Sustainability in the Chemical and Energy Industries
Thursday, February 28, 2008

• Refreshments 8:45 a.m.
• Lecture 9 a.m.
  Technological Institute, Lecture Room 4
  2145 Sheridan Road Evanston, Illinois
• Lunch 1 p.m.
  James L. Allen Center, Atrium
  2169 Campus Drive Evanston, Illinois

Click here to download a PDF of Dr. Siirola's presentation on February 28, 2008.

Sustainability in the Chemical and Energy Industries

There is much interest in environmental protection, greener chemistry, and the general notion of sustainability within the chemical processing and energy industries. In this presentation, sustainability is examined in the context of long-term raw material and energy availability, energy intensity, global warming threats, and the desire for strong economic growth. Population and economic trends, material and energy resource and availability data, and elementary systems engineering principles are applied to help elucidate sustainability issues related to global economic growth, raw material choices for the chemical and energy industries, the satisfaction of expected energy needs, and greenhouse gas impacts. Simple concepts from chemical structure and carbon oxidation state, stoichiometry, and thermodynamics are useful for understanding and screening raw material and energy alternatives. Such analyses can provide guidance for evolving and optimizing global chemical and energy industries and suggest that a sustainable future path may be feasible.

Images courtesy of Dr. Jeffrey J. Siirola.
Click here to download a PDF of Dr. Siirola's presentation on February 28, 2008