In honor of this year鈥檚 Chemists Celebrate Earth Week theme, 鈥淧rotecting Our Planet through Chemistry,鈥� I traveled to Wilmington, Massachusetts, USA, to meet with Dr. John C. Warner, President and Chief Technology Officer at The Warner Babcock Institute for Green Chemistry.
I read on the Institute鈥檚 website that their team 鈥渃reates technologies and processes that are functional, cost-effective, and environmentally benign.鈥� I asked Dr. Warner if he could tell me a little more about what that work involves.
鈥淲e invent new products that people need, and that don鈥檛 hurt the planet,鈥� Dr. Warner told me. 鈥淲e are a chemistry laboratory, so we have dozens of cool pieces of equipment that either make or measure things. Most of the things we work with are safe, but to be extra careful, we always wear gloves and eye protection. If someone came to our labs, they would find medicines and petri dishes, big pieces of wood, and presses to make boards. We have molding equipment to make plastics, equipment to make and measure solar energy, and various devices and instruments to help us invent ways to clean up the oceans and help keep them clean.鈥�
Dr. Warner explained that children can come into contact with his work every day. 鈥淥ur inventions might include the clothes kids wear, the roads they drive on, and the medicines they take.鈥� He also said, 鈥淵ou might even know some people who color their hair using some of our inventions!鈥� The work they do also 鈥渉elps protect children from being exposed to dangerous things.鈥�
Growing up, Dr. Warner was interested in science, but he was also very interested in music. He did some science experiments around the house as a child. 鈥淚 used to do a lot of things with electricity,鈥� he said. 鈥淢y dad was an electrician, and I would make electromagnets and different alarm systems.鈥� Later he decided to become a scientist because he 鈥渨anted to use creativity to make the world a better place.鈥�
I asked Dr. Warner what he thought was the best thing about being a scientist. 鈥淵ou can be really creative while making new things that will help people and the environment,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 get to invent things that will help make the world better.鈥�
I really enjoyed my visit to Massachusetts to meet with Dr. John C. Warner. We should all be very thankful for scientists like him who spend every single day 鈥淧rotecting Our Planet through Chemistry鈥�!
Personal Profile聽鈥� Dr. John C. Warner
- Accomplishment you are proud of聽Helping to create the Warner Babcock Institute and Beyond Benign, a program that makes resources for green chemistry teachers
- Favorite pastime/hobby聽Playing music
- Very interesting project you were a part of聽In August 2019, I testified to the U.S. Congress on a bill called 鈥淭he Sustainable Chemistry Research and Development Act of 2019鈥�
- About your family聽They are all amazing, and I am lucky to have them! My family includes my wife Amy, daughters Joanna, Libby, Amy, and Natalie, a son, Tom, and also my two brothers.
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