The Green Chemistry Institute (GCI), which was founded in 1997 and became allied with the American Chemical Society in 2001, was saluted for its stewardship of the annual Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Awards. Anastas was named for his work in developing the “Twelve Principles of Green Chemistry” — key concepts that form the intellectual basis for the field.
“Chemists and engineers practice the art of design,” Anastas says. “Whether it’s molecules, materials, products or processes, we have the ability to change things at their most fundamental level. Green Chemistry leverages that power to simultaneously achieve economic, environmental and human health goals. The best scientists in the world are now practicing Green Chemistry, and their creations, their innovations, are leading to exciting changes in every sector of the world economy.”
ACS President William F. Carroll, Jr., Ph.D., said the Society is proud of the Green Chemistry Institute and Anastas’ leadership. Carroll said “green chemistry — developing materials and processes that are safer, more efficient, have less environmental impact and, most importantly from an industry standpoint, more profitable — is a potent concept supported by business, industry and academia. It is changing how America lives and works.”
John Rennie, Scientific American’s Editor-in-chief, said “Scientific American’s 50 is an opportunity to salute the people and organizations worldwide whose research, policy or business leadership has played a major role in bringing about science and technology innovations that are improving the way we live and offer great hope for the future.”
Prior to becoming Director of GCI in 2004, Anastas was the Assistant Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy for environment issues. While working at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in the early 1990’s, he coined and defined the phrase “Green Chemistry” and launched a research program in this area. An organic chemist, Anastas has a Ph.D. from Brandeis University and a B.S. in chemistry from the University of Massachusetts, Boston.
The American Chemical Society’s Green Chemistry Institute works to catalyze the movement of the chemical enterprise toward sustainability through the application of Green Chemistry principles. GCI partners with companies and universities around the world to encourage, identify and promote innovations in Green Chemistry and Green Engineering.
The December issue of Scientific American, now available on newsstands, features the magazine’s 50 list for 2005. More information about the ACS and green chemistry is available at www.chemistry.org/greenchemistryinstitute. In addition to green chemistry, other science and technology trends highlighted by this year’s Scientific American 50 include stem cells, flu preparedness, artificial life, nanotubes, gene therapy and Internet search technology, among others. The full 50 article is also available at www.sciam.com.
The American Chemical Society is a nonprofit organization, chartered by the U.S. Congress, with a multidisciplinary membership of more than 158,000 chemists and chemical engineers. It publishes numerous scientific journals and databases, convenes major research conferences and provides educational, science policy and career programs in chemistry. Its main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.
—Charmayne Marsh