Café Scientifique: Green Chemistry

Booyah! Pop on your safety specs and get ready to soak your science bone. The Bell Museum-sponsored Café Scientifique sparks off again tonight at the Nomad World Pub. Tonight’s talk: A Green Chemistry Revolution.

Here is the blurb:

Green chemistry, otherwise known as sustainable chemistry, encourages the design of chemical products and processes that reduce or eliminate toxic substances in the environment. As green chemistry takes root, how will it transform our environment and economy? What are Minnesota's prospects for a green chemistry revolution?

Two professors with distinct names-- Romas Kazlauskas and Friedrich Srienc-- from the U of M chemical engineering department will be leading the talk. But the organizer of the event, Shanai Matteson, says she’ll keep the jargon to minimum to provide the audience with some clear understanding of what exactly is Green Chemistry.

(For those already curious: Green Chemistry and the talk tonight will explore similar issues brought up in the book, “Cradle to Cradle.” Kazlauskas and Srienc are studying how to create products with the entire life cycle of the product in mind. That includes all the waste going into making it and what happens when we inevitably toss the product away.)

And remember, this is science talk in a bar. It has the style of Krulwich at the 92nd Street Y. Only local. And with beer.

A Green Chemistry Revolution
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
5:30 p.m.
Nomad World Pub
$5 - $10; pay what you can