The world around is the world of chemicals and their constants to transformations. The majority of processes on the earth are chemical or are followed by chemical processes. It is possible to tell that our Earth - is the huge chemical reactor which doesn't stop for a minute. Such is reality. And the human civilization which arose exists and will exist in this "reactor", has to fit into these processes of transformation of substances as much as possible harmoniously.
The structure, structure, properties and transformations of substances are studied by chemistry - one of fundamental natural sciences. The chemistry, from the moment of the full emergence in scientific understanding in the XVIII century, passed a big way of formation and development.
Without great achievements of chemistry it is impossible to present human life today. The modern person lives in the houses built with wide use artificial (created on chemical technologies) the materials, clothes and footwear from fabrics and skin which are made on chemical technologies have, is provided with good nutrition that became possible only thanks to chemicalization of agriculture (a security measure of plants, fertilizer) without which stable crops of food cultures are inconceivable. The mankind already will never be able to refuse these achievements, as well as new medical preparations, perfumery means and many other things to which the chemistry laid a hand.
But any progress has also a negative side. A number of the global problems facing our civilization for the last decades is a payment for comfortable existence of the modern person. They are known for everything - pollution of the atmosphere, causes acid rains and global warming at the expense of "greenhouse effect", prompt exhaustion of natural energy carriers, problems with quality of drinking water...
The effective solution of these problems consists in creation of the balanced strategy of stable future development of our civilization. Such strategy is already developed. She received the name "green technologies". These are technological processes in which there will be no the harmful emissions in environment produced for 96% by not chemical productions, power and transport. The leading role in development and modernization reorganization of such technologies is allocated for chemistry. As once the chemistry rescued mankind from hunger and cold, so now it is urged to rescue the same mankind from ecological threats.
Scientific researches in this direction, received the name "Green Chemistry" ("Green chemistry"), widely developed in the leading countries of the world. We look through the last issue of the international magazine under the same name and we read headings of articles, there are published:
- Searches more ecologically safe (greener) pesticides;
- "Green chemistry" for production and cement;
- Use of polyethyleneglycol and its solutions as "green" reactionary environment;
- Ecologically safe synthesis of sulfonamide (medicine);
- Organic synthesis without solvent with use of the imparted reagents and microwave radiation.
From the provided names of articles the chemist easily will understand about what there is a speech. But even not the chemist, and simply the person with engineering education also has to guess that it is possible to call these and similar chemical scientific works on a chemical basis without exaggeration a first line of fight for survival of mankind in new conditions.
Scientists-chemists do the important work. But that it was the most effective, in society a certain relation to this work has to be created. A certain level of chemical knowledge and the atmosphere of understanding and assistance is necessary, especially from experts with the higher engineering education. Such atmosphere are urged to form as well mass media.
Unfortunately, with it at us not everyone as it should be. Level of chemical knowledge in modern society is so low that it causes deep concern. In the press it is possible to meet not only "pearls", it seems "a carbonate WITH and carbon SN hydroxide" or "oxide of sulphurous anhydride", but also phrases, type "everything what the chemistry touches, turns into poison".
Chemical knowledge at experts who are trained by KPI, is provided, generally by efforts of teachers of department of the general and inorganic chemistry who teach chemistry for students of the 1st course of 19 faculties in 16 directions of training of bachelors. On personnel potential, providing with textbooks, manuals we have all opportunities to render full and quality chemical education for future engineers of various specialties. However, analyzing this activity, I can't but note two negative tendencies which are observed in recent years.
The first tendency - steady decrease in level of chemical training of yesterday's school students who come to study to us a high school course of chemistry. Such students, besides, aren't able to work with the book independently. Big individual work of the teacher with each of such students is necessary. And it becomes very problematic, considering the second tendency which is observed at our university, - continuous and steady reduction of number of classroom hours on studying of chemistry for many not chemical specialties. So, this academic year in comparison with 2002/03 academic year, on average we have reduction of such hours more than for 20%.
Simply menacing scales of reduction of hours for teaching chemistry (30-40%) are observed in the directions of training of "Power engineering specialist" and "Electrical equipment" (IEE, FEL). Business even reached before that some specialties of these directions (FEA) in general refused teaching chemistry!
Whether and knowledge of chemistry is necessary to power engineers? Until recently I considered this question rhetorical. Of course, it is clear to any that these engineers in the professional activity to deal with various materials which besides are often operated in extreme conditions of power stations (temperature, pressure, sometimes unusual the corrosion environment, mechanical loadings) - and time so, chemical knowledge is extremely necessary for them! However the relevant letting-out chairs, it appears, so don't consider. Obviously, they don't understand also that Ukraine already cruelly paid for absence of elementary chemical knowledge at energy drinks - what projected water-graphite nuclear reactors. They had to consider that at casual depressurization of a water contour of cooling water, getting on hot graphite, forms hydrogen, will inevitably lead to explosion. As occurred in Chernobyl 20 years ago.
Therefore, representing a situation when our engineers without elementary chemical knowledge come to production, to me it becomes terrible for destiny of Ukraine. Here already the technology, and is about an elementary survival of the people in the conditions of inevitable new Chernobyl not about "green" ecologically safe. Let's not allow it!
Reputable special chairs! Let's restore for a start teaching chemistry for all engineering specialties. Let's work together on training programs in chemistry which would consider specifics of your specialties, remembering thus that the chemistry is independent science with the laws, concepts and methods which are identical to all. As in mathematics the concept of function and its derivative is identical both for electricians, and for chemists, and the concept of a constant of balance or a covalent chemical bond is identical to all. Therefore, except minimum necessary volume in three educational credits for development of basic laws of chemistry, allocate still at least one credit module of hours for processing of the sections of applied chemistry necessary for your experts. And we, teachers of chair, will already take care of necessary quality of the provided chemical knowledge further.
In that case we through joint efforts will make the contribution to transformation of our Ukraine to the blossoming, environmentally friendly, industrially developed state in which there will live our healthy children and grandsons.
Author: A.A. Andryusha, manager. departments of the general and inorganic chemistry