January 30 – May 15, 2019

This Harvard Extension School Course is taught by Dr. John Warner co-founder of the field of green chemistry, Beyond Benign and Warner Babcock Institute for Green Chemistry. This course will present the fundamentals of green chemistry and connect the science behind sustainability issues with efforts that can be taken to create solutions. Green Chemistry is the design of chemical products and processes that reduce or eliminate the use and generation of hazardous substances. While there are many mechanisms and tools available to assess the impact of materials and processes on human health and the environment, there are few tools available to help design and create products as such. This course will explore examples from a wide spectrum of industrial sectors including construction, personal care, pharmaceuticals and electronics. Through examples, students will be presented with the premise that green chemistry offers organizations a boost to innovation and faster time to market. There is no text for this class, although students are encouraged to read “Green Chemistry: Theory and Practice” by Paul Anastas and John Warner, Oxford University Press, 2000. (ISBN-10:0198506988, ISBN-13:9780198506980. Course content will include lectures, readings and discussions. Readings are intended to be timely and current, so will be posted two weeks prior to each class.

This class is designed for both non-chemists and practicing professional chemists. A chemistry primer will be provided the second week of class to make sure all students have the appropriate background.