astronomy

Paul Anastas

Paul Anastas is a astronomy topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Paul Anastas rather than just read about it. In short: Paul T. Anastas (born May 16, 1962, in Quincy, Massachusetts) is an American scientist, inventor, author, entrepreneur, professor, and public servant.

Key takeaways

Paul Anastas belongs to astronomy; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Paul Anastas to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Paul Anastas from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Paul T. Anastas (born May 16, 1962, in Quincy, Massachusetts) is an American scientist, inventor, author, entrepreneur, professor, and public servant. He is the Program Director of the Green Chemistry Initiative at the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. In 2007 he co-founded the Yale University's Center for Green Chemistry and Green Engineering. Previously he served as the Science Advisor to the United States Environmental Protection Agency as well as the Agency's Assistant Administrator for Research and Development, appointed by President Barack Obama.

Career Anastas is known widely for his work on the design and manufacture of chemicals that are non-hazardous and environmentally benign. He is also a champion of sustainability science and innovation for environmental protection. Anastas has brought worldwide attention to the power of molecular design to help the environment. He has published scores of articles as well as fifteen books, including his seminal work with co-author John Warner, Green Chemistry: Theory and Practice. Their 12 Principles of Green Chemistry are the basis for high school, college and graduate programs around the world and have significantly altered the landscape of the chemicals industry in the United States and other countries. Anastas began his career as a staff chemist at the EPA, where he coined the term "Green Chemistry" and launched the field's first research program. He went on to co-found the Green Chemistry Institute in 1997 at the American Chemical Society and served in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy from 1999 to 2004, where he concluded service as Assistant Director for the Environment. Anastas returned to EPA in 2009 as the Assistant Administrator for EPA's Office of Research and Development (ORD) and the Science Advisor to the Agency, resigning from those positions in February 2012 to return to Yale and his family. In his role as Assistant Administrator, he worked to engage scientists, engineers, and stakeholders across EPA, the federal government, and the scientific community to unify around the common goal of sustainability. He co-founded the chemical manufacturing company, P2 Science in 2011, the catalysis company, Catalytic Innovations in 2017, and Inkemia Green Chemicals in 2017. Anastas is currently on leave from Yale where he was the Director of Yale University's Center for Green Chemistry and Green Engineering, where he holds the Theresa and H. John Heinz chair in Chemistry for the Environment.

Early life Anastas was born and raised in Quincy, Massachusetts. He developed an interest in science and environmental issues after witnessing the wetlands behind his childhood home get bulldozed and destroyed for a development project. When he was nine years old he received an “Award of Excellence” from President Richard Nixon for his “outstanding achievements in environmental protection” for his essay on the founding of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. As a teenager in Quincy, Anastas met and developed a close friendship with fellow green chemist John Warner. The pair have since co-authored several scientific papers and books, including the 12 Principles of Green Chemistry. Anastas retains a noticeable Boston accent and is a devoted fan of his hometown baseball team, the Boston Red Sox. He is trained as a synthetic organic chemist. He earned his B.S. in chemistry from the University of Massachusetts Boston and his M.A. and Ph.D. in chemistry from Brandeis University.

Press Anastas and his work have been featured in several popular media outlets, including: Chemical & Engineering News: Paul Anastas and His Crew are Coming to Green Up Your World The New York Times: Green Chemistry Guru Charting New Course at EPA WHYY Radio Times: Paul T. Anastas the Father of Green Chemistry Nature: Chemistry: It's Not Easy Being Green Yale Scientific: Paul Anastas: A Power Player in the Global Chemical Industry Living on Earth: Sustainable Science at EPA Market Place: EPA Scientist Advocates Green Chemistry Chemical & Engineering News: Mr. Sustainability Goes to Washington

Public speaking Anastas is known for delivering energetic, engaging public talks that challenge audience members to think differently about environmental challenges. His speeches have been called "thought provoking", "inspiring", and "optimistic". He has been featured as a keynote speaker at several prestigious meetings, conferences and events, including: The American College and University President's Climate Commitment Summit The Joseph Priestley Lecture at the Chemical Heritage Foundation The United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development Roundtable The Albemarle Lecture on Sustainability at Louisiana State University The State of Green Business Forum The Distinguished Borlaug Lecture at NC State University

Awards Anastas has been recognized for his work with several awards, including:

… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.

Illustrations

Paul Anastas: Paul Anastas speaking on Earth Day. April, 2010 — Paul Anastas speaking on Earth Day. April, 2010

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Paul Anastas

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Paul Anastas claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In astronomy, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Paul Anastas before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Paul Anastas ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Paul Anastas

In research: Paul Anastas appears in astronomy research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Paul Anastas in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Paul Anastas is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1962 births, 21st-century American chemists, Brandeis University alumni, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Paul Anastas outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Paul Anastas in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Paul Anastas means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Paul Anastas out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Paul Anastas in simple terms?

Paul T. Anastas (born May 16, 1962, in Quincy, Massachusetts) is an American scientist, inventor, author, entrepreneur, professor, and public servant.

Why does Paul Anastas matter?

Because it connects several astronomy ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Paul Anastas?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Paul Anastas.