Chemists Celebrate Earth Day: “Recycling – Chemistry Can!”

The American Chemical Society’s (ACS) observance of Earth Day on April 22 — Chemists Celebrate Earth Day 2007 — will include a wide variety of community activities focusing on the program’s theme, “Recycling - Chemistry Can!” This annual event unites ACS local sections, businesses, schools and individuals in communicating the importance of chemistry to the quality of life. The general international Earth Day was created in 1970 to celebrate Earth’s life and beauty and to emphasize the need for preserving and renewing the threatened ecological balances upon which all life on Earth depends. Activities planned by ACS Local Sections across the nation this spring include setting up collection sites for recyclable material at local malls, coordinating community park beautification and recycling projects, sponsoring a drop-off day for electronic recyclables or batteries and haiku and video contests for students. Check http://chemistry.org/earthday for details about Earth Day activities. Among the numerous on-going, environmental-related initiatives of the American Chemical Society is the ACS Green Chemistry Institute, which addresses environmental issues throughout the year. Green chemistry is the design of chemical products and processes that reduce or eliminate the use and generation of hazardous substances. The American Chemical Society — the world’s largest scientific society — is a nonprofit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress and a global leader in providing access to chemistry-related research through its multiple databases, peer-reviewed journals and scientific conferences. Its main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.