Green Chemistry Education - Beyond Benign

Community News | Green Chemistry Education

3BL | Access for the Next Generation of Leaders: Episode 5 of Science Will Tell Podcast

June 22, 2023

Originally published on 3BL Media

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in the last decade, there has been considerable concern regarding a shortage of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) professionals. As a science and technology company, we want to help spark curiosity in children and young people for the fascinating world of science so they can continue to push the field’s boundaries even further.

Season two of the Science Will Tell podcast series from the Life Science business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, explores global access to science education, including the impacts of implementing diversity, equity and inclusion practices in STEM education to accelerate innovation and increase multicultural representation.

For its fifth podcast episode, hear the conversation with:

Dr. Amy Cannon, Executive Director and Co-Founder of Beyond Benign
John Armstead, Assistant School Leader at KIPP St. Louis

In this episode, you’ll learn about:

Beyond Benign’s mission to transform chemistry education to better prepare the next generation of scientists with skills to address sustainability through chemistry.
How KIPP St. Louis is devoted to creating joyful, academically excellent schools that prepare students with the skills and confidence to pursue the paths they choose—college, career, and beyond.
The greener practices in chemistry education accessibility challenges commonly faced by students and how Beyond Benign is providing expanded access to resources and support needed.
The value of amplifying diverse voices in the scientific community to solve the world’s toughest challenges

Listen to the episode here: https://sciencewilltell.podbean.com/

3BL | Access for the Next Generation of Leaders: Episode 5 of Science Will Tell Podcast

June 22, 2023

Originally published on 3BL Media According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in the last decade, there has been considerable concern regarding a shortage of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics […]

Reflecting on 10 years of the Green Chemistry Commitment: A Conversation with Dr. Amy Cannon

May 23, 2023

Ten years ago, we launched the Green Chemistry Commitment (GCC) — a framework to advance green chemistry in higher education. Today, more than 100 organizations from across the globe have signed the commitment, supporting a more sustainable future for us all.

As we gear up to celebrate 10 years of the GCC, we sat down with Beyond Benign Co-Founder Dr. Amy Cannon to reflect on how the GCC has grown in the last decade and look toward the future of green chemistry education.

Amy is the first person to achieve a Ph.D. in green chemistry and is a leader in advancing the field. But for Amy, advancing green chemistry is a community effort. In this conversation, Amy shares more about the beginnings of the GCC and Beyond Benign’s goals to support green chemistry in higher education.

This summer, Beyond Benign is celebrating 10 years of the Green Chemistry Commitment (GCC). How are you feeling about this milestone for the green chemistry movement?

It’s a really exciting time, particularly because we’ve seen so much growth in the past couple of years. There’s still so much more to do, but there’s been a lot of momentum in academia toward greener chemistry.

Part of the goal of the GCC was to foster and support systemic change in chemistry education, and I think we are getting closer to that. It’s a super hard thing to do. But we’ve come a long way.

At the beginning of the GCC, was it difficult to find institutions willing to sign on?

When we first created the Green Chemistry Commitment, folks were really worried that it was a prescriptive approach. We had to do a lot of communication around the fact that it isn’t prescriptive. The diversity of approaches that people use to bring green chemistry to their teaching and practice is something we want to celebrate and elevate and highlight. It’s so valuable for others to recognize their own path.

Why did you decide to create a “commitment” instead of just providing institutional support?

We were trying to support the individual champions of green chemistry. Oftentimes green chemistry starts with one faculty member who’s working by themselves to bring green chemistry to what they do. We wanted to think of ways to support that one individual in bringing green chemistry to their whole department. Otherwise, when that individual leaves that institution, what’s left behind? Are we actually creating change?

When you say that the GCC is “by the community, for the community,” what does that mean in practice?

When we first had this idea, I wanted to share it with our community and get their feedback. I wanted to know if they thought it was a good idea and how they would set it up. So we created a faculty advisory board that could take the idea, break it down, and put it back together in a structured way that could work for institutions. From the beginning, we’ve really listened to the community.

Now we try to keep listening to understand what needs the signers have. What things will help support faculty to make these changes? The mini-grants we’re able to give out to signers came from listening to the community.

It seems like community and collaboration are a huge emphasis in your leadership style.

I don’t think any one person can do any of this alone. No one organization can do any of this alone. So it’s really important to find others who can lead in these spaces. I continue to work on finding new leaders that can step up, and I focus on elevating their voices. That diversity of voices is so important.

We also partner with other organizations on a regular basis, because we’re a small nonprofit. We have limited resources. We have limited bandwidth. Other organizations bring in really unique expertise that we might not have. We can complement each other and elevate our collective missions.

There are so many people working in this space that bring so much value to the equation. It doesn’t make sense to not work together.

Do you think you’ve changed as a leader over the course of time that you’ve been leading at Beyond Benign?

Probably. I definitely didn’t know what I was doing when I started. And I still feel that way in some instances. But I think admitting that you don’t know is a good skill. That’s when you need other perspectives. It’s important to ask for support and admit you don’t know it all. In my opinion, that’s one of the most valuable things that leaders can do: listen.

One of the things I’m trying to be better at is recognizing that I do have a lot of experience in this space. Traditionally I’m a little bit more passive. I’m working on realizing when I should step up and say, “We have expertise in this space. Let’s share that expertise. Let’s lead here.” Leading doesn’t mean plowing over others. It’s about coming to the table and offering that expertise.

You were the first Ph.D. in green chemistry. How have you seen the field change over time?

Originally, people had this perspective that having a green chemistry degree as opposed to just straight chemistry would somehow restrict or limit my opportunities. And I thought that was really interesting. I remember getting a question like, “Don’t you feel like getting a Ph.D. in green chemistry will limit your job opportunities?” And my answer was “Why would I ever want to work for someone if they didn’t want me to do green chemistry?”

I think that has changed a lot. I graduated with my Ph.D. in 2005, and there were a lot of misconceptions around what green chemistry was. Some people thought that it was somehow not-as-good chemistry. Now it’s been proven throughout the years that it’s actually an advantage. It can be an advantage for innovation, and it can be an advantage for job opportunities, because you bring a different skill set to the table.

What progress has Beyond Benign made toward its 25 by 25 goal?

Each year in the U.S., we graduate about 22,000 chemists. We wanted to put a stake in the ground for what we’re trying to achieve. The goal to have 25% of graduates versed in green chemistry came out of wanting to build a critical mass of institutions that are teaching green chemistry and preparing students with green chemistry skills to enter the workforce and create change.

We’re not there yet. We’re just over 10%. There’s a lot of work to do in that space. I’m not sure we’ll get there within the time frame that we’re hoping for, but I think it’s a goal that calls out this need. Chemistry as a profession is a small percentage of the general population, but it can have huge impacts. It’s central to so many of the products that we use on a daily basis. The potential impact that green chemistry training can have on the global workforce and the chemical enterprise is tremendous. I think it’s worth creating ambitious goals.

Why did Beyond Benign launch the Minority Serving Institution (MSI) Initiative?

The MSI Initiative is an intentional approach for reaching out to, engaging with, and elevating minority serving institutions in the green chemistry education community. We not only want to invite them into the community, but we want to elevate the diversity of voices within this community.

When we talk about supporting the community and supporting colleges and universities, we want to make sure that we are offering support and pathways and programming that meet the needs for the whole diverse set of institutions and people involved in academia. We know that there’s underrepresentation within the chemical sciences. We don’t want to be part of that problem. Instead, we want to help bring more institutions and people to the table.

What do the next 10 years of the GCC look like?

I hope we’ll have a good percentage of colleges and universities involved with the program. I want to continue to support change in chemistry education. We hope we can offer more mini grants to enable institutions to make these changes.

Through the launch of the Green Chemistry Teaching and Learning Community (GCTLC) online platform, I think we’re going to bring even more educators into the community. We’re going to see a lot of growth, not just driven by us but driven by the community. That’s very much where this needs to go.

I do feel like we’re at a tipping point at the moment. We’re definitely seeing some good growth, and I think we have good momentum.

Reflecting on 10 years of the Green Chemistry Commitment: A Conversation with Dr. Amy Cannon

May 23, 2023

Ten years ago, we launched the Green Chemistry Commitment (GCC) — a framework to advance green chemistry in higher education. Today, more than 100 organizations from across the globe have […]

‘Observe, Wonder, Think’ Webinars: A Look Back at the 2022-2023 Series

May 18, 2023

During the 2022-2023 school year, Beyond Benign launched a monthly K-12 professional development series called “Observe, Wonder, Think: A Green Chemistry Interactive Webinar Series”. This series was designed to bring the green chemistry community together to advance the field and share ideas and resources to inspire students through green chemistry.

The ongoing objective is to encourage and help educators create safer, more engaging learning environments by integrating green chemistry and sustainable science principles into their classrooms. Following NGSS best practice techniques, the webinar series supports K-12 educators in fostering the idea of “Observe, Wonder, Think!” with their students. Presenters demonstrate hands-on labs and highlight real-world green chemistry technologies. Beyond Benign hosts educational leaders who are actively practicing green chemistry in their classrooms as they walk through their favorite green chemistry labs and experiments. The series is intended to be interactive, allowing time for breakout sessions, Q&A and networking opportunities.

The inaugural webinar series saw 20 – 35 participants for each webinar, including members from the K-12 and higher education communities as well as industry professionals for a cumulative total of 274 registered attendees. 13 guest lecturers discussed no less than 7 topics, including curriculum support, social justice and cultural relevance. We had representation from 33 states and 26 countries spanning 6 continents.

Beyond Benign would like to extend our gratitude to the following “Observe, Wonder, Think” presenters from the 2022 – 2023 season. Click the links to watch a recording of each session.

NCW/Fabulous Fabrics
- Annette Sebuyira, Certified Lead Teacher, Beyond Benign
Sustainability in Elementary Education//Plate to Planet
- Veronica Weeks, Lead Teacher, Beyond Benign, Bretton Woods Elementary
- Bob Baldo, Certified Lead Teacher, Beyond Benign
- Laura Kliman, Director, New Product Development, Impossible Foods
Culturally Relevant Teaching in Chemistry
- Raksmey Derival, Certified Lead Teacher, Beyond Benign, Innovation Academy
- Dr. Rasheda Likely, Kennesaw State University
Understanding Hazards with Students
- Nina Meltzer, Lead Teacher, Beyond Benign, Quincey High School
- Stefanie Loomis, Lead Teacher, Beyond Benign, Catskill Sr. High School
Aligning your practice with Green Chemistry
- Ken Hoffman, Lead Teacher, Beyond Benign
- Scott Carlson, Certified Lead Teacher, Beyond Benign, W.H. Maxwell H.S.
Sustainable Invention
- Greg Sloan, Lead Teacher, Beyond Benign, Woodrow Wilson M.S.
- Erin Mayer, Lead Teacher, Beyond Benign, Casey M.S.
Green Chemistry Teaching and Learning Community
- Jonathon Moir, Project Manager, GCTLC, Beyond Benign

Please plan to join us in the fall as we continue the “Observe, Wonder, Think” webinar series next school year. Sign up for emails to be the first to know when registration opens.

Watch all recorded sessions of “Observe, Wonder, Think” here.

‘Observe, Wonder, Think’ Webinars: A Look Back at the 2022-2023 Series

May 18, 2023

VIDEO: John Warner on the Materials Metabolism at Bioneers 2023

April 21, 2023

At the 2023 Bioneers Conference, Beyond Benign Co-Founder John Warner discussed the materials metabolism.

For materials from nature to become human-designed products, they have to undergo multiple transformations in processes of assembly and disassembly. Atoms combine to make molecules; molecules combine to make materials; and we humans assemble and disassemble nature’s products to form molecules and materials that we then recombine to create our artifacts and products, but, unfortunately, most of what we produce is fundamentally unsustainable and dangerously incompatible with living systems. However, one of the founding progenitors of the entire field of “green chemistry,” John Warner explains that by using the principles and practices of the discipline he helped birth, we can embrace and emulate nature’s “materials metabolism” to create the products we need without endangering the web of life. By reimagining how we design and build, we can create a new materials economy that is truly in harmony with nature.

VIDEO: John Warner on the Materials Metabolism at Bioneers 2023

April 21, 2023

At the 2023 Bioneers Conference, Beyond Benign Co-Founder John Warner discussed the materials metabolism. For materials from nature to become human-designed products, they have to undergo multiple transformations in processes […]

Chemists Celebrate Earth Week: Sea-ing Things Differently

April 14, 2023

At the Green Chemistry and Catalysis Group of Memorial University of Newfoundland, Prof. Francesca Kerton and Olivia Wyper are looking at the use of algae in a wide range of applications. Olivia began her master’s program by collaborating with 7 Fathoms, a skincare company based in Grates Cove, Newfoundland, Canada. 7 Fathoms wanted to know if their locally grown seaweed and their proprietary seaweed extract had higher concentrations of biologically active compounds than other sources. More specifically, they wanted to determine how much fucoidan, a polysaccharide with a range of beneficial properties (anti-bacterial, anti-coagulant, and anti-inflammatory), is present in their seaweed. By using a range of mass spectrometry methods, Olivia and Prof. Kerton were able to gain a deeper understanding of the structure and level of sulfation of the fucoidan in their extract.

After moving into the Ph.D. program last September, Olivia’s research has moved toward using algae as a renewable energy source, which is in collaboration with the Department of Engineering and Applied Sciences at Memorial University of Newfoundland. This work will look at pre-treatment options for seaweeds to optimize bioethanol and biohydrogen yields. Both of these projects are being actively worked on.

“As we continue to promote renewable materials such as algae, we become closer to eliminating the dependence we currently have on fossil fuels.” By using seaweed instead for energy applications, Olivia and Prof. Kerton are able to adhere to multiple of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 1 – No Poverty, SDG 2 – Zero Hunger, SDG 7- Affordable and Clean Energy), along with promoting the use of the 12 Principles of Green Chemistry (Prevention, Design for Energy Efficiency, Use of Renewable Feedstocks). Along with using seaweed for biohydrogen production, there are many other applications for this material, such as waste-water treatment, degradable and functional plastics, and nutrition.

According to Olivia, she is “continuously grateful for the opportunities that she’s able to access through working on seaweed, such as presenting her research at the Global Conversation on Sustainability and Scientific Endeavours in Academia conference this year.”

Olivia Wyper is currently a Ph.D. student in the Green Chemistry and Catalysis Group at Memorial University of Newfoundland under the supervision of Prof. Francesca Kerton. She completed her B.Sc (Hons) with Prof. Kerton in the area of renewable catalysts, which led to her interest in green chemistry. Currently, Olivia is looking at Newfoundland seaweed, Laminaria digitata, in dermatological and biorefinery applications. Since the start of her graduate studies, she has been heavily involved in outreach, such as organizing the Global Womens Breakfast in 2022 and 2023, an event organized by IUPAC. Previously, she gave a talk at the Global Conversation on Sustainability and has been involved with Science Rendezvous, an organization that aims to strengthen science knowledge in youth.

Francesca Kerton is a professor of Chemistry at Memorial University of Newfoundland and has a global reputation for her innovative research on sustainable chemistry related to the oceans. She is a Fellow of The Royal Society of Chemistry and is a member of many scientific panels and committees worldwide. She currently chairs IUPAC’s standing committee on Chemical Research Applied to World Needs (CHEMRAWN) and is chair of the 27th Annual Green Chemistry & Engineering Conference, which will be held in June 2023. She is an Advisory Board member for Reaction Chemistry & Engineering and an Associate Editor for RSC Sustainability. She will chair the 2027 IUPAC World Chemistry Congress and General Assembly, which will be held in Montreal, Canada.

She obtained her Ph.D. in Chemistry at the University of Sussex and was a postdoctoral research associate at the University of British Columbia. In addition to authoring over 70 journal articles, she has contributed several books and book chapters on aspects of green chemistry including “Alternative Solvents for Green Chemistry”. Her current research group is focused on developing environmentally friendly ways to process bio-sourced molecules and materials, catalysis and sustainable polymers. She also performs research in the area of carbon dioxide utilization and is part of an NSERC-funded training network “Centre for Innovation and Research on Carbon Dioxide Utilization in Industrial Technologies.” She received the 2019 Canadian Green Chemistry and Engineering Award and the 2023 SCI-Canada Kalev Pugi Award for exceptional achievements in research and development.

Chemists Celebrate Earth Week: Sea-ing Things Differently

April 14, 2023

At the Green Chemistry and Catalysis Group of Memorial University of Newfoundland, Prof. Francesca Kerton and Olivia Wyper are looking at the use of algae in a wide range of [...]

MilliporeSigma Announces Expanded Partnership with Beyond Benign to Increase Global Access to Green Chemistry Education

March 27, 2023

MilliporeSigma Announces Expanded Partnership with Beyond Benign to Increase Global Access to Green Chemistry Education

Helps grow Beyond Benign’s flagship programs to 175 institutions and 4,000 faculty members globally, reaching one million students annually
Partnership to support Beyond Benign’s online learning platform and higher education program

Burlington, Massachusetts, March 27, 2023 – MilliporeSigma, the U.S. and Canada Life Science business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, a leading science and technology company, has entered an expanded partnership with global green chemistry education nonprofit Beyond Benign. With plans for a multi-year contribution to the organization, MilliporeSigma is helping transform chemistry education to better prepare next generation scientists with skills to address sustainability through chemistry. It is the largest funded partnership made under the company’s Employee & Community Engagement program.

“We share Beyond Benign’s passion and commitment to making green chemistry an integral part of chemistry education,” said Meeta Gulyani, Head of Strategy, Business Development and Sustainability for the Life Science business sector of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany. “This partnership underscores our common goal to increase global access to science and science education while reducing environmental impact.”

Together, MilliporeSigma and Beyond Benign will provide expanded access to resources and support needed to apply greener practices in chemistry education. This is key to reducing environmental and human health impact while simultaneously accelerating sustainable science. MilliporeSigma’s contribution will enhance capacity for Beyond Benign’s Green Chemistry Teaching and Learning Community (GCTLC) online platform and expand global access to resources and trainings for more than 4,000 faculty members worldwide.¹ It also advances Beyond Benign’s goal of providing 25 percent of the 22,000 graduating chemists annually in the U.S.² with green chemistry knowledge by 2025.

“In many countries, sustainability is not considered a core concept in undergraduate and graduate chemistry education,” said Dr. Amy Cannon, Co-founder and Executive Director, Beyond Benign. “MilliporeSigma’s support allows us to impact higher education systems worldwide, helping educators to upskill future generations to make more sustainable choices that improve human health and the environment through the reduction or elimination of hazardous substances.”

MilliporeSigma’s partnership with Beyond Benign also supports the goal of its parent company—Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany—to achieve human progress for more than one billion people through sustainable science and technology by 2030.

Chemistry educators interested in signing Beyond Benign’s Green Chemistry Commitment (GCC) program can do so by visiting Beyond Benign’s GCC webpage, or by contacting Dr. Natalie O’Neil, Beyond Benign’s Director of Higher Education, at Natalie_ONeil@beyondbenign.org for any questions.

References

The GCTLC online platform is being developed and launched in partnership with the American Chemical Society Green Chemistry Institute (ACS GCI).
Chemistry | Data USA. (n.d.). Datausa.io. Retrieved from: https://datausa.io/profile/cip/chemistry

About the Life Science business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany

The Life Science business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, which operates as MilliporeSigma in the U.S. and Canada, has more than 28,000 employees and more than 55 total manufacturing and testing sites worldwide, with a portfolio of more than 300,000 products focused on scientific discovery, biomanufacturing and testing services. Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, a leading science and technology company, operates across healthcare, life science and electronics.

More than 64,000 employees work to make a positive difference to millions of people’s lives every day by creating more joyful and sustainable ways to live. From providing products and services that accelerate drug development and manufacturing as well as discovering unique ways to treat the most challenging diseases to enabling the intelligence of devices – the company is everywhere. In 2022, Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, generated sales of € 22.2 billion in 66 countries.

The company holds the global rights to the name and trademark “Merck” internationally. The only exceptions are the United States and Canada, where the business sectors of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, operate as MilliporeSigma in life science, EMD Serono in healthcare and EMD Electronics in electronics. Since its founding in 1668, scientific exploration and responsible entrepreneurship have been key to the company’s technological and scientific advances. To this day, the founding family remains the majority owner of the publicly listed company. For more information about Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, visit www.emdgroup.com.

Follow MilliporeSigma on Twitter @MilliporeSigma, on Facebook @MilliporeSigma and on LinkedIn.

All Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany news releases are distributed by email at the same time they become available on the EMD Group website. In case you are a resident of the U.S. or Canada please go to www.emdgroup.com/subscribe http://www.emdgroup.com/subscribeto register again for your online subscription of this service as our newly introduced geo-targeting requires new links in the email. You may later change your selection or discontinue this service.

About Beyond Benign

Beyond Benign, a 501(c)3 nonprofit, envisions a world where the chemical building blocks of products used every day are healthy and safe for humans and the environment. Beyond Benign’s mission is to foster a green chemistry community that empowers educators to transform chemistry education for a sustainable future. Beyond Benign is working to equip educators from K-20 with the ability to teach chemistry and STEM through a lens of sustainability grounded in the 12 principles of green chemistry. By providing educators with tools, training and a peer support network, educators are equipped to train the next generation of scientists and citizens with the skills and knowledge to create and choose products that are safe for human health and the environment.

Co-founded in 2007 by Dr. John Warner, the co-founder of the field of green chemistry, and Dr. Amy Cannon, who holds the world’s first Ph.D. in Green Chemistry, Beyond Benign has an extensive history of service. Over the past 15 year, Beyond Benign has trained over 6,500 K-12 teachers in sustainable science and green chemistry, designed over 200 open-access lessons, reached over 35,000 youth and community members through outreach, & partnered with over 110 universities to transform chemistry education. Together we can catalyze the development of green technological innovations that result in safer products and processes in support of a sustainable, healthy society.

Sign-up for Beyond Benign’s newsletter, follow on Twitter @BeyondBenign, on Facebook @BeyondBenign and on LinkedIn.

MilliporeSigma Announces Expanded Partnership with Beyond Benign to Increase Global Access to Green Chemistry Education

March 27, 2023

MilliporeSigma Announces Expanded Partnership with Beyond Benign to Increase Global Access to Green Chemistry Education Helps grow Beyond Benign’s flagship programs to 175 institutions and 4,000 faculty members globally, reaching […]

What Is ‘Sustainable Chemistry’ & How Does it Differ from Green Chemistry?

March 21, 2023

By Beyond Benign Co-Founder Dr. Amy Cannon

Amy Cannon Over the past year, we teamed up with the UMass Lowell Center for Sustainable Production to form an Expert Committee on Sustainable Chemistry (ECOSChem), a group of 20 leading representatives from industry, government, academic, and non-profit organizations from across the world, to develop an actionable definition and criteria for “sustainable chemistry.” This definition and criteria are to help inform policymakers, industry researchers, educators and so many others in building a more sustainable future through chemistry.

The term “sustainable chemistry” is often used in conjunction with “green chemistry.” Many organizations have looked to better define the term to unify those working toward a more sustainable chemical enterprise. We got involved with this project to understand better how to communicate the central role that green chemistry plays in achieving a sustainable chemical enterprise – and, ultimately, how the sometimes “competing” approaches complement each other or, at times, are different.

Green chemistry is a central tool chemists (molecular designers) use to address sustainability through our trade. We use the foundational 12 principles of green chemistry as those guidelines – and these principles are meant to work together as a collective to provide a more holistic understanding of how we approach molecular design and challenge us to consider the best approaches. Even though we use the principles of green chemistry as the foundation for our work in green chemistry – we recognize that there is a diverse and rich history of approaches that others have taken to all move towards the same direction – toward creating more sustainable, greener, safer chemical products for our global society. We also recognize that it’s not only chemists that need to get involved in realizing this vision – it’s also policymakers, businesses, investors, and activists. Therefore, it’s important to communicate the work we do as chemists and chemistry educators and work with those central and peripheral to the field to advocate for and ultimately implement these greener practices.

Whether your personal or organizational approach comes from green chemistry, environmental chemistry, or sustainable chemistry, we are all working toward one goal and having one end in mind: having a society where the molecular building blocks of the products we use every day are healthy and safe for humans and the environment, regardless of industry sector, and with equity and justice embedded in how we create and use these chemicals. We hope the definition is useful to guide those working within or around the chemical enterprise to work together and advance the many goals required to achieve healthy, just and safe chemical products.

Find more information about the Sustainable Definition project and read the final report here.

What Is ‘Sustainable Chemistry’ & How Does it Differ from Green Chemistry?

March 21, 2023

By Beyond Benign Co-Founder Dr. Amy Cannon Over the past year, we teamed up with the UMass Lowell Center for Sustainable Production to form an Expert Committee on Sustainable Chemistry [...]

Beyond Benign and Bioneers Discuss Green Chemistry Education’s History and Future

March 8, 2023

Since 1990, the nonprofit organization Bioneers has been uplifting the voices of movement leaders throughout the world. These innovators have changed the world in diverse realms, from women’s leadership and indigenous rights to nature conservation and health justice. As a leading voice in Green Chemistry, Beyond Benign’s John Warner has spoken at Bioneers’ annual conference in the past, and he’ll keynote at Bioneers’ 2023 Conference in April.

Bioneers is eager to share innovative environmental education concepts with its forward-thinking audience. Recently, Beyond Benign Co-Founder Dr. Amy Cannon met with Bioneers to discuss the organization’s progress and plans for the coming years.

Bioneers: Tell us a little bit about the beginnings of Beyond Benign.

Amy: Beyond Benign was founded in 2007 at a time when green chemistry was not widely accepted in chemistry education and research. It was an exception, rather than the rule. Having spent time in both industry and academia, my co-founder, John Warner, and I had a unique perspective on the state of the chemical enterprise. We saw an opportunity to address a clear gap in how educational institutions teach and train chemists: arming them with the knowledge and skills needed to address hazards and environmental impacts through the practice of their trade.

The field of chemistry has a history of contributing to environmental impacts and human hazards. But it also has a central role in addressing these impacts through how we use and approach the design and implementation of chemicals and chemical products. This duality can be confusing but also empowering for chemists.

As a fundamental science, chemistry has tremendous power to address sustainability at the molecular level. This is something that needs to be included in the teaching and training of chemistry, which is why it’s the main focus of Beyond Benign: empowering educators to bring green chemistry into their teaching and practice to better train chemists with green chemistry skills.

Bioneers: Have you seen chemistry education morph throughout the past 10 years?

Amy: Yes, there has been a growing awareness of green chemistry and an expansion in the implementation of green chemistry in chemistry education. Although we would have liked to have seen more progress in the past 10 years, green chemistry is generally much more accepted by the academic community. For example, of the higher ed institutions that are involved with our Green Chemistry Commitment program, more than 75% have enacted significant changes at their institutions.

While I do think we have had a part to play in the changes over the years, I think that one of the biggest motivators is seeing the results of green chemistry in practice. When chemists can see real results from implementing greener chemistry in the design and use of chemical products, they can see the tremendous power of chemistry to address sustainability challenges.

Bioneers: Beyond Benign is challenging educators and educational institutions to change and grow. How has that challenge been received?

Amy: Generally, educators are up for the challenge and see the value of bringing green chemistry into their teaching and practice. The pushback has mostly been from the barriers that come from enacting any type of curricular changes. When educators look to make changes to their curriculum, they are faced with resource constraints, and they also might see some resistance from peers or administrators, usually arising from misconceptions about green chemistry. Once educators and administrators see the benefits of including green chemistry in their teaching and practice – hazard reductions, cost savings, increased student interest – they then seek to do even more.

At Beyond Benign, we work to help educators overcome the real and perceived obstacles that go hand-in-hand with curricular changes. We provide resources, funding, and peer support that empowers educators to incorporate green chemistry in a way that works for their courses and institutions.

Bioneers: Why is working with chemical industry leaders such an important part of what Beyond Benign does?

Amy: The goal of green chemistry is to become the way that chemistry is practiced. Therefore, the chemical industry needs to have a key role in implementing and inventing greener processes and products and also advocating for and hiring a workforce that has the skills to implement these practices. The chemical industry creates the molecular building blocks of our global society. When green chemistry is implemented in the manufacturing and design of chemical products, the impacts are tremendous. For example, in an industrial setting, one chemical industry saw a 97% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions after switching to a biobased solvent in one of its manufacturing processes.

However, it isn’t only chemical companies that can address sustainability goals by utilizing green chemistry. Companies across sectors are seeing the advantages of utilizing green chemistry for safer, healthier products. We’ve seen job postings from companies including Apple, Microsoft, Lululemon, and Pfizer, all looking for scientists with green chemistry knowledge and skills.

Bioneers: Which projects or initiatives are you most excited about looking ahead to the next few years?

Amy: Over the past few years, we have been working on expanding our reach to foster a global, diverse community of green chemistry educators and leaders. To support this community, we have embarked on creating a web-based platform that will house community green chemistry education resources, and also include interactive components that support networking, mentoring, and peer-to-peer interactions. The Green Chemistry Teaching and Learning Community (GCTLC) is anticipated to launch in August of this year, and we are really looking forward to launching the platform in partnership with the American Chemical Society’s Green Chemistry Institute. We are hopeful that this platform will further catalyze the implementation of green chemistry globally.

Bioneers: What gives you hope in the work you’re doing?

Amy: I have met numerous students over the years who have brought such passion into their work. Many of them have also led initiatives to bring green chemistry to their departments and their communities. One example is the University of Toronto’s student-led group called the Green Chemistry Initiative. Over the years, they have built awareness within their own department and also served as inspiration for other institutions and student groups to get involved with green chemistry. It is these current and future leaders that will bring change to the chemical enterprise. Students are tremendously powerful change agents.

A version of this article was originally posted on the Bioneers website.

Beyond Benign and Bioneers Discuss Green Chemistry Education’s History and Future

March 8, 2023

Sustainable chemistry experts create blueprint for safer future

February 27, 2023

February 27, 2022 – Lowell, MA

Toxic chemicals – which pop up in everything from household cleaners and appliances to medical devices, paints, packaging and more – are all around. The February 2023 Norfolk Southern train derailment in Ohio is just the latest illustration of the pressing need to develop safer chemicals for our use.

Uniform guidelines on how to create and advance the use of sustainable chemicals, however, do not yet exist.

Aiming to answer that need and improve human and environmental health, an international group of experts in the field, co-led by University of Massachusetts Lowell, has developed new criteria to define sustainable chemistry. The project, to be showcased during a webinar at 11 a.m. EST Wednesday, March 1, lays the groundwork for government, industry, academia and business leaders to enact and support effective policies guiding the manufacture, distribution and use of products derived from environmentally sound chemicals.

UMass Lowell public health Professor Joel Tickner, director of the university’s Sustainable Chemistry Catalyst group within the Lowell Center for Sustainable Production, co-directed the project with Beyond Benign founder and Executive Director Amy Cannon. The committee’s work aims to support the U.S. Office of Science and Technology Policy, tasked with developing a consensus definition of sustainable chemistry as a first step toward implementing the Sustainable Chemistry Research and Development Act, part of the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act.

“UMass Lowell and Beyond Benign leveraged the trusted relationships and broad networks built across academia, industry, government and the nonprofit communities during the past 20 years to establish a definition of sustainable chemistry and set transparent, measurable criteria that can affect bold change in policy – particularly with respect to research funding – and regulation, investment and business decisions,” Tickner said.

Known as the Expert Committee on Sustainable Chemistry (ECOSChem), the group of 20 scientists and other professionals, who met throughout 2022, crafted a consensus statement calling sustainable chemistry “the development and application of chemicals, chemical processes, and products that benefit current and future generations without harmful impacts to humans or ecosystems.”

The committee asserts sustainable chemistry is achieved when the development of chemicals, materials, processes, products and services successfully addresses five criteria:

Equity and justice
Transparency
Health and safety impacts
Climate and ecosystem impacts
Circularity, or the ability to be recycled and reused.

The group’s robust definition for sustainable chemistry seeks to eliminate confusion and potentially regrettable trade-offs. For example, today, without a uniformly applied definition, a product may be called sustainable for its use of renewable energy or feedstocks but may be toxic to workers, consumers or communities. The group’s full report can be accessed here.

“The definition and criteria provide a roadmap for training the next generation of chemists, engineers and materials scientists to create products that benefit society, while minimizing impacts to current and future generations,” said Cannon, the first person in the world to be awarded a doctoral degree in green chemistry.

Members of the public may learn more about the committee, its process and the future of the project during the webinar “Defining Sustainable Chemistry.” Individuals registering to attend will be provided with credentials to join the online session.

