Sustainable society

Important topics in biocatalysis for organic synthesis are described in this book, for experts and non-experts. Especially, the book focuses on those reactions that are under development now and will be more significant in the future. Therefore, each chapter describing a specific theme summarizes not only the present state but also the direction of the research. The prospects and dreams that will become possible, using biocatalysis, in the future to construct a sustainable society are also included. 

The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) defines cleaner production as the conceptual and procedural approach to production that demands that all phases of the life-cycle of products must be addressed with the objective of the prevention or minimization of short- and long-term risks to humans and the environment. A total societal commitment is required for effecting this comprehensive approach to achieving the goal of sustainable societies. 9... 

Agronomy should thus be used as a core tool to build a sustainable society. Table 1.1 gathers the major practices of sustainable agriculture, and their main benefits. It should thus help readers to build rapidly an overall vision of the current innovative tools and approaches to build a sustainable world. 

Bioethanol upgrading and valorization is another area in which catalysis will be a key player. The decrease in ethanol production cost and the need to realize a transition to a society based more on renewables are two driving forces to develop new catalytic processes for bioethanol conversion. However, without improvements in the efficiency and selectivity of the various processes for ethanol, and in general biomass conversion, which are possible only by the introduction of better and/or new catalysts, this transition to a bio-based economy will probably not be possible. Research on catalysis will thus be the enabling factor for this change towards a more sustainable society. 

In conclusion, this book constitutes the first step of IDECAT in developing a coherent framework of activities to create a bio-based and sustainable society through catalysis. This book is at the same time an updated overview of the state-of-the-art and a roadmap that defines new directions, opportunities and needs for R D. Finally, we warmly thank Dr. Ad Kolen, NRSC-Catalysis (The Netherlands), whose continued support made possible both the workshop cited and this book. 

A goal—Students, faculty, and staff need to understand their respective roles in creating a more prosperous and sustainable society to be in line with the vision. 

Tradable quota systems for carbon emissions, where individuals are given an allocation of quota, do this for fossil fuel consumption (see policy C3 of the Green Party Manifesto for a Sustainable Society at http //policy.greenparty.org.uk/mfss (accessed November 2006) or the Tyndall Centre proposals for domestic tradable quotas (Starkey and Anderson, 2005). 

Recycling is a necessary part of a sustainable society where the needs of future generations must be considered. We are experiencing an increased use of materials in a series of products, e.g. in biomedical products for improving health, in electronic items for industry and fun, and in simple packaging... 

Starke L. (ed.) (2004). State of the World-2004 Progress towards a Sustainable Society. Earthscan, London, 246 pp. 

C02 levels and the depletion of finite resources. Alternatives such as hydroelectric and solar power energy should be considered if man is to live in a truly sustainable society. The necessary tools and insights will be developed in Part IV. 

The previous sections have pointed to the important role that solar energy will play in a sustainable society. Whether we talk of a living system, an industrial society, or an economic system, it seems that ultimately solar energy should drive it "The sun is our nuclear reactor, remote and safe" [3]. In that context, it makes much sense to pay attention to an inspiring and consciousness-raising monograph with the title Our Ecological Footprint [20,28]. 

In this chapter, we will focus on solar energy and its conversion to other forms of energy. Solar energy is renewable and as an immaterial source, radiation, its emission is equally immaterial. In nature, it induces closed material cycles with overall outputs that closely resemble those of industry mechanical, chemical, and electrical energy, and chemical products. These properties (i.e., renewability, no emissions, and closed material cycles) make solar energy an excellent candidate for energy supply to a sustainable society in the making. 

In this chapter, we try to offer a glimpse of what the future of the energy and chemical industries may hold and try to point out some of the technological hurdles that have to be overcome to reach the goal, a sustainable society. We point out that we have not discussed nuclear power industries and do not know what role they will play in the future, but we foresee an increased use of nuclear power, perhaps temporary or longer term. 

In order to make a transition to a sustainable society, initially, fossil fuels will play an important role. Fossil fuels will be expended in building the first fully sustainable chemical and energy plants (as per the definitions in this book). In the short term, hybrid technologies may be popular, which mark the transition from the "fossil period" to the "solar period," which could be the final sustainable society. Undoubtedly, natural gas will become important in the short term. 

To our children and grandchildren who may witness the emergence of a sustainable society... 

The book is meant for the practicing engineer and anybody else who is interested or engaged in the transition from a fossil-based, non-sustainable industry to a sustainable, low-waste industry based on renewable energy and resources. Thus, it is hoped, the book itself will contribute to the development of a sustainable society. 

In the authors eyes, industrial biotechnology will create a more sustainable society for the people of today and the generations of the future. 

Society requires new materials for sustainable development through a sustainable energy economy, and consequently pollution abatement policies have increased the demand for new specific materials. Materials science for sustainable energy and pollution abatement is the scientific endeavor that provides these new materials in order maintain the development of a sustainable society. 

Brown ET (1990) State of the world A WorldWatch Institute report on process toward a sustainable society. Norton, New York, pp 210... 

There are already several examples of chemicals being produced by microbial fermentation of engineered cell factories, whose production through metabolic engineering has been boosted by the use of genomics tools, e.g., 1,3-propanediol used for polymer production, riboflavin used as a vitamin, and 7-aminodeacetoxy-cephalosporanic acid (7-ADCA) used as a precursor for antibiotics production. Furthermore, in the quest to develop a more sustainable society, the chemical industry is currently developing novel processes for many other fuels and chemicals, e.g., butanol, to be used for fuels, organic acids to be used for polymer production, and amino acids to be used as feed. 

Rg. 1.15. Elecirochemisiry as a core science for the development of a sustainable society. 

Implementation of green chemistry education at the undergraduate level is key to adopting more sustainable practices and hence a more sustainable society 4), This education should be for both science and non-science majors. While certainly those students who are science majors may have a direct route to action in applying green chemistry principles in both research and development, nonscience majors can also benefit since they become aware of the importance of sustainable practices, learn about positive every-day habits, and come to realize that the chemical industry, which in the past (and even currently) was viewed as a major contributor to environmental degradation, is also part of the solution to the problem. 

Many of the resources of our planet are being stretched to the limit and beyond by the burgeoning human population of the earth and advances in technology. Until recently, most advances in technology were put forth with little thought about the consequences of their environmental impact or their impact on the consumption of natural resources. If we are to foster a sustainable society then these impacts must be reduced and even eliminated. In the area of chemistry, green chemistry or sustainable chemistry has begun to answer this need. 

To prepare our students to become productive members of a sustainable society, we must bring the broader issues of sustainability and the more specific focus of green chemistry into the classroom. In 2000 Daryle Busch, who was then President of the ACS, made the following statement. 

Regional Environmental Centre for Central and Eastern Europe established as an independent, nonprofit organization to assist environmental nongovernmental organizations, governments, businesses, and other environmental stakeholders to fulfill their role in a democratic, sustainable society, http //www.rec.org/... 

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