Environmental concerns for educational institutions

The process of communicating green chemistry is more complex and less direct than it appears. The meaning of the ideas and concepts yields an interpretation that is heavily dependent on the structure of language, on where information is situated relative to other information. Context is critical. It allows us to make sense out of information by selecting among competing interpretations. 

Environmental Clean-up Responsibility Act (ECRA) Resource Conservation Recovery Act (RCRA) Superfund Amendments Re-authorization Act (SARA) 

Control air pollution Control water pollution Clean-up of environmental pollution Chemical Disposal 

An ever-expanding list of occupational and environmental laws and regulations affect schools and colleges. The corresponding responsibilities require school administrators and staff to not only be aware of the various hazardous chemical regulations, but also to expend substantial time and dollars to assure that liabilities are minimized. Compliance with many of these regulations can be simplified, or at least, effectively focused and prioritized, if hazardous chemical and product information is readily available (Forum for Scientific Excellence, 1990). 

To determine how best to present green chemistry to students, it would be best to look at attitudes. A study reports on the relationship between attitudinal factors and student academic success in first-year chemistry courses. The study includes a comparison of attitudes toward chemistry of first-year medical students at two universities. Students from these two institutions differ considerably with respect to educational backgrounds. In the investigation, attitudes toward science (particularly chemistry) were correlated not only with students academic achievement, but also with personal demographic data, such as matriculation results, parents educational level, and location of high school. The students responses to an opinion survey suggest a substantial relationship between attitudes and academic achievement. The results also suggest that academic achievement in chemistry is more dependent on attitudes toward science than aptitudes of students (Cukrowska et al., 1999). 

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