Science, technology, society and the environment

During your chemistry course this year, you will study the interactions among science, technology, society, and the environment. These interactions are abbreviated as STSE. Throughout the textbook—in examples, practice problems, activities, investigations, and features—STSE interactions are discussed. The issues that appear at the end of some units are especially rich sources for considering STSE interactions. In these simulations, you are encouraged to assess and make decisions about important issues that affect society and the environment. 

Q Design a graphic organizer that clearly shows the connections among science, technology, society, and the environment. 

The principle of science and technology in the twenty-first century must shift from a focus on utilization to a priority on harmony with the society and the environment. 

The latter part of the 20th century has seen remarkable advances in science and technology. Accomplishments in biochemistry and medicine, computer technology, and telecommunications have benefited nearly everyone on Earth to one degree or another. Along with these advances that have improved our quality of life, scientific research into the study of the Earth has revealed a planetary system that is more complex and dynamic than anyone would have imagined even 50 years ago. The Earth and the environment have become one of society s greatest concerns, perhaps as the result of these discoveries combined with the quick dissemination of information that is now possible with modem telecommunications. 

As society advances, its values depend on what is produced and those sources of production. However, as the means to acquire products becomes easier, values turn inward to the general societal welfare and our environment. Uncontrolled fire can devastate our assets and production sources, and this relates to the societal costs of fire prevention and loss restoration. The effects of fire on people and the environment become social issues that depend on the political ideology and economics that prevail in the state. Thus, attention to fire prevention and control depend on its perceived damage potential and our social values in the state. While these issues have faced all cultures, perhaps the twentieth century ultimately provided the basis for addressing fire with proper science in the midst of significant social and technological advances, especially among the developed countries. 

This work was supported by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology (MEXT) and the global environment research fund of the Japanese Ministry of the Environment (B-083)- M. Kuwata thanks to the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) for a JSPS Research Fellowship for Young Scientists. Edited by G. Roberts... 

Petts, J. (1994) Incineration as a Waste Management Option, in Issues in Environmental Science and Technology 2 Waste Incineration and the Environment, (eds R. E. Hester and R. M. Harrison), Royal Society of Chemistry, Cambridge, pp. 1-25. 

Montiel Morte MC Hayes DG. 2009. Biocatalytic synthesis of polyglycerol polyricinoleate, a value-added, bio-based, food emulsifier. 16th Annual BioEnvironmental Polymer Society (BEPS) Meeting (Polymers and the Environment - Emerging Technologies and Science. Chicago, IL. 

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