Odyssey Magazine Issue 4, 2015 | Page 78

eco-responsibility taking care where it matters To get by in life we all tend to think in short-cuts – and for good reason as one simply can't work through every issue whenever something pops up which has implications beyond the immediate situation. So we tend to 'box' things with labels. In so doing, we can easily make mistakes and impose our assumptions. The classic case is the issue in the modern age with the term and idea of 'chemicals', frequently associated in the minds of those with concerns for human, eco-systems and planetary health as almost automatically 'bad'. Industrial production as a whole, being the key element in the way our modern world works, is crucial to not only how we live today but also to what our future world will look like – especially around issues of safety, health and sustainability. This article takes a close look in the light of some encouraging and positive developments among those most closely involved with chemicals – its manufacturers and associated industries. ODYSSEY 78 •  DIGIMAG