Chemistry and our planet

Abstract

In the course of my career, I have witnessed a remarkable transformation as environmental awareness has moved from the periphery to the center of our practice. We are now on the threshold of another landmark moment in the relationship between the chemistry profession and the environment, as questions about the legitimacy of science, expertise, facts, and the nature of truth itself have become prominent in our public discourse. These questions are fueled in part by the ready availability of information to support the firmly held beliefs and arguments of partisans on all sides of an issue. With so much information traveling at us all, continuously and at high velocity, it becomes difficult to decide which sources are authoritative. Climate change is one of the noisiest and most contentious issues in the public forum, where the ongoing debate in the U.S. remains snagged on first principles: Does the problem exist? If