ABSTRACT

In Chapter 1, chemistry was defi ned as the science of matter-anything that has mass and occupies space. This chapter deals specifi cally with matter: what it is, how it acts, what its properties are (Figure 2.1). Environmental chemistry and green chemistry are all about matter. The wrong kind of matter in the wrong place can be a serious pollutant. Human efforts to obtain matter in a desired form have profound infl uences upon Earth and its support systems. Minerals and fuels are dug from or pumped from Earth, often with profound environmental consequences. Wars are fought over the availability of matter, such as essential metals and petroleum. Melting of polar icecaps induced by global warming-water as solid matter-is raising sea levels, with profound effects for some human populations. Transforming matter from atmospheric carbon dioxide and water in soil to biomass occupies vast areas of Earth’s surface for agricultural enterprises, with pronounced environmental effects and profound implications for sustainability. A huge part of sustainability is the ability to transform matter to desired forms in a sustainable fashion. Recycling as much matter as possible is essential for the maintenance of sustainability. As supplies of various kinds of matter become limited, sustainable substitutes must be found, in a challenge to green chemistry. The list could go on and on; suffi ce it to say that matter matters-a lot.