Sustainability Summer Assignment

Sustainability is defined by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as the traditional definition of sustainability calls for policies and strategies that meet society’s present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. In other words, present ideas without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. We all know that global warming is a apparent problem in the world, and we need to find new ways to deal with it. Several countries are attempting to put an end to this, and so far, their ideas are working.


Chemical pollution is becoming a problem in many countries, especially countries with a low standard of living. In many of those places, chemical factories are present, where waste is generated on a regular basis. The problem they are faced with is what to do with the chemical waste that is generated. Most poor countries just leave the waste wherever they want, thinking nothing will happen to it. But the problem is...that waste stays in the atmosphere and the earth for hundreds of years causing massive amounts of damage. So the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency developed something called "green chemistry" where they design chemical products and processes to reduce or eliminate the use or generation of hazardous substances. Green chemistry provides a number of benefits such as reduced waste, eliminating costly end-of-the-pipe treatments, safer products, reduced use of energy and resources, and improved competitiveness of chemical manufacturers and their customers.

Nanotechnology is the art and science of manipulating matter at the nanoscale to create new and unique materials and products. Nanotechnology has been estimated to have a massive effect on society. With a $9 billion investment per year, it is expected to lead to new medical treatments and tools, more efficient energy production, storage and transmission, better access to clean water, more effective pollution reduction and prevention, and stronger, lighter materials. Nanotechnology concerns materials and working devices that are engineered on a scale of atoms and molecules, and it is estimated that by 2020. $1 trillion worth of products could be nano-engineered in some way.

http://www.epa.gov/greenchemistry/
http://www.nanotechproject.org/topics/nano101/