significant increase in raw materials costs in its petroleum additives segment. And its tetraethyllead business is facing a declining market. Rohm and Haas had the largest percentage increase in sales as it consolidated its acquisition of Morton International. Sales were up 73% to almost $1.58 billion, but earnings were up only 8% to $93 million. In addition to a restructuring charge, which is difficult to exclude, earnings were held back by increased raw material costs and larger administrative and interest expenses. William Storck
National Chemistry Week gears up The American Chemical Society and its local sections are busy preparing for National Chemistry Week (NCW). Festivities will start on Nov. 7. By the time the celebration is over on Nov. 13, all 188 local sections will have participated, and millions of people will have had the chance to hear some positive messages about chemistry and chemists—and have some fun. The theme of this year's festivities is Celebrating Polymers. NCW will feature two unifying events. The first, designed for local sections to carry out with the general public, will offer members of an audience the opportunity to observe the properties of the polymer sodium polyacrylate—the absorbent material in disposable diapers. The audience will then be asked to provide ideas on how sodium polyacrylate might be used to further improve the quality of our lives. Articles and activities that discuss sodium polyacrylate are in the fall issues of WonderScience and ChemMatters magazines, which are aimed at elementary and high-school students, respectively. More than 8
NOVEMBER 1,1999 C&EN
200,000 copies of the publications were distributed to local sections for NCW activities. The second event, designed for local section members only, is a photo contest that challenges members to photograph a scene, an activity, or an object during their NCW event that conveys the Celebrating Polymers theme and also reflects the mission of NCW: to reach the public, particularly elementary and secondary schoolchildren, with positive messages about chemistry; to make a positive change in the public's impression of chemistry; to provide a mechanism for effectively mobilizing ACS local sections; and to motivate the
ACS membership through local section activities. Local sections are indeed mobilized. For example, more than 30 companies in the ACS North Jersey Section will send 250 volunteers to the Liberty Science Center, Jersey City, to carry out hands-on activities with students. North Jersey's Chem Expo '99 will run all week and feature giveaways, take-home activities, and demonstrations. A full report on this year's activities will appear in C&EN in December, but those who are looking for ideas need go no further than the NCW web site at http://www.acs.org/ncw. Linda Raber
Sen. Chafee, champion of the environment, dies Sen. John H. Chafee (R-R.I.), chairman to our environment or to the public of the Senate Environment & Public health—even if it meant bucking his parWorks Committee since 1994, died Oct. ty's leadership or alienating powerful interests." 24 of heart failure. He was 77. % Gregory S. Wetstone, £ who is director of advocaA moderate Republi| cy programs for the Natucan, Chafee's legislative 1 ral Resources Defense hallmark was brokering Q_ "middle ground" legisla% Council, an environmentive deals that earned bital activist group, said partisan support. In 1987, Chafee played a crucial he led a major reform of role in blocking legislathe Clean Water Act, tion designed to undermandating further cleancut existing environup of waterways that conmental protections. tinue to have toxic conVice President Al Gore, tamination after technolwho served with Chafee in ogy-based pollution the Senate, said, "Though controls are in place. John H. Chafee: 1922-99 we came from opposite Chafee was a key sides of the political aisle, player in the passage of the 1990 amend- we saw eye-to-eye on many issues." ments to the Clean Air Act, which tightChafee was elected to the Senate in ened controls on acid rain and emis- 1976. He served three terms as Rhode sions of toxic chemicals and began the Island's governor in the 1960s. phaseout of ozone-depleting chemicals, Sen. James M. Inhofe (R-Okla.), a including chlorofluorocarbons. He was conservative, is likely to take the helm also involved in the creation of the Su- of the Environment & Public Works perfund program and legislation on lia- Committee. Inhofe, who chairs the panbility and cleanup of oil spills. el's Subcommittee on Clean Air, WetAnd he was an early supporter of ac- lands, Private Property & Nuclear Safetion to address climate change. One of ty, scored a zero rating in 1998 from the his last legislative efforts was a bill (S. League of Conservation Voters, com547) to credit companies that voluntarily pared with Chafee's 60%. reduce emissions of greenhouse gases. Wetstone predicted that, if Inhofe beFrederick L. Webber, president and comes chairman of the committee, "polchief executive officer of the Chemical luters would wield a far bigger influManufacturers Association, called Cha- ence" on environmental legislation, citfee's legacy in the environmental arena ing in support of his prediction Inhofe's "unmatched." attempts to weaken air pollution stanSen. Joseph I. Lieberman (D-Conn.) dards and the senator's opposition to acsaid of Chafee, "He did not hesitate to tion on climate change. speak out against what he saw as threats Cheryl Hogue
