I&EC 60 |
| The realisation that it is possible and desirable to use less energy and resources but to continue to make our lives comfortable has been around for many years. Its impact, however, has not been as radical as many had expected. It has been too easy to rationalise inaction and bolt on palliatives rather than tackle the underlying problems built in to the many systems we depend on. The chemical industry has had to balance the desire for cheap products and intermediates with the need for investment to change the manufacturing base to realise a sustainable future. With the greater understanding of life cycles it is possible to investigate a virtual life cycle before major investment is made. This pushes back the horizon for the inclusion of sustainable thinking into the design phase and promises the radical changes needed to rebalance the resource equation. |
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AIChE/ACS Joint Symposium on Sustainability: Plenary Sessions (sponsored by Green Chemistry & Engineering Subdivision)
1:30 PM-4:55 PM, Monday, 29 August 2005 Washington DC Convention Center -- 160, Oral
Division of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry |