SUNY Potsdam

We constantly hear rumblings regarding the inability of scientists to innovate "like they used to".  We hear about the hazards of chemistry and the desperate need to put society on a sustainable pathway.  We scientists worry about the general public's lack of appreciation or ability to understand basic science.  It is an inescapable reality that the next generation of students in chemistry will be living and working in a very different world than the previous generation.  Despair is not an option.  The future is brighter than ever.  We need to attract the next generation of students into the optimistic promise of green chemistry. The evolution of Green Chemistry is happening around us.  Industrial labs are embracing the principles and Academic Departments across the country are reorienting their curriculum.  This discussion will explain why students (and their instructors) need to know that they are essential to achieving a sustainable future.  Albert Einstein once said that "No problem can be solved at the same level of awareness that created it".  We need a diversity of students that have new perspectives and new ideas, to help us chart our path forward.