Green chemistry

1. The chemical industry has made many positive contributions to modern life, but these improvements have come at a price. The chemical products themselves, the chemicals used to produce them, and the byproducts of their production have sometimes been harmful to our health or the environment. Concern about these dangers has led to a movement in the chemical industry that is sometimes called Green Chemistry or Environmentally Benign Chemistry.

2. Its goal is to produce, process, and use chemicals in new ways that pose fewer risks to humans and their environment. In support of this goal, President Clinton inaugurated the Green Chemistry Program in March 1995, to be coordinated by the Environmental Protection Agency.

3. As part of this program, the Green Chemistry Challenge Awards were set up, as part of the Green Chemistry Program, to “recognize and promote fundamental and innovative chemical methodologies that accomplish pollution prevention and that have broad application in industry.”

4. As soon as a new ship goes into the water, various plants and animals begin to grow on its bottom. This growth slows the ship’s progress and causes other problems as well, ultimately costing the shipping industry an estimated $3 billion per year. Substances called antifoulants are painted on the bottom of ships to prevent the unwanted growth, but most of them can be harmful to the marine environment. Sea‑Nine® is a more environmentally friendly chemical than the alternatives because it breaks down in the ocean more quickly and does not accumulate in marine organisms.

at a price - по высокой цене, дорого

antifoulant - средство, предохраняющее от биологического обрастания (подводных сооружении)

Source: P. T. Anastas and T. C. Williams, Eds. Green Chemistry; (Washington DC: American Chemical Society,1996). New, environmentally friendly marine antifoulants protect ships without polluting the water.

Exercise 21: Work with the group - Read the text once again and find out if the information

a) True

b) False

c) The text doesn’t consist any information:

Questions	Answers
1.The chemical industry has greatly developed and improved our modern life.	*
2.Sea-Nine® breaks down easily and does not accumulate in human organism.	*
3.The improvements of our life cost nothing.	*
4.Byproducts of chemical industry are very dangerous.	*
5.Green Chemistry Program defenses benign people.	*
6.It was Bill Clinton who inaugurated the Green Chemistry Program in may 1995.	*
7.Sea-Nine® breaks down easily and does not accumulate in marine organism.	*

Exercise 22: Work with the group - Read the text once again and point out the abstract number of the following sentences:

1. Haas Company won the price for creating a new chemical product, called (Sea-Nine®) to prevent various plants and animals of growing on the bottom of ships.

a) 1

b) 2

c) 3

d) 4

2. Clinton inaugurated the Green Chemistry Program.

a) 4

b) 3

c) 2

d) 1

3. Sea-Nine® is not harmful for marine environment.

a) 2

b) 3

c) 4

d) 1

Exercise 23: Work with a group - Answer the questions: