Advancing Green Chemistry shares with us an article detailing the current discussion--or is it a squabble?-- about establishing a standard for Green Chemistry. There are a lot of very powerful people interested in the outcome of this discussion, it appears! Important people are listening and participating. But there also appears to be some potential for gridlock as these groups try to find a standard that is good for everyone.
A variety of stakeholders care about the outcome of this discussion. The public is of course one group that may benefit from a clear and rigorous standard. It would make it easier for us to make greener choices without having to draw on a great deal of technical expertise (which few of us have). On the other hand, industry is likely to strongly resist any standard which is going to give some products a competitive advantage over others. AGC discusses this problem at some length. But it's good reading.
One of the great strengths of the Green Chemistry community is its inclusiveness. It bring all kinds of perspectives to the table. When people with differing viewpoints find themselves working on a problem together, the opportunity to innovate for real change is more likely. But the solutions that these various groups can agree to are rare, and difficult to discover.
It's good and difficult work, and we'll hope that the outcome brings us a step forward.
Advancing Green Chemistry keeps a close eye on the chemical industry (ACC is an acronym we all ought to know), and provide frequent updates on issues interesting to the Green Chemistry community through their Facebook page and Twitter feed.
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