Green Options » American Chemical Society

Grading “Green” or Just How Eco-Friendly Is My Laundry Detergent?

Lisa Wojnovich — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 21:13:29 +0000

The last time you went to the grocery store or the local Walmart, did you count the number of cleaners, soaps, and detergents that labeled themselves “green.” At Target last week while attempting to find the laundry detergent that was supposed to be on sale, I was boggled by all the new green chemicals that I’d never heard of before my shopping trip. I wasn’t certain what most of them did — much less exactly how “green” they really were.

Read more of this story »

Popcorn Can Reduce Your Risk of Cancer!

Zachary Shahan — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 21:26:05 +0000

Did you know that whole grain products, such as whole grain cereals and popcorn, are extremely healthy and not only for their high fiber content? These common breakfast and snack foods are rich in antioxidant substances, of which fruits and vegetables were generally considered to be our only really significant source until now. These antioxidants, called “polyphenols,” can also be found in wine, tea leaves, coffee, olive oil, walnuts, and chocolate. However, not to the same degree as in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. These polyphenols may be the leading way to reduce risk of cancer and heart disease.

Read more of this story »

US Scientists Say Burning Ice Could Provide Green Power

Andrew Williams — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 10:58:43 +0000

US Scientists have revealed how natural gas locked up in frozen water crystals could provide massive amounts of energy, and claim that it could even be totally emissions-free.

The astonishing claim was made by Tim Collett of the United States Geological Survey at last weeks national meeting of the American Chemical Society. Collett told the gathering that, to the naked eye, clathrate hydrate (CH) looks like everyday ice but, as well as being partly made of water, the molecules are also organised into “cages”, which trap individual molecules of methane.

Remarkably, a new method of extracting the methane and ’swapping’ it with carbon dioxide could turn the substance into a revolutionary carbon-neutral fossil fuel.

Read more of this story »

Companies Unite to Foster Green Chemistry

Lisa Wojnovich — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 12:00:20 +0000

In the January 5, 2009 issue of Chemical & Engineering News, the official trade journal of the American Chemical Society, the ACS announced the formation of the Formulated Products Roundtable. This organization, which will begin operating later this month, is an industry-financed partnership between the ACS’s Green Chemistry Institute (GCI), a not-for-profit group devoted to promoting green chemistry, and sixteen prominent companies that manufacture cosmetics, perfumes, soaps, detergents, and other household and industrial cleaning products. Its aim is to share knowledge of green chemistry among its members in order to create products that are more sustainable, more environmentally friendly, and safer – and hopefully, more profitable too.

Read more of this story »