The Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington DC today hosted a live webcast conference, "How green is nanotechnology?" The webcast, part of the Project's GreenNano initiative to advance the application of green chemistry and green engineering principles to nanotechnology, focused on corporate perspectives on green nanotechnology.

It explored industry's role in preventing negative environmental impacts from nanotechnologies, the economics of being green, and whether green nanotechnology offers companies a competitive advantage. It also looked at market and regulatory obstacles and incentives.

Speakers included John Carberry, Director of Environmental Technologies, Central Research & Development, DuPont; Sean Murdock, Executive Director, NanoBusiness Alliance; and Barbara Karn, Ph.D., Visiting Scientist, Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies.

Dr. Karn kicked off the discussion by noting that $1.6 billion was spent on green tech last year, a 35% increase from 2004. And she reiterated venture capitalist John Doerr's prediction that, "Green tech could be the largest opportunity of the 21st century"

We have to ask, she said, how green is the product, and how green is the process used to create it?

Nanotech, said Karn, can be green by saving energy, reducing waste, and through remediation of contaminated sites.

John Carberry added that we need to consider both human and environmental toxicity.

Sean Murdock cited the rapid advance of nanotech solar films, bioenergy applications, white light LEDs, and catalyst clusters as specific examples of green nano in use or development today.

What struck me most about the hour-and-a-half long discussion was its positive tone. I wondered beforehand if the time would be spent reacting to the recent recall of Magic Nano aerosol spray in Germany, but it wasn't even mentioned.

The panelists did discuss regulation, but mainly its inherent difficulties, including the difficulty of even arriving at a definition of nanotechnology as agencies look at how to regulate it.

All in all, it was a fruitful discussion, and the focus on green nano was wisely chosen, since nanotech's green advantages, both demonstrated and potential, are one of its strongest selling points. It also shed light on the real difficulties inherent in regulation and the economic complexities of bringing products out of the lab and into the marketplace.

The Wilson Center's GreenNano webcast series continues in May, and I'll have a post later this month filling you in on the details in case you want to join in.