At ACS' national meeting, global initiative set to tackle wa...( NEW ORLEANS April 7 2008 The Global...)

NEW ORLEANS, April 7, 2008 The Global Innovation Imperatives (Gii) project swung into motion Sunday with experts gathering for their first session at the American Chemical Societys (ACS) 235th national meeting in New Orleans. Gii, a joint collaboration between the ACS Committee on Corporation Associates and the Society of Chemical Industry, seeks to combat worldwide health, environmental and societal issues by developing science-based solutions, particularly those relating to chemistry.

With Gii, it is our intent to be a global leader in addressing through chemistry the challenges facing the world, said Thomas H. Lane, President-Elect of ACS and co-host during the session. Managing such a challenge is going to require interdisciplinary strategies, Lane said, including help from leaders in industry, academia and the government.

Another focus of Gii is to help advance chemistry and other branches of science by sharing breakthrough technologies that surface through research and development, said Edward G. Means, III, the sessions keynote speaker and Vice President of Malcolm Pirnie, an environmental consulting firm based in New York. The Gii program will be supported globally by conferences, web-based communities, action-oriented meetings and awards.

One of the most pressing issues for chemistry that faces the global community and the first imperative chosen for the Gii program is water, especially from the standpoint of cleanliness, availability and sustainability, Means said. Even advanced cultures have potentially troubling issues with water. Demand is increasing for one. In the United State alone, the population is projected to increase to 363 million by 2030, which is problematic for areas already facing water shortages. Alternative supply sources are becoming increasingly scarce as certain species are protected, such as endangered freshwater mussels. Another issue is aging infrastructure that needs to be replaced, requiring ne
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