Industry Main concerns	Society Collective feelings and facts
1950 – 1970	The III stage of the chemical industry. Period characterized in economic field by dominance of large oil multinationals (Seven Majors) Most attention centred on prevention of disasters in factories (fires, leaks) where automation is limited and risk of human error high. Catastrophic explosions of ammonium nitrate: 1921 - Oppau (Germany) BASF, over 800 deaths (Fig. 1). 22/09/2001 - Tolosa, AZF, 31 deaths, 2442 injured.	Industrial development brings increased well-being, thanks to job creation and availability of wide range of products which make daily life easier (nutrition, energy, home, health, etc). Better quality of life and life expectancy. Historical records: First cases of intoxication recorded in 1950s: Minamata (Japan) and Iraq, poisoning by methylmercury. The thalidomide affair: Gruenenthal - Germany.

 

Fig. 1: A picture of the ammonium nitrate explosion in the BASF chemical plant, Oppau (1921).

 

	Industry Main concerns	Society Collective feelings and facts
1970 – 1990	The IV stage of the chemical industry. First oil scare (1973) following Kippur Arab-Israeli war. Following introduction of first environmental legislation, start of industrial policies regarding pollution.	Emotional environmentalism begins: anxiety about increasing pressure of technology on environment and health. Historical records: 1976 – Seveso (Givaudan) Tetrachloro dibenzodiozine. Approx. 6000 residents exposed. 1984 – Bophal – (Union Carbide). Methyl isocyanate. Over 2000 deaths, 100,000 injured. Frequent shipping accidents with oil spills in sea. CFCs and reduction in ozone layer (first example of effect delayed in space and time). Nuclear accidents: Three Mile Island (USA); Chernobyl (CCCP).

 

Fig. 2: Reactor n. 4 in Chernobyl after the explosion due to overheated steam and burning of graphite bars (April 26, 1986). 30 people died immediately. 135,000 people were evacuated in the surrounding 40-km radius because of the high radiation levels.

 

	Industry Main concerns	Society Collective feelings and facts
1990 - 2000	In western society, industry faces the "Total Quality" revolution. This includes: Total quality management system. Good manufacturing practices. Quality accreditation. Minimisation of all environmental externalities. Optimization of health and safety at work. In emerging countries with a high rate of development (India, Far East), little attention paid to environmental issues.	Agenda 21, the Rio declaration on the environment and its development. (Rio de Janeiro, 1992). Kyoto protocol – United Nations convention on climate change (1997). Increased consumer pressure for quality in goods and services. Sustainability as a prerequisite for any development model becomes part of collective awareness in western countries. The great dichotomy: dependence on technology in everyday activities vs increase in awareness of damage to environment caused by inadequate and badly-managed  technology.
2000 -	Green chemistry, a new philosophy  to deal with chemical matters and to manage chemical activities in terms of research, industrial development and production.	World Summit on Sustainable Development (Johannesburg, South Africa, 2002). 16 Febbraio 2005 - The Kyoto Protocol comes into force, following its ratification by Russia. Terrorism (Twin Towers). Preventive war and reduced UN authority. Collective emotional behaviour as result of economic crisis (Europe), globalization, international terrorism and lack of a universally accepted global guide to dictate new rules for sustainable development. Less importance given to environmental issues in media and public opinion.