Contributed by Kim Morehouse, CCED Coordinator
Earth Day was first officially recognized on April 22, 1970 as a way to demonstrate support for a healthy environment, raise awareness about environmental issues, and remind people that we all need to contribute to a sustainable planet. For years, chemists have been promoting a better world through recyclable plastics, cleaner-burning fuels, phosphate-free detergents, environmental monitoring, and green chemistry initiatives. The American Chemical Society joined the Earth Day celebration on April 22, 2003.
The Chemical Society of Washington (CSW) will once again participate in Chemists Celebrate Earth Day (CCED) activities. Chemistry is all around us and is vital to our planet’s sustainability. Whether it’s used in recyclable and biodegradable materials or through the reduction of waste, chemistry is involved in ensuring that we can be eco-friendly and kind to our environment. CCED seeks to bring international focus to environmental causes, such as clean air, water, and energy. ACS offers events, contests, and educational resources for members, chemical educators, and chemistry enthusiasts to illustrate the positive role that chemistry plays in preserving the Earth. The CCED 2015 theme is “Climate Science—More Than Just A Weather Report!” exploring climate science and the role chemistry plays in the environment. More information on CCED can be found on the ACS website at www.acs.org/cced.
CSW, in conjunction with the Chemistry Department at the Montgomery College Rockville Campus, will participate in Rockville Science Day on Sunday, April 26, 2015. Rockville Science Day is open to the general public and CSW encourages you to attend. Rockville Science Day is intended to provide a friendly environment for students and their parents to participate in some hands-on demonstrations and to learn more about how science and engineering are important to our society. There will be more than 70 exhibitors with hands-on activities. Additional information about Rockville Science Day can be found on their website (www.rockvillescience.org/rcsday.html).
This event will be co-sponsored by the CSW Outreach Committee and the CSW Environmental/Sustainability Committee. Volunteers from CSW will be providing hands-on activities for children who attend the event as a part of CSW’s participation in CCED. Volunteers will also hand out copies of the Celebrating Chemistry publication, and various CCED-themed products. If you would like to volunteer for this event, please contact the CSW CCED coordinator, Kim Morehouse at [email protected].
