GREEN CHEMISTRY

“Green Chemistry is an approach of protecting the environment by reducing waste at the manufacturing level, and a mean of generating energy from plants, biofuel,” says Prof. Jacob Midiwo, a lecture at Chiromo Campus,University of Nairobi.

Midiwo says that if Green Chemistry is embraced it will salvage the country from over dependency on fossil fuel and hydro power that is over stretched from a matrix of factors: climate change, environmental degradation, escalating population, and Kenya's ambitious vision – to be industrialized by 2030. Green Chemistry, also known as sustainable chemistry, will leap frog land use – as fuel producing plants can be grown in agricultural marginalized parts of the country.

The choices of crop are diverse - from corn to rapeseed and jatropha. Liquid biofuels include biodiesel derived from plant oils and bioethanol made from sugarcane, maize and other starchy crops.

It is because of this realization, that propelled, Pan African Chemistry Network researchers and scientists from across the world to hold a workshop on August 25, at Chiromo Campus, University of Nairobi, to deliberate on – how African countries, Kenya, can start harnessing Green Chemistry's vast applications.

"Governments in developed and developing countries are putting in place bioenergy targets, with the main drivers being the energy security, climate change and development concerns," says Njeri Wamukonya, an energy expert with the UN Environmental Programme.

"The question is not so much on whether Africa is ready for a biofuel revolution, but rather can Africa afford to miss the biofuels opportunity," says Cornelis Van de Waal, an industrial expert from South Africa.

For long pollution has been dealt with - by struggling to restore its negative effect. But, Green Chemistry seeks to reduce and prevent pollution at its source; thus, sustainable chemistry is out to usher in technologies that will see problems avoided before they happen.

“Green Chemistry is an approach of meeting the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generation to meet its needs,” says Prof. Yonas Chebulde of Addis Ababa University, a chemical engineer cum chemistry researcher.

Prof. Tom Welton of Imperial College,UK, says that Green Chemistry is urgently needed to be harnessed in Sub – Saharan Africa in adding value to its products. It will enable Kenya to decaffeinate coffee before exporting – thus caffeine can be sold in making coca cola soda and the rest of the portion sold as a beverage.

Through Green Chemistry the African traditional herbs can processed to final products, to substitute and complement drugs importation.