ACS Puts a Focus on Sustainability
18 March 2010
The current issue of the American Chemical Society’s (ACS) JACS Select has, for the first time, drawn content from two ACS journals—JACS and Environmental Science & Technology—under the theme of “Harnessing Energy for a Sustainable World”. The 11 papers selected from JACS concern materials and methods for energy production and storage (e.g., fuel cells, batteries, bio-hydrocarbon fuels and solar); the 10 papers from ES&T speak to how energy could—or should—be cleverly harnessed.
JACS Select is the journal’s thematic Web-based collections of recently published JACS papers. All articles will remain free to non-subscribers until the appearance of the next JACS Select. This issue is published in concert with the 2010 ACS Spring National Meeting’s similar focus on “Chemistry for a Sustainable World”. In an editorial providing a quick summary of the papers selected for the issue, John Crittenden, ES&T Associate Editor and Henry White, JACS Associate Editor note:
Innovation through scientific discovery is a necessary component of much societal advancement. To truly implement sustainable practices, energy must be harnessed more cleanly and stored for efficient distribution and use. This systems-level change, sometimes referred to as the New Industrial Revolution, will require novel materials as well as savvy analysis and modeling to ensure success.
In addition, ACS is holding its first sustainability forum in conjunction with the 239th National Meeting in San Francisco next week. The forum is intended to spark interest among chemical scientists and engineers to collaborate on sustainability projects and to help set ACS’ long-term sustainability agenda.
The forum, organized by a coalition of key Society committees known as the Sustainability Stakeholders Steering Group (S3G), will feature discussion of a number of questions including:
- What information could truly advance the practice of chemistry in support of sustainability?
- What resources do chemists need to tackle global sustainability challenges?
- How can ACS help members explain chemistry’s central role in sustainability to the public?
- What goals should be set regarding the development of a cadre of chemists who can effectively address sustainability?
- How can ACS, through its advocacy efforts, better advance a sustainable world?
- How can existing recognition programs be adapted to better encourage sustainability-focused research and practice?
- How can ACS, through its own operations, better set an example for sustainability?
Glad to see this initiative advancing the way it is. I look forward to seeing the fruits of this endeavor.
Posted by: Will S | 18 March 2010 at 05:45 PM
This is good news. Thirty years ago it was difficult to think of ACS and "environment" in the same sentence.
Today they are in the thick of 'sustainability' with alternative fuel developments.
Posted by: danm | 19 March 2010 at 01:48 PM