Chemistry International
Vol. 24, No. 6
November 2002
New Books
and Publications
Green
Chemistry in Africa
P.
Tundo and L. Mammino (editors)
INCA,
2002. (ISBN 88-88214-07-0)
IUPAC
has always been keen on promoting the advancement of science in developing
countries. A recent contribution in this regard is Green Chemistry in
Africa, the fifth volume in the green chemistry series. As the book
points out, Africas vast abundance of natural resources offers
valuable opportunities for African countries to pursue novel routes
to sustainable processes. Focusing on the search for such routes as
alternatives to Western methodologies and expanding their benefitsis
an exacting and exciting challenge that can render African countries
extremely competitive at the international level.
The book
grew out of the work of IUPACs Interdivisional Subcommittee on
Green Chemistry, which organized the "Workshop on Green Chemistry
Education," held in September 2001 in Venice in collaboration with
INCA (Italian acronym for the Interuniversity Consortium "Chemistry
for the Environment"). The proceedings of this conference
published as the third volume of the green chemistry seriesrepresented
the "state of the art" on green chemistry education. It included
a number of recommendations for strengthening the diffusion of the chemical
sciences into society through cleaner technologies. One of the most
pressing recommendations was the following:
"To
disseminate Green Chemistry educational materials and techniques to
both developed and developing nations."
Accordingly,
the subcommittee proposed the preparation of a collaborative volume
on green chemistry in Africa, with the specific aim of offering university
lecturers a useful tool for their teaching activities. The proposal
was accepted by IUPAC and the book was published in collaboration with
INCAa nonprofit organization that encourages the diffusion of
knowledge, with particular emphasis on the importance of the chemical
sciences to protecting the environment. In order to pursue its mission,
INCA is involved in a wide range of activities that span from research
to publishing.
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Some
of the book's authors convening in Pretoria, South Africa (25-28
May 2002) for the first editing. From left: Liliana Mammio, Pietro
Tundo, Egid Mubofu, Joseph Gaie, and Salie Lwenje.
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Green
Chemistry in Africa originates from the passionate work of academicians
based in African institutions and it aims at familiarizing African students
with the principles of clean and sustainable chemistry. The book is
meant as an introduction to the challenges of green chemistry. Its primary
objective is to highlight the major roles of chemistry in the study
of the problems that were discussed at the World Summit on Sustainable
Development (held 26 August to 4 September 2002 in Johannesburg, South
Africa) and in the design of valuable solutions for those same problems.
The Subcommittee on Green Chemistry hopes that this book will attract
researchers and students attention to the importance of
chemistry to sustainable development.
www.iupac.org/publications/books/author/tundo.html