Beyond Reductionist Thinking in Chemistry for Sustainability

Great breakthroughs in chemistry over the past two centuries have been accomplished largely through reductionist methods. However, the incredible sustainability challenges that we face as a civilization are systems challenges, requiring careful combination of knowledge gained from reductionist approaches with integrative-systems thinking to inform designs for a sustainable future. Great breakthroughs in chemistry over the past two centuries have been accomplished largely through reductionist methods. However, the incredible sustainability challenges that we face as a civilization are systems challenges, requiring careful combination of knowledge gained from reductionist approaches with integrative-systems thinking to inform designs for a sustainable future.