Chemistry Effects on Environment

422 Words2 Pages
Environmental issues such as climate change, water pollution and renewable energy make the news headlines and have become increasingly important in every day life. Many people perceive chemistry and the chemical industry as harmful to the environment. However, many new advances and scientific researches in the field of chemistry are helping us to develop more environment friendly materials and applications, while preserving the quality and the lifestyle we expect. Over the years, the industry and wider public have become aware of the damaging effects of some past practices and the need to protect the environment. In the past, few were aware of the potentially negative effects our modern lifestyle might have on the environment, and rather saw only the positive potential for creating new, useful materials and products. Research in biological sciences and chemistry has revealed that industrial processes in chemistry and petro chemistry could play a role in developing solutions to environmental problems such as climate change, waste management, recycling, energy efficiency – just to name a few. Without chemists, we might never have truly understood these problems. Profound changes have been made – and still are being made - to provide alternative solutions. In parallel, chemists and petro chemists are now researching new methods that are more sustainable and environmentally friendly while maintaining the development of our economy and our industry. Examples include: Biofuels: transportation fuel derived from biomass. A wide range of biomass products such as sugar cane, rapeseed, corn, straw, wood, animal and agriculture residues and waste can be transformed into fuels for transport; Bioplastics: production of plastic materials using natural sources such as plants, which are then biodegradable; Insulation: enhanced insulating materials to enable more energy-efficient
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