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Talks from leaders in environmental chemistry to be Webcast on Oct. 24

New York, October 22, 2008—Eight of the nation’s leading scientists will present groundbreaking analysis and findings in environmental chemistry research at The Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation’s symposium, “Climate, Energy, and the Changing Environment,” to be held on October 24, 2008, at the New York Academy of Sciences, 7 World Trade Center. The all-day conference will convene at 9:00 am and be simulcast in real time at http://www.nyas.org/dreyfus

Featured speakers will include:

• Ralph Cicerone, President, National Academy of Sciences. A renowned atmospheric scientist, expert on greenhouse gases and ozone depletion, and advisor to heads of state, Dr. Cicerone will speak on the topic of putting science to work in developing science policy.

• Daniel Nocera, the Henry Dreyfus Professor of Energy and Professor of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dr. Nocera will present his major discovery in the chemistry of renewable energy reported online in Science on August, 1, 2008—a discovery that could remove one of the major obstacles to large-scale use of solar energy as an alternative to fossil fuels.

• Nathan Lewis, George L. Argyros Professor of Chemistry, California Institute of Technology. Dr. Lewis will speak on the promise of the ultimate renewable energy source, artificial photosynthesis: fuel from the sun.

• Paul Anastas, Professor in the Practice of Green Chemistry, and Director, Center for Green Chemistry and Green Engineering, Yale University. Originator of the term “Green Chemistry” in 1991 and a pioneer in the field, Dr. Anastas will lecture on transformative innovations in green chemistry needed for sustainability.

• James Anderson, Philip S. Weld Professor of Atmospheric Chemistry, Harvard University. Dr. Anderson will address irreversible climate changes in his presentation on strategic choices for global energy: constraints from feedbacks in the climate system.

• Kimberly Prather, Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry, the University of California, San Diego. Dr. Prather will present new insights into the chemistry of aerosols and their ability to change the earth’s temperature in her talk on the role of aerosols in climate change.

• Dianne Newman, John and Dorothy Wilson Professor of Biology and Geobiology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dr. Newman will present her findings on bacterial-produced antibiotics that may boost the efficiency of microbial fuel cells in her lecture on the roles for redox-active antibiotics in microbial survival and development.

• Eric Jacobsen, Sheldon Emery Professor of Chemistry, Harvard University. Dr. Jacobsen will address the search for practical and widely applicable catalysts for organic synthesis that can minimize or even eliminate the creation of waste, especially toxic waste, in his discussion of selective yet general catalysts.

If you would like to attend the event, please contact Mark Cardillo, Executive Director, The Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation, 212-753-1760, mcardillo@dreyfus.org. For more information on the program, go to www.dreyfus.org.

The Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation, based in New York, is a leading non-profit organization devoted to the advancement of the chemical sciences. It was established in 1946 by chemist, inventor, and businessman Camille Dreyfus, who directed that the foundation's purpose be “to advance the science of chemistry, chemical engineering and related sciences as a means of improving human relations and circumstances around the world.”

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