Science needs to get its house in order when it comes to energy use and waste

Water, water, everywhere… but in labs most goes down the sink. That’s the sad truth in chemistry where water-cooled condensers – essential for preventing the escape of reaction products during heating – waste huge amounts of this increasingly valuable resource. A single condenser can use over 2 million litres per year. This issue is part of the paradox that afflicts science: while the world looks to it to provide new technologies to cut energy consumption and shepherd scarce resources, labs themselves are resource hungry and produce large volumes of waste.