Chemists are commonly perceived as mad scientists�traditionally thought of as advocates of industry and at odds with environmentalists. Yet with our planet now in the anthropocene, gripped by climate change and ecosystem imbalances brought on by human development, chemists and engineers have a crucial responsibility in helping us shift our consumption-based lifestyle to a more sustainable one, both through their research and public outreach. A global leader on many other fronts, but still the most wasteful per capita, the United States must take the lead in developing and implementing these clean, zero-carbon technologies immediately. As more of the globe fashions itself after the American Way, we have the potential to set higher standards with more serious policies and innovative research into efficient, sustainable energy technologies.

Renewable energy technologies: How chemists can help the United States transition to a new norm

248th National Meeting (2014)

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