GREEN RANT: Can Explosives Go Green?
by Jason Sahler
Ah, science - constantly trying to make the world a better place. Although air quality may not be first and foremost on your mind when there are bombs going off, you’ll be glad to know that scientists are striving for “greener explosives“. Failing to see the inherent irony in an “environmentally friendly” unit of destruction, scientists have gone and developed safer explosives by adding “unique green solvents” and improving the quality and purity of their materials. The resulting explosions may be more stable and precise, but can we really call them “green“?
Striving for safer explosives handling is understandable, but calling explosives green strikes us as beyond comprehension. Future-forward design encompasses much more than labeling a product “green” - it should embody a holistic approach to sustainability that takes into account the environment, the economy and the people.
Now, perhaps it’s just me, but I am not to sure if bombs are in the people’s best interest. They may not have made any claims to sustainability, but labeling them “green” can only serve to further muddle an oft-misused term, clouding its important message of creating a more sustainable and equitable world.
If we are going to drops bombs why not drop these ones.
Via ScienceDaily
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There are uses for explosives that have nothing to do with warfare, most notably construction. Increased precision would not only increase safety, but also decrease the amount environmental impact in large scale building projects. Many of the buildings featured on this very site probably rely on blasting to construct their foundations. The more you build up, the further you have to build down.
So yeah, I think explosives can go green.