Along with Tickner and Cannon, other members of the committee expected to participate include:

Ryan Bouldin, associate professor of sustainable chemistry, Bentley University, Waltham, Massachusetts, U.S.
Alexandra Caterbow, co-director, Health and Environmental Justice Support, Dachau, Bavaria, Germany
Saskia van Bergen, safer chemist lead, Washington State Department of Ecology, Lacey, Washington, U.S.
Cecilia Wandiga, executive director, Centre for Science and Technology Innovations, Nairobi, Kenya
Martin Wolf, director of sustainability and authenticity, Seventh Generation, Burlington, Vermont, U.S.

Sustainable chemistry experts create blueprint for safer future

February 27, 2023

February 27, 2022 – Lowell, MA Toxic chemicals – which pop up in everything from household cleaners and appliances to medical devices, paints, packaging and more – are all around. […]

Hexion Announces Digital Teaching and Learning Partnership To Expand Green Chemistry Principles in the Classroom

February 14, 2023

COLUMBUS, Ohio – (February 14, 2023) – As part of its ongoing support of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) initiatives, as well as its commitment to “Responsible Chemistry,” Hexion is serving as a Founding Partner of the Green Chemistry Teaching and Learning Community (GCTLC), a joint initiative of Beyond Benign and the American Chemical Society Green Chemistry Institute.

The GCTLC is a virtual community designed to help transform chemistry education programs across the U.S. and the world. When launched later in 2023, it will be a clearinghouse of peer-reviewed, open-source green chemistry materials including greener lab experiments, lecture materials, classroom activities, and more. The GCTLC will also host online spaces for collaboration, networking, mentorship, and peer-to-peer learning for thousands of educators (including K-12, university and college faculty), students, and industry stakeholders.

Hexion’s partnership with the GCTLC aligns with the Company’s broader sustainability initiatives. “The GCTLC’s principles are framed by the tenets of ‘Green Chemistry,’ which help chemists design more sustainable and less hazardous materials,” said Stephanie Couhig, Senior Vice President, Environmental Health & Safety and Chief Sustainability Officer. “Through this partnership, Beyond Benign will build online spaces and teaching and learning networks that will lead to innovative new solutions to the world’s sustainability challenges. By fostering an broader understanding of green chemistry in students today, Beyond Benign and Hexion are working to enable the research leaders of tomorrow.”

Hexion has steadily increased its STEM initiatives including support for the Future of STEM Scholars Initiative (FOSSI), a collaborative program aimed at creating pathways that allow underrepresented groups to more easily enter and succeed in STEM careers. FOSSI provides opportunities for chemical manufacturers, supply chain partners and industry stakeholders to fund scholarships, provide internship opportunities, and facilitate mentoring and leadership training for students majoring in STEM at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).

“Industry’s support demonstrates their commitment to fostering the next generation of scientists and ensuring that they have the tools needed to design more sustainable products. Hexion’s sponsorship as a founding partner of the GCTLC is essential to launch this important on-line platform and help the educators more easily bring green chemistry to their classrooms and laboratories.” said Dr. Amy Cannon, Executive Director, Beyond Benign.

About Hexion Inc.

Based in Columbus, Ohio, Hexion Inc. is a leading global producer of adhesives and performance materials. Hexion provides specialty products and technical support for customers in a diverse range of applications and industries, such as construction, furniture, energy, agriculture, and automotive. Building on over a century of experience, Hexion is working to preserve the Earth’s natural resources, meet the needs of growing populations and respond to a changing climate. Learn more about Hexion and its commitment to sustainability at www.hexion.com.

About Beyond Benign:

Co-founded in 2007 by Dr. John Warner, the co-founder of the field of green chemistry, and Dr. Amy Cannon, who holds the world’s first Ph.D. in Green Chemistry, Beyond Benign has an extensive history of service. Over the past 15 year, Beyond Benign has trained over 6,500 K-12 teachers in sustainable science and green chemistry, designed over 200 open-access lessons, reached over 35,000 youth and community members through outreach, & partnered with over 100 universities to transform chemistry education. Together we can catalyze the development of green technological innovations that result in safer products and processes in support of a sustainable, healthy society.

###

Hexion Contact:
John Kompa

Hexion Inc.

john.kompa@hexion.com

614.225.2223

Beyond Benign Contact:

Nicki Wiggins,

Chief Operating Officer

Beyond Benign

Nicki_Wiggins@beyondbenign.org

Hexion Announces Digital Teaching and Learning Partnership To Expand Green Chemistry Principles in the Classroom

February 14, 2023

Dr. Veronica Mengqi Zhang: Gaining Resources, Support & Opportunities Through the GCC Community

December 1, 2022

Dr. Veronica Mengqi Zhang

Dr. Veronica Mengqi Zhang joined Michigan State University (MSU) as the Organic Chemistry Laboratory Coordinator and has been working on implementing and refining the reformed laboratory curriculum towards cooperative learning and green chemistry. As a Green Chemistry Commitment (GCC) signer, MSU has prioritized green chemistry education and knowledge sharing for several years.

In this Q&A, Dr. Zhang shares her story about being part of the GCC community.

How did you first learn about the Green Chemistry Commitment?

My first encounter with green chemistry and the GCC was during my Biennial Conference on Chemical Education (BCCE) trip at Notre Dame in Indiana (2018). I attended a symposium held by Beyond Benign. I have been drawn to the concept and this community ever since.

What was the process of becoming part of the GCC community like for you?

The MSU Chemistry Department signed the GCC in 2018, which was before I joined MSU.

The Chemistry Department is committed to implementing green chemistry in its courses, including lectures, seminars and labs. During my interview to become the organic lab coordinator at MSU, they welcomed me as a green chemist after describing prior green chemistry projects I had been involved in as a doctoral student. The transition to including green chemistry as the organic lab coordinator was natural, especially as the cooperative chemistry team at MSU had already laid a foundation of green chemistry in the organic labs.

What has being part of the GCC community done for you as a faculty member?

Being a part of the GCC community allows me to keep up with the most up-to-date developments and breakthroughs in green chemistry in both academia and industries and share this information with approximately 1600 students every year.

Green chemistry is a relatively new but fast-growing field. I am very lucky to be in an institution where there is a vibrant cohort of chemists and researchers in green chemistry and especially Green Synthesis. Being part of the GCC community, we were able to collaborate on multiple projects and make progress as a team.

Any specific outcomes you can share?

MSU has some great green chemistry programs for both graduate students and undergraduate students. The REU summer program focused on Cross-Disciplinary Training in Sustainable Chemistry and Chemical Processes. The Green Cooperative Organic Chemistry Laboratory and Green Chemistry Freshman Seminar aimed to provide students with in-person experience in green chemistry and even field trips to industries on related topics!

