Office of Science & Technology - Green Nanotechnology: A Path to Sustainability?

Green Nanotechnology: A Path to Sustainability?

bridges vol. 14, April 2007 / Nanotechnolgy Focus

by Barbara Parish Karn

Barbara Parish Karn

Sustainability is once again gaining a foothold in the global consciousness and perhaps also in the global conscience. The recent public deliberations about global climate change provide evidence of the value of sustainable development, "development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." If joined with an appropriate set of values and goals, new technologies can promote sustainability, and the nascent field of nanotechnology offers this opportunity. As an enabling technology, nanotechnology has the potential to permeate and improve all industrial sectors and influence their development toward sustainability. The opportunity exists right now to develop Green Nanotechnology - a sustainable approach to nanotechnology from design to production and product use to disposal or recycling. Green Nanotechnology can help prevent future environmental problems while addressing those of the present and past. Just what is nanotechnology?

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