Practice Green Chemical Engineering

Almost by definition, chemical engineering is a “green” discipline today, as it so often involves efforts to optimize chemical processes in order to reduce the amount of energy and raw materials that are used and the amount of waste that is generated. Today everybody “talks green” but in a lot of cases engineers are the most qualified people to provide the tools required to make complex chemical processes more environmentally sustainable. In fact, many types of engineers — but chemical engineers, in particular — are in an ideal position to develop solutions for some of today’s most important problems, including all types of air pollution, CO2 emissions, carbon capture and storage, improved renewable energy sources, improved food production, sustainable water supply and wastewater treatment, quick and economic mass production of vaccines and drugs, complex issues related to global warming1 and so on. If not properly addressed, these issues will become even more critical, as economic growth and demographic expansion invariably leads to increased consumption of fuel and natural resources and to increased production of waste streams. “Being green” has always been part of the chemical…