Being part of the IUSE team, we successfully implemented a reformed Green Cooperative Organic Chemistry Laboratory curriculum in the 2021 Fall semester and have been making great progress since then. In the 2022 Fall semester, we are incorporating a new Amide Synthesis project into the undergraduate instructional laboratory. The beta testing of this work was sponsored by Beyond Benign and DOW. I am very excited for this new project!

How has being part of the GCC community impacted your students and their ability to prepare for career competitiveness?

My students come from various backgrounds in STEM: Biology, Physiology, Zoology, Kinesiology, Physics, Chemistry, etc. Our curriculum features cooperative learning and green chemistry. We want students to work as a team and tackle real-life problems using crosscutting concepts and scientific practices. Being provided with a project scenario, students will need to conduct experiments like researchers, analyze experimental data, make decisions, and communicate their findings in various scientific formats, all of which will make them more competitive in future career opportunities. Taking the Green Cooperative Laboratory course will hopefully plant a seed in their minds and help guide the direction for their professional development.

How has being part of the GCC helped your institution?

Personally, I was very excited to share our curriculum reform (towards project-based lab and green chemistry) results from MSU with the Green Chemistry Community at Beyond Benign Symposiums in the past year! It’s a great opportunity for connections as well.

In the long run, being part of the GCC sends a signal to researchers and students who are interested in green chemistry that MSU values green chemistry. I was drawn to this position because of that.

Why do you think other institutions should join the GCC?

Resources. Being a part of GCC allows you to gain access to the systematic training in green chemistry, most recent development in curriculum reform towards green chemistry, and numerous connections/symposiums held every month.

Support. GCC is a great community for researchers and chemists who share common academic goals in green chemistry. Knowing that you are not alone on this path is important in the long run.

Opportunities. Interested in future collaborations? Join GCC!

What advice would you give another faculty member about advocating for green chemistry on their campus?

JUST DO IT! You are not alone. Never underestimate how many people you can impact.

What did you share at the BCCE? What was your favorite part?

The topic of my presentation at BCCE 2022 was “Integrating Green Chemistry into the Organic Laboratory using Project-Based Experiments and Case Studies.” It was about the incorporation of the new amide project into the laboratory curriculum and how that echoes with the case study on the same topic.

BCCE conferences have always been my favorite national conferences. I absolutely appreciated the conversations with and feedback from the audience and green chemistry community.

What has the DOW grant allowed you to do that you would have otherwise not been able to do? What impact has it had on you and your students?

The beta testing of the new Green Cooperative Organic Laboratory projects was sponsored by the DOW grant and Beyond Benign. There would not be a new lab project without the DOW grant!

I also want to give credit to the three brilliant MSU undergraduate students I was fortunate to work with on the beta-testing process: Brennan Baldwin, Lillian Centlivre and Morgan Maclean. It is their hard work that led to the success of the test.

Dr. Veronica Mengqi Zhang: Gaining Resources, Support & Opportunities Through the GCC Community

December 1, 2022

Dr. Veronica Mengqi Zhang Dr. Veronica Mengqi Zhang joined Michigan State University (MSU) as the Organic Chemistry Laboratory Coordinator and has been working on implementing and refining the reformed laboratory [...]

Beyond Benign Launches Initiative to Support Green Chemistry Educators at Minority-Serving Higher Education Institutions

October 24, 2022

October 25, 2022 — Beyond Benign announced a new Minority Serving Institution (MSI) Initiative, designed to provide green chemistry educational support for faculty and students at minority-serving institutions (MSIs). Being built and executed in collaboration with MSIs, the initiative is intended to ensure the next generation of world-class chemists and scientific leaders are reflective of the diversity of the global community and prepared to address sustainability through chemistry.

“It is critical that MSI leadership and expertise is included in the growing green chemistry education community. The inclusion and involvement of institutions that serve students from Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities into our Green Chemistry Commitment program is central in ensuring the talent pool of sustainable scientists is diverse and equipped with a diversity of perspectives and approaches that will solve global and local challenges.” – says Dr. Amy Cannon, Executive Director and Co-Founder of Beyond Benign.

The key objectives of this initiative include: partnering with MSI chemistry and science departments, through funding opportunities, professional development and leadership opportunities, to evolve chemistry teaching and practice at their institutions to include green chemistry and sustainable science; building inclusive, diverse community spaces for MSI and BIPOC faculty to collaborate, learn, and share about green chemistry; and engaging and supporting green chemistry student leaders.

The MSI initiative is a critical component of the Beyond Benign Green Chemistry Commitment (GCC) 25×25 program, which seeks to ensure that 25 percent of graduating chemists in the U.S. have a background in green chemistry by 2025. The Commitment program offers higher education institutions a flexible model to expand green chemistry education through their science departments. Through signing the GCC, higher education institutions become part of a broad network advocating for green chemistry education, and gain access to professional development opportunities, funding opportunities, mentorship, peer-to-peer support, and much more.

Through this initiative, Beyond Benign will conduct outreach and discussions with faculty members across a variety of MSIs to better understand the unique needs and challenges they face in incorporating green chemistry into their classrooms, labs, and departments. By bringing their leadership and expertise to the table, MSI faculty will help shape adaptable models to scale green chemistry educational programming for higher education students across the nation. Beyond Benign intends to support MSI faculty in their green chemistry work with resources, peer networks, and funding and professional development opportunities.

About Beyond Benign:

Beyond Benign, a 501(c)3 nonprofit envisions a world where the chemical building blocks of products used every day are healthy and safe for humans and the environment. Beyond Benign’s mission is to foster a green chemistry community that empowers educators to transform chemistry education for a sustainable future. Beyond Benign is working to equip educators from K-20 with the ability to teach chemistry and STEM through a lens of sustainability grounded in the 12 principles of green chemistry. By providing educators with tools, training and a peer support network, educators are equipped to train the next generation of scientists and citizens with the skills and knowledge to create and choose products that are safe for human health and the environment.

Co-founded in 2007 by Dr. John Warner, the co-founder of the field of green chemistry, and Dr. Amy Cannon, who holds the world’s first Ph.D. in Green Chemistry, Beyond Benign has an extensive history of service. Over the past 15 year, Beyond Benign has trained over 6,500 K-12 teachers in sustainable science and green chemistry, designed over 200 open-access lessons, reached over 35,000 youth and community members through outreach, & partnered with 103 universities to transform chemistry education. Together we can catalyze the development of green technological innovations that result in safer products and processes in support of a sustainable, healthy society.

Find us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and on LinkedIn.

Press Release Link.

