[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 20]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 29662-29663]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                        NATIONAL CHEMISTRY WEEK

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. SHERWOOD L. BOEHLERT

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, November 10, 1999

  Mr. BOEHLERT. Mr. Speaker, this week is National Chemistry Week. I 
rise on this occasion to recognize the thousands of American Chemical 
Society members who are volunteering their time this week--not only 
across the nation, but around the world as well--to teach all of us 
about the exciting ways that chemistry and chemical engineering benefit 
our country and improve our everyday lives.
  This is the 12th year that the American Chemical Society has led the 
celebration of National Chemistry Week. And I'm especially

[[Page 29663]]

excited that in my home district, the 23rd District of New York, 
volunteer chemists and chemical engineers of the American Chemical 
Society's Norwich Section will host an open house for 4th, 5th, and 6th 
graders Chenango County schools. There they will teach practical 
chemistry using a full range of hands-on activities, so they can see 
and explore and learn for themselves how chemistry works. Last year, 
the Norwich Section won national recognition for its Chemistry Week 
event, which was attended by 250 people from all over Chenango County.
  This year National Chemistry Week culminates a 52-country 
International Chemistry Celebration that featured ``A Global Salute to 
Polymers.'' In the United States alone, no less than 51 companies, 10 
universities, 2 museums, and 17 individual scientists were saluted for 
the innovative products they created that have changed our lives.
  During National Chemistry Week members of the American Chemical 
Society will conduct events in communities around the country along the 
theme ``Celebrating Polymers.'' For instance, kids will be asked to 
carry out activities using sodium poly-acrylate, a widely used 
absorbent with applications ranging from horticulture to construction 
to disposable diapers. After seeing how poly-acrylate works, students 
will be challenged to think up other ways it can be applied to other 
real-life problems. More activities using sodium polyacrylate are 
available in the fall issues of the ACS student magazines WonderScience 
and Chem-Matters.
  Mr. Speaker, our ability to improve the quality of our lives, make 
educated decisions in an increasingly technological world, and compete 
successfully in the global economy depends critically upon our 
understanding of sciences like chemistry.
  So please join me and the 160,000 chemists, chemical engineers, and 
allied professionals of the American Chemical Society in highlighting 
the fact that every single aspect of our lives is in some way a result 
of chemistry in action.

                          ____________________