What would the Pacific Northwest economy look like if designed by Green Chemists? How would life in the Pacific Northwest be different if Green Chemistry were widely adopted?

Materials would be “benign by design”: Safe to make, use, dispose of, or reuse. Environmental performance would drive product innovation as well as safety. Raw materials and energy would be renewable. Bio-refineries in local agricultural areas would produce fuel and chemicals using inherently safe processes. Carbon would be recycled from plant to product and back to plant. “Green” jobs and investment opportunities would flourish in local communities. Products would be biodegradable,

industrial processes would be vastly less resource-intensive and much more energy efficient.

Green Chemistry is defined as “the utilization of a set of principles that reduces or eliminates the use or generation of hazardous substances in the design, manufacture and application of chemical products” (Anastas and Warner, Green Chemistry: Theory and Practice). Green Chemistry holds the promise of not only changing the field of chemistry but of fundamentally reorienting society towards a safer, healthier future.

It is a rapidly growing field – and the Pacific Northwest already is positioned as a leader in this emerging area of science and technology. Several companies in the region employ green chemistry technologies to gain competitive advantage. Additionally, several local colleges and universities are training the next generation of chemists to use Green Chemistry.

There is a profound need, however, to move Green Chemistry forward faster. Advancing the field requires a science-based strategy. This strategy would require the development of Green Chemistry workforce. It would also connect Green Chemistry to other areas of science and engineering.