Deregulation, Chemical Waste, and Ground Water: A 1949 Debate

Ross, Benjamin; Amter, Steven

doi:10.1179/000269802790220175

Cited by 1 publication

(1 citation statement)

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“…The chemical community was the butt of unrelenting criticism from the public and the media, 21 who regarded it the chief culprit of environmental pollution, in the form of acid rain (Cowling 1982, Mohnen 1988, Baedecker & Reddy 1993 and harmful chemicals in surface water (Baker et al 1991) such as the Great Lakes (Hilleman 1988), in tainting supplies of drinking water (Ross & Amter 2002), and in irresponsibly and illegally dumping toxic wastes (Love Canal near Niagara Falls, NY; 22 the Hudson River was continuously polluted by PCBs). 23 The chemical community responded, as a rule, rather promptly -over less than two decades -and responsibly.…”

Section: The 1970s: Acquiring Environmental Consciousnessmentioning

confidence: 99%

On the Self-Image of Chemists, 1950–2000

Laszlo¹

2007

The Public Image of Chemistry

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The field of chemistry is highly diverse. Yet, the aggregate picture of chemists, according to this study, shows them to constitute a highly homogeneous and even gregarious group, in terms of their self-image. They see themselves as creative, as benefactors of humankind, and as craftsmen upholding a tradition of intelligent hands and preserving, even in the time of Big Science, a relatively low-tech profile. The stereotypical public image as the sorcerer's apprentices who befoul the environment and who manufacture chemical weapons is way off target. Chemists find it a caricature, it only reinforces the good conscience within the chemical community. Other conservative forces are the common language of structural formulas, a widespread phobia about mathematics, and the very length of the apprenticeship to be served. Conversely, between the mid-twentieth century and the advent of the twenty-first century, chemists displayed an impressive adaptability in the face of swift changes, regarding the tools of the trade-which the NMR Revolution had contributed to upgrade-, the funding of their activity at a much higher level, the oil crises, and the Biological Turn that affected them during that period.

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Section: The 1970s: Acquiring Environmental Consciousnessmentioning

confidence: 99%

On the Self-Image of Chemists, 1950–2000

Laszlo¹

2007

The Public Image of Chemistry

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

Deregulation, Chemical Waste, and Ground Water: A 1949 Debate

Cited by 1 publication

References 6 publications

On the Self-Image of Chemists, 1950–2000

On the Self-Image of Chemists, 1950–2000

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