Chemical (e.g. everything)
Engineering
1.) Meanderings along an oxbow lake
2.) Reminiscing on Esther
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Outline/Introduction
• Why me, not you?
– (Truth is relative, but I get to live with my own truths.)
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Where is the chemical industry today?
Where is the environment and health today?
Solutions: Correlation, causation, data analysis and statistics
Behavior modification and fantasy living
– In groups (Culture, corporations and governance)
– Individuals
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The trip of 1000 miles begins with the first step, but not before.
Change Agent Champions
Change Modes and Tools
Take Home Project
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Why me, not you?
• BS ChemE Univ of Minnesota
• 3M Process Engineer
• PhD, Biological and Chemical Engineering, Northwestern University,
NMR metabolism of lung cancer cells
• Development of Generic Pharmaceutical drugs
• Clinical Trial and FDA approval of novel orphan drug
• Post-doctorate; Prostate cancer conjugated-IgG treatment mechanism
of action
• Data-analysis and Process-Improvement for Systems Operations for
Fortune 100 health insurance company.
– Six Sigma, Lean Methodology, Project Management
• Active in Earthsave Louisville, Stone Soup Kitchen, Germantown NBHD
assn, New Directions Housing outreach committee, Sierra Club, The
Green Convene, Peak Oil, Germantown Community Garden Manager,
AICHE
• In 5 years, all in this room will be doing wildly different things.
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Where is the chemical industry today?
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Gives food and drink to the world
Gives us energy, and ways to use it
Pays attention to us when we are not healthy
Makes improvements on everything we have
Invents, researches, develops however it wants.
CHEMICAL INDUSTRY OPS MOUNTING ISSUES
Food and Drink
Unhealthy; and Air/Water/Land
Damage
Transportation/Energy
Unregulated Growth w/Damage
Products
Ignores Externalities. Never looks
“back” or “under” or for “side-effects”.
Leisure/ease
Contributes to irresponsible bliss
Explosives
Contributes to glamorization of war,
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surface mining, gas fracking
What is the status of the environment and health today?
(While we are evasive, selfish, avoidant and distracted…)
Pillars of Culture
Inept Action and Obfuscation
Politicians
“The goons on the other side are at fault. Science is not allowed.”
Japanese leadership
“Under control, almost for sure—oops…We will report later.”
Mainstream Media
“Things were bad for a week, but—oh look!—it’s Brittany
Spears…”
Academia
“This is really interesting to study.”
Faith communities
“This gives us something to pray, meet and sing about.”
Health Industry
“ There’s a pill for how you’re feeling about this. See me again
soon.”
GrassRoots
Environmentalists
“Bad, and getting worse on all fronts—Can you donate to us?”
Canadians
“We welcome global warming
Bankers
“No comment.”
Esrow gnitteg dna dab yllaer!
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Solutions: Correlation, causation, data
analysis and statistics
• Six Sigma, Lean Operations, Theory of
Constraints, Advanced Market Modeling,
Project Management Technologies, Root
Cause and Stakeholder Analysis
• Using the above tools, people can do anything
they set their minds to.
• People from expansion-motivated cultures are
driven by salary/profit/sense-of-entitlement/fear.
• People from holistic, ethical and harmonized
cultures get bulldozed (designated as externality).
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GROUPS
PROBLEM
SOLUTION
Culture
Taboo or invisible
Journalism, “prophets”
Corporations
Fiscal monomania, thus
narrow decision-making
criteria on Projects
Governmental controls that
broaden project focus.
Governance
Poor choices, Inefficiency,
inequity iniquity
Finding/Using New Levers of
Power, fight co-option
INDIVIDUALS
PROBLEM
SOLUTION
Mindfulness
Ignoring Hard Stuff
Fractal thinking; deep trust in
self and universe
Consciousness
Belief in Isolated Selves
Hypothesize/investigate new
paradigms or Unveil Black Ops
research
Psycho-social-neurochemical engineering
Behavior modification vs. fantasy living
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The trip of 1000 miles begins with the
first step, but not before.
FOUR ESSENTIAL STEPS TO BEHAVIOR CHANGE
ACTION
Education
Invitation
Back-off
Periodic
Follow-up
Rationale for
Action
Unaware
Unmotivated
Insecure due
to newness
Feeling
Isolated
REGION OF FOCUS (e.g.)
ISSUES
Frequency
Food purchases/consumption
Active Vicious Deathly Combat
Daily
Transportation Mode
Active Vicious Deathly Combat
Daily
Lightbulbs/Abode Heating/
Source of Electricity
Active Vicious Deathly Combat
Quarterly
Leisure/Vacation
Active Vicious Deathly Combat
Annually
Career Choice (ongoing)
Active Vicious Deathly Combat
Every 5 years
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What is EarthSave?
• Founded by BaskinRobbins’ son: Witnessed catastrophe wrought by Meat
and Dairy industry. Gave up inheritance due to:
– Environmental horror
– Human Health horror
– Ethical Horror of mistreated animals (bigger brains than humans
sometimes)
• Meat and Dairy are not necessary – and are harmful to the human body and
environment.
– Health: Long-term Scientifically rigorous studies and immediate personal
testimonials are beyond dispute.