Press Contact:

Nicki Wiggins,
Director of Development & Strategic Partnerships
Beyond Benign
Nicki_Wiggins@beyondbenign.org

Beyond Benign Launches Initiative to Support Green Chemistry Educators at Minority-Serving Higher Education Institutions

October 24, 2022

October 25, 2022 — Beyond Benign announced a new Minority Serving Institution (MSI) Initiative, designed to provide green chemistry educational support for faculty and students at minority-serving institutions (MSIs). Being [...]

University of York signs the Green Chemistry Commitment

October 3, 2022

The Beyond Benign team is more than excited to welcome the University of York to our Green Chemistry Commitment program!

Led by Professor Helen Sneddon, the Green Chemistry Centre of Excellence (GCCE) at the University of York is a world-leading academic facility for developing Green and Sustainable chemistry teaching and research through a variety of technology platforms and within its highly successful graduate program.

“In an ideal world, Green Chemistry wouldn’t exist as a sub-discipline. We need to move to a way of thinking where sustainability is considered as part of everything we do. Signing this commitment is symbolic of the growing integration of Green Chemistry across all Chemistry teaching and research at York. The next generation of chemists have enormous potential to accelerate the shift to greener chemistry, and it’s an honour to be part of that process.” – Professor Helen Sneddon, Head of the GCCE.

By signing the Green Chemistry Commitment, the GCCE aims to ensure that all students will be exposed to the principles of Green Chemistry and develop the required skills to practice sustainability through chemistry. Visit the University of York’s Green Chemistry Commitment profile and their recent article to learn more about this institution’s steps to advancing Green Chemistry Education!

University of York signs the Green Chemistry Commitment

October 3, 2022

The Beyond Benign team is more than excited to welcome the University of York to our Green Chemistry Commitment program! Led by Professor Helen Sneddon, the Green Chemistry Centre of […]

Why Chemistry is the Most Essential Science in Addressing Climate Change

September 20, 2022

By Dr. Amy Cannon, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Beyond Benign

I was asked recently to compare the carbon footprint of a green chemist versus a traditionally trained one. While this is impossible to quantify, it is certainly true that green chemistry training and skills can prepare chemists to better reduce their own impacts. More importantly, it gives them the skills to design chemical products that inherently address climate change. This is the part that excites me most.

Chemistry is often referred to as the “central science.” If this is true, then chemistry must also be the central science of sustainability. It’s chemistry that has the tremendous power to design in and out physical properties. So if we are talking about properties such as global warming potential (GWP), only chemists — through innovative, smart chemical design — can design out this property, therefore creating products that have inherently less (or no!) GWP. No other science can do this. Consumer behavior cannot do this.

This is something only chemists can do.

Green Chemistry: The Science of Tomorrow

Refrigerants serve as a good example of the power of green chemistry to address climate change-related issues. Originally developed in the early 1900s, refrigerants are essential enabling chemical technologies. Over the years, they have evolved from flammable, explosive, or highly toxic gases to highly stable (and persistent) chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) to hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), which do not have the ozone-depleting potential of their CFC predecessors but still have high inherent GWP.

In the past two decades, chemists have developed new classes of refrigerants that address GWP through molecular design, creating refrigerants that have minimal or no inherent GWP. One could argue that chemists created the problem in the first place by creating refrigerants that traded off one hazardous property for another. Regardless, chemists necessarily have a lead role in the solution. The power of chemistry is tremendous – that is, if done through green chemistry.

How do we get more chemists trained with green chemistry skills? Education, of course! The better we prepare students with green chemistry skills, the better they will be prepared to use the powerful tools of chemistry to address global challenges — in the ways that only chemistry can. So while we may not be able to quantify the carbon footprint of a chemist, we do know that chemistry is essential to help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and create a thriving, habitable world for our future.

We have a lot of work to do — now is the time to get involved! Check out the resources below to find out how you can join us.

Why Chemistry is the Most Essential Science in Addressing Climate Change

September 20, 2022

By Dr. Amy Cannon, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Beyond Benign I was asked recently to compare the carbon footprint of a green chemist versus a traditionally trained one. While [...]

Teaching Green Chemistry to Deaf Students in Brazil – A Pioneer Case Study

August 30, 2022

In 2022, more than 400 million people worldwide present disabling hearing loss, and it is estimated that by 2050 over 900 million people will have deafness [1]. Thousands of these citizens are students who are enrolled in high school and higher education programs in Brazil. Unfortunately, traditional Chemistry is not particularly inclusive and sustainable. In the context of the teaching Chemistry and Environmental Education, Green Chemistry must be worked on in an integrated, continuous, and permanent manner.

Carlos Alberto da Silva Júnior is an Assistant Professor at the Federal Institute of Paraíba, who believes that supporting Inclusive Green Chemistry should be a commitment we all make to society. In 2017, Carlos Alberto started his research in teaching Green Chemistry to deaf students.

In 2020, the project “Teaching Green Chemistry to Deaf Students: A Brazilian Case Study” was presented by Carlos Alberto in the Postgraduate Summer School on Green Chemistry (Venice, Italy), and received a Best Poster award. This pioneer inclusive method was developed and applied to facilitate the teaching and learning process of deaf students. The project was divided into four stages: (i) survey questions, (ii) case study, (iii) visual-educational activity, and (iv) experiments. Didactic resources were adapted to facilitate the access of hearing and deaf students in this important theme.

Anastas and others propose that a systems thinking approach is also required for a sustainable future [2]. Results showed that the strategy used by Carlos Alberto resulted in a positive impact on the learning of students and a greater interest in the subjects of Green Chemistry. This case study is a good example to introduce all (hearing and deaf) students to the 12 Principles of Green Chemistry as well as important general chemistry concepts with a stimulating educational environment [3].

Online class to deaf students during the pandemic in 2021. Brazilian Sign Language is part of this inclusive approach.

Currently, Carlos Alberto and his research group are developing virtual resources to help deaf students learning Green Chemistry (Figure 2). “Being an inclusive teacher during the pandemic was a great challenge because students haven’t had the same access to internet. Inclusion is more than a destination; it is a journey following by courage and love”, says Carlos Alberto. Most importantly, discovering new approaches to provide improved access in Green Chemistry for an effective cultural heritage and global social well-being should be a priority.

References:

[1] World Health Organization (WHO), Retrieved from: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/deafness-and-hearing-loss, 2022.

[2] Anastas, P. T. Trends in Chemistry, 2019, 1, 145-148.

[3] Sheldon, R. A. Green Chem., 2017, 19, 18-43.

Teaching Green Chemistry to Deaf Students in Brazil – A Pioneer Case Study

August 30, 2022

In 2022, more than 400 million people worldwide present disabling hearing loss, and it is estimated that by 2050 over 900 million people will have deafness [1]. Thousands of these […]

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