It was a tumultuous time for our country and the world. 1967. Mr. McGuire pulls Benjamin Braddock from a bustling cocktail party to have a word with him outside, just one word actually. Plastics. That's right—a young Benjamin (Dustin Hoffman in The Graduate) gets the tip of a lifetime. The kind of insider info many hope for. Some viewers were likely expecting another word to come out of McGuire's mouth, perhaps one a little more vulgar than plastic; but it was plastic. I know some people think plastic to be a little more than vulgar. Low and behold those who invested early in plastics probably made a bundle, a real pile of dough. Not sure how Mother Nature (including us humans) made out on the deal however.
In a more recent film, A Sea Change, Sven Huseby returns to a school he taught at to speak at the graduation ceremony. He had a word to share – "Cleantech." Sven's concern over climate change and what the future (and our way of living) might bring his grandson sends Sven on a research expedition thru the vast internet and the globe. Net result, clean tech. See the movie. You may have a different take away message. I did see the film and it has had a lasting impact on me.
Cleantech is a term that was coined fairly recently. In a general sense it includes many things like renewable energies (wind, solar, geo thermal, hydro, bio fuels, biomass, etc.), energy efficiencies in green buildings, manufacturing and consumer use, "disposable-compostable" utensils made from potato or corn starch, various aspects of bio mimicry, clean water, etc. The basic idea is to get away from the fossil fuels, petro chemicals, and toxicity that are greatly accelerating climate change, ocean acidification (see A Sea Change), and other long lasting detrimental and destructive impacts on our environment and future generations. Cleantech is the move toward renewable clean and green technologies.
Green Chemistry is having a big impact in this area. Recently, the Warner Babcock Institute for Green Chemistry was highlighted in Chemical and Engineering News. John Warner was/is a very successful chemist in academics and industry. He saw a need for change and went for it. The institute, according to the article is having a big impact. One simple example is an eco friendly hair dye. A popular commercial hair product for men uses lead tetra acetate which is toxic and has been banned in some countries–wow! It absolutely knocks me off my chair to think we are applying toxic chemicals to our head and hair for color change? From the head and hair this toxic substance goes down the drain. Small amounts left in the bottle and/or spills end up in surface water or soil or ground water. Uh-oh, that's a problem. The solution–Warner has come up with a greener/cleaner technology to mimic the harmful one. He is testing it on himself.
By and large the center–or one of the centers– of Cleantech is Silicon Valley. A lot of the bright minds and big money from the semiconductor industry and venture capital are now plowing their efforts into the hopeful and fertile grounds of cleantech. Semiconductor technology has application with solar energy, efficiencies, etc. A lot of progress is being made and more to come.
As mentioned in last month's column, other countries–most notably China–are outpacing the U.S. in investment for renewable energies and cleantech. Europe is and has taken a lead in this area. I truly hope that our government, our country, and our citizens can revive our entrepreneurial spirit and re-direct our national policies, financial capital, and natural capital toward lasting improvement for our world and future generations.
