John C. Warner
John is a chemistry inventor who works to design and create commercial technologies inspired by nature consistent with the principles of green chemistry. With over 300 patents, he has invented solutions for dozens of multinational corporations. His inventions have also served as the basis for several new companies. To know more about John visit his website Johnwarner.org
Green Chemistry, the Sustainability Pendulum and the Circular Economy
The materials economy can be thought of as a pendulum with the field of chemistry at its apex. In one direction, the human-built world manifests through manufacturing and recycling. In the other direction, the natural world is a combination of extraction and degradation. The overlap between these two termini of the pendulum is a useful quantitative assessment of sustainability. This presentation will describe the 5 embedded cycles of use/reuse, assembly/disassembly, materials metabolism, regeneration and stable ecosystems. Examples from both the human-built world and the natural world will be presented to illustrate the issues and opportunities for green chemistry to design a sustainable future.