– Environment: UN Study, EPA, “drive by smells”
• Humans change behavior slowly, so change will be slow—but efforts can be
rewarding: slavery, women’s suffrage, smoking in bars and cannibalism.
• National projects: Turning health around in the inner cities.
• Local projects: Open potluck vegetarian dinners all over town with inspiring
speakers, Cooking Classes, outreach events to schools and the public.
• “WE VOTE DAILY WITH OUT FORK” is uber-empowering.
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Change Agent Champions
• Filling the vacuum in ethical projects:
– Extensive systems understanding
– Potent leadership
– Beneficial outcomes
• Easiest: After a long, self-indulgent career, spend your retirement
wearing yourself out for the good of fellow humans and earth.
• Not so easy: Life-long leadership of worthy avocational projects
(e.g. not just Sunday School teacher or tutor).
• Ltd. Special: Immediately and permanently commit to
unflinching self-sacrifice for the environment and health, using
academic, information, and leadership tools available. (Esther)10
Modes requiring Change
Anoxic waters — Climate change — Conservation — Energy — Environmental
degradation — Environmental health — Genetic engineering — Intensive
farming — Land degradation — Soil — Land use —
Nanotechnology/Nanopollution — Nuclear issues — Overpopulation — Ozone
depletion — Pollution — Water pollution — Air pollution — Reservoirs —
Resource depletion — Consumerism — Fishing — Logging — Mining —
Toxins — Waste
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Tools for Change?
AICHE; Heavy “doers” of the industrial sector
GreenPeace; Environmental activism
United Nations; Governance directives
Union of Concerned Scientists; Academia
Church; Ethics-based cries
“Pull an Egypt”; Technology-based Social Media
Corporatocracy; Let the invisible hand decide.
__________; Placeholder for new innovation for good change.
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Take Home Project
• Google “chemical engineer” and
“environment” or “health”, etc. and
start collecting info
• Plan 5 questions and call the
head/chair/director of an interesting
project (found on Google)
– Ask them for advice and perspective.
• Tell me your goals and progress soon
(actually any functioning human will do
as a support i.e. cheerleader)
nate@metageny.com 502 299 9520
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Questions?
Many questions; so few answers.
Are these Old Axioms still valid?:
• To energize the team: Tell marketing the good
news…and tell the Engineering Dept the bad news.
• AIChE is for professional networking, and for
lobbying to expand markets/influence of the
chemical industry.
Disclaimer: The world according to Garp carp care dare date Nate
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Meat deets: Every problem opens
many opportunities
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegan
– Traced to India, and to the Pythagoreans and Orphics in Ancient Greece, and Kellogg and
Graham (crackers) in USA
• Trendy and Scientific
– Oprah Winfrey went vegan for 21 days in 2008, and in 2011 asked her 378 production
staff to go vegan for one week, …and now for an entire month—and they love it!
– Former U.S. president Bill Clinton adopted an almost-vegan diet in 2010 after cardiac
surgery. Clinton's daughter, Chelsea, was already a vegan and recommended the diet to
help him lose weight and improve his cholesterol levels. He is following the diet
recommended by Dean Ornish, Caldwell Esselstyn, and T. Colin Campbell: mostly beans,
legumes, vegetables, and fruit, and a protein drink every morning of almond milk fixed
with fruit and a protein powder.
• Environmental vegetarianism
– Animal agriculture is linked to climate change, water pollution, land degradation, a
decline in biodiversity. Commercially available animal-based diet uses more land, water,
and energy.
– Be hard headed: Some environmental activists claim that adopting a vegetarian diet may
be a way of focusing on personal actions and righteous gestures rather than systemic
change.
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More meat/fat, less health
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Arguments for changing diet:
Environmental
• A recent United Nations report concluded that a global shift toward
a vegan diet is necessary to combat the worst effects of climate
change.
• Researchers at the University of Chicago concluded that switching
from a standard American diet to a vegan diet is more effective in
the fight against climate change than switching from a standard
American car to a hybrid.
• A German study conducted in 2008 concluded that a meat-eater's
diet is responsible for more than seven times as much greenhousegas emissions as a vegan's diet is.
• http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=the-greenhousehamburger http://bit.ly/hYhlg
• Outcomes: Dirty Air--Dirty Water--Brain Damage and Depression-Miscarriage and Birth Defects--Respiratory Problems--Bacterial
Infections--Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria--Swine Flu
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Health detriments of meat/dairy
• Filling your plate with meat, dairy products,
and eggs could be a recipe for heart disease,
obesity, cancer, diabetes, and even impotence.
• http://bit.ly/brnlqg
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Get Involved every Month
• 2nd Saturday at United Crescent Hill Ministries
– 4pm Free vegan cooking class
– 6pm Plant-based potluck.
– 7pm Speaker/ 8pm enviro-movie
• 3rd Thursday: Dining Out at local restaurant (veg
friendly)
• 4th Saturday: Dining In veggie potluck at someone’s
house.
• 1st Thursday: Jeffersonville, IN potluck, 6pm in Parkview
Middle School
• EarthDay events, HealthFairs, Mayors Hike, Bike ‘n’
Paddle.
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