A Global Shift to save the Earth
Published on: 08 Dec 2025
In today’s rapidly changing world, a country’s unique identification, its developments, its power, everything is judged mostly on the grounds of new and advanced technology. The more is technologically advanced and savvy a country is, the more developed it is. Technology also boosts a nation’s economy, industries, employment, trades and identification in the globe. Recently pollution, wastage of resources, energy problems and other impurities in the society has become the greatest concern of the society and a threat towards earth that the humans need to prevent. Syukuro Manabe and Klaus Hasselmann were given the 2021 Noble Prize in Physics for discovering the threats that humans pose towards the Earth’s atmosphere and the reasons behind global warming. Coincidentally, the 2021 Noble Prize in Chemistry was jointly awarded to Benjamin List and David W. C. MacMillan for their development of asymmetric organocatalysis which serves as one of the solutions of the problems discovered by Manabe and Hasselmann.
Green chemistry is the design of chemical products and processes that reduce or eliminate the use and generation of harmful and hazardous substances. This approach applies across a chemical’s entire cycle, from design and manufacture to use and disposal, with the goal of being more efficient, safer for humans, and less damaging to the environment. Asymmetric organocatalysis here can play a role of helping us to solve environmental problems. It replaces toxic materials with benign organic catalysts, enabling solvent-free or water/bio-based solvent reactions using green energy sources, promoting atom economy via cascade/tandem reactions, and leveraging renewable resources.
Atom Economy, Catalysis, Design for Degradation etc. are other important concepts that can help the human race to save the earth. But for the general effort and the common good, a country should rely of sustainable eco-friendly alternative products that can help the Earth survive. Some of the little efforts that the responsible citizens of a country can try out and the concepts of chemistry applied are given as follows:-
- Plastics & Packaging: Biodegradable plastics (PLA from corn/sugarcane), starch-based packing peanuts, natural fiber composites (flax, bamboo) can be used instead of the ones that are used in the markets.
- Greener Solvents and Cleaners:
D-Limonene: From citrus peels, replaces harsh degreasers like TCE.
Supercritical CO2 & Ionic Liquids: Safer industrial solvents.
Bio-based Ethanol/Glycerol: Used in paints, cleaners.
- Agriculture: Neem-based pesticides, slow-release fertilizers, biostimulants replace synthetic chemicals, protecting soil and water.
- Consumer Goods: Bio-based surfactants in detergents, non-toxic thermal receipt inks (replacing BPA), green formulations for cosmetics.
- Energy: Sustainable aviation fuels (photosynthesis-inspired), advanced battery materials, more efficient solar cells.
- Textiles: Bio-based polyesters from sugarcane.
- Renewable Feedstocks: Using plants, biomass, and agricultural waste instead of fossil fuels.
- Waste Prevention: Designing processes to avoid creating hazardous byproducts.
- Safer Chemicals: Developing non-toxic alternatives (e.g., mercury sorbents).Catalysis: Using catalysts for more efficient reactions, reducing energy and waste.
Little steps one day lead to the achievement of a big goal. These are those steps that one should take as their own duty and responsibility and fulfill whatever the duty demands for. This is the basic steps that citizens and governments should take to save the earth from any more suffering and begin to heal her wounds.
