Introduction: Enlightened Self-Interest for the Enthusiastic Capitalist

Chapter 1 develops some background and historical framework for sustainability engineering (SE). The chemical process industry is a mature and robust discipline focused on turning large quantities of raw materials into finished products, safely, in compliance with environment, safety, and occupational health (ESOH) best practices and is always economical. But a focus on short- to medium-term economics, and a limited scope boundary, has however constrained it. Newer concerns regarding the perpetuity of supply of both energy and material have brought to light a concern over its long-term sustainability. This has come about with an awakening to more external concerns over a more global sustainability of the entire world we operate in. In addition, a popular interest in all things, “Green,” has informed marketing efforts to address and request products that are minimally damaging to health and environment. In other words, we have demonstrated a popular willingness to pay a bit extra for sustainably made products—everything from cars with high miles per gallon (mpg) to electric ones with even higher mpg to more healthy foods. Finding ways to use more permanently renewable resources is the new bottom line. As you read on, consider sustainability engineering as a continuous improvement module to the existing mature and vibrant system of chemical process design.