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New to green chemistry? Here is the idea: As fuel prices skyrocket and the costs of carbon emissions and other pollution increase, the win-win of moving Minnesota's economy to a more sustainable foundation gets ever more clear. Greener technologies promise new jobs, as well as new markets for everyone from farmers to high-tech businesses. At the same time, the concept of "green" chemistry is gaining strength, nationally and internationally. Simply put, green chemistry means coming up with consumer and commercial products and ways of making them that will intentionally reduce or eliminate toxic substances altogether. And, because green chemistry's core principles also include energy efficiency and waste reduction, these approaches often result in significant savings going straight to a manufacturer's bottom line.
The University of Minnesota held an innovation conference in 2008 that brought together academicians, policymakers, business leaders, scientists, educators, artists, students ,and the public to discuss solutions to the major challenges facing the United States revolving around science and technology policy, including innovation, energy security and sustainability, health sciences policy, and our ongoing economic competitiveness in a high-tech, highly-educated global marketplace. The goal of Innovation 2008 was to bring scientists together with policymakers and the public to help move the United States toward policies that are better informed by scientific realities and to help scientists, engineers, and the scientific community as a whole become more engaged in the political process. The conference also explored ways to bridge the divide between science and the broader culture as a way to broaden public appreciation of science.
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