CONWAY, Ark. (Feb. 26, 2008) – One of the world’s leading experts on sustainability and green chemistry issues will be speaking Tuesday at Hendrix College.
Dr. Robert Peoples, the director of the American Chemical Society’s Green Chemistry Institute (ACS-GCI), will discuss the sustainability tsunami currently sweeping the planet, from the impact of buildings on the environment to implications of water and food shortages. He will also discuss the concept of green chemistry as a key to a sustainable world. His evening talk, beginning at 7 p.m. and located in Mills C inside the Mills Center for Social Sciences, will feature user-friendly discussion focusing on the application of sustainability issues beneficial to everyday living.
Earlier in the day, Dr. Peoples will be addressing science students and faculty at 11 a.m. in MC Acxiom 119, highlighting aspects of green chemistry and focusing on the global perspective of sustainability. The public is invited to both events.
The American Chemical Society, based in Washington D.C., is the world’s largest scientific society. As the society’s Green Chemistry Institute, Dr. Peoples is involved in the implementation of the principles of green chemistry across the global chemical enterprise. He has been a member of American Chemical Society for 35 years, giving him valuable experience and insight into the chemical industry. Immediately prior to joining ACS GCI, Dr. Peoples served as the Sustainability Director for the Carpet and Rug Institute, Executive Director of The Carpet America Recovery Effort (CARE) and President of the Environmental Impact Group.
In these various roles, Dr. Peoples served to integrate a wide variety of initiatives that deal with sustainability on a national level. His efforts spanned new business development, new product and technology development, technology licensing and the creation and implementation of a unified national sustainable carpet standard. In 2003, Dr. Peoples was the first recipient of the Carpet America Recovery Effort “Person of the Year” award. He is an internationally recognized speaker in the areas of sustainability, standards, innovation and carpet reclamation.
Hendrix, founded in 1876, is a selective, residential, undergraduate liberal arts college emphasizing experiential learning in a demanding yet supportive environment. The college is among 165 colleges featured in the 2009 edition of the Princeton Review America’s Best Value Colleges. Hendrix has been affiliated with the United Methodist Church since 1884. For more information, visit www.hendrix.edu.