It's the new rock and roll. It's the new black. Sustainability is trendy, and not just among hipsters and pop stars. The uncool chemical sector helped pioneer it, and today, companies inside and ...outside the sector have embraced it. But what have they embraced? Surely not the Brundtland definition of meeting 'the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.' Sustainability describes a change in the chemical industry's approach to the external world: to regulators, to greens, to neighbors, to investors and to the general public. Displacing the adversarialism of the 1970s-80s, sustainability is a new approach to social/political conflict, and an attempt to rebuild the industry's long-suffering public image. In practice, it consists of: A 'stakeholder' approach to communications and external relations A rebranding of regulatory compliance and risk management, with the emphasis on their benefits to stakeholders Recognition (and even celebration) of the opportunities, not just the costs, of environmental and social protection The core of this book is a survey of the world's 29 largest chemical companies: how they put sustainability into action (six of the 29 do not), and the six 'sustainability brands' they have created. It begins with a history of stakeholders conflict, before looking at various definitions of sustainability - by academics, by the public and by investors. After the survey and analysis, the book covers sustainability and 'greenwash' plus the ROI of sustainability, and it gives five recommendations. Eric Johnson, a chemist, has for most of his career worked in and around the chemical and energy industries. He is Managing Director of Atlantic Consulting, Editor-in-Chief of Environmental Impact Assessment Review, a Director of the NGO Green Cross and a Technical Advisor to the Blacksmith Institute. Formerly he was an editor at Chemical Engineering and Chemical Week, a correspondent for McGraw-Hill World News and a bureau manager for what is now Thompson Reuters.
Synthetic nitrogen (N) fertilizer has played a key role in enhancing food production and keeping half of the world's population adequately fed. However, decades of N fertilizer overuse in many parts ...of the world have contributed to soil, water, and air pollution; reducing excessive N losses and emissions is a central environmental challenge in the 21st century. China's participation is essential to global efforts in reducing N-related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions because China is the largest producer and consumer of fertilizer N. To evaluate the impact of China's use of N fertilizer, we quantify the carbon footprint of China's N fertilizer production and consumption chain using life cycle analysis. For every ton of N fertilizer manufactured and used, 13.5 tons of CO₂-equivalent (eq) (tCO₂-eq) is emitted, compared with 9.7 t CO₂-eq in Europe. Emissions in China tripled from 1980 131 terrogram (Tg) of CO₂-eq (Tg CO₂-eq) to 2010 (452 Tg CO₂-eq). N fertilizer-related emissions constitute about 7% of GHG emissions from the entire Chinese economy and exceed soil carbon gain resulting from N fertilizer use by several-fold. We identified potential emission reductions by comparing prevailing technologies and management practices in China with more advanced options worldwide. Mitigation opportunities indude improving methane recovery during coal mining, enhancing energy efficiency in fertilizer manufacture, and minimizing N overuse in field-level crop production. We find that use of advanced technologies could cut N fertilizer-related emissions by 20-63%, amounting to 102-357 Tg CO₂-eq annually. Such reduction would decrease China's total GHG emissions by 2-6%, which is significant on a global scale.
This collection of chapters, each one written by internationally recognized experts in the corresponding field, covers in a comprehensive fashion all the major aspects related to the synthesis, ...characterization and properties of macromolecular materials prepared using renewable resources as such, or after appropriate modifications. Thus, monomers such as terpenes and furans, oligomers like rosin and tannins, and polymers ranging from cellulose to proteins and including macromolecules synthesized by microbes, are discussed with the purpose of showing the extraordinary variety of materials that can be prepared from their intelligent exploitation. Particular emphasis has been placed on recent advances and imminent perspectives, given the incessantly growing interest that this area is experiencing in both the scientific and technological realms. The book discusses bio-refining with explicit application to materials, replete with examples of applications of the concept of sustainable development, and presents an impressive variety of novel macromolecular materials. This book is suitable for university chemistry, materials science and physics departments, research institutions, industrial laboratories, and industrial libraries.
Safety risks have become an obstacle to the sustainability of the chemical industry in China since many chemical companies were forced to close down by China’s government in the past three years. ...This study investigates chemical safety in China in order to identify the causes of the major accidents and accompanying casualties, formulating the safety management needs to develop a sustainable chemical industry in China. First, we analyze the evolution and current status of China’s chemical industry to identify possible safety issues rooted in the industry. Second, a thorough accident investigation is conducted based on official statistics and collected chemical accidents in China in the period 2004–2019. Furtherly, the main laws, regulations, guidelines, standards and measures related to chemical safety are analyzed and compared with those in Europe. According to analyses related to the chemical industry, chemical accidents and safety legislation and measures in China and Europe, the current problems with respect to chemical safety in China are discussed systematically. Based on research findings, we propose recommendations for the improvement of chemical safety so as to promote the sustainable development of the chemical industry in China. This study also provides basic data and information for future studies on the safety and sustainability of the chemical industry and major accident prevention in other countries.
Modern life depends on the petrochemical industry--most drugs, paints and plastics derive from oil. But current processes for making chemical products are not sustainable in terms of resources and ...environmental impact. Green chemistry aims to tackle this problem, and real progress is being made.
In Toxic Matters, Monica Seger considers two Italian environmental disasters: an isolated factory explosion in Seveso, just north of Milan, in 1976 and the ongoing daily toxic emissions from the Ilva ...steelworks in the Apulian city of Taranto. Both have exposed residents to high concentrations of the persistent organic pollutant known as dioxin. Although different in terms of geography and temporality, Seveso and Taranto are deeply united by this nearly imperceptible substance, and by the representational complexities it poses. They are also united by creative narrative expressions, in literary, cinematic, and other forms, that push back against dominant contexts and representations perpetuated by state and industrial actors.
Seger traces a dialogue between Seveso and Taranto, exploring an interplay between bodies, soil, industrial emissions, and the wealth of dynamic particulate matter that passes in between. At the same time, she emphasizes the crucial function of narrative expression for making sense of this modern-day reality and for shifting existing power dynamics as exposed communities exercise their voices. While Toxic Matters, is grounded in Italian cases and texts, it looks outward to the pressing questions of toxicity, embodiment, and storytelling faced by communities worldwide.
alpha-Diazo beta-hydroxyamino esters, readily obtained by the addition of lithiated ethyl diazoacetate to cyclic nitrones, react smoothly in the presence of metal catalysts to produce ketonitrones. ...This transformation results from a selective 1,2-hydride shift of the metal carbenoid intermediates. The process is particularly efficient for diazo-N-hydroxypyrrolidine systems. For diazo-N-hydroxypiperidine substrates, C-H insertion can be a competitive reaction.
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