November 6, 2023
Saleem H. Ali, Blue and Gold Distinguished Professor of Energy and the Environment at the University of Delaware
“With approachable storytelling, in Soil to Foil, environmental scientist Saleem Ali masterfully traces one such story—the story of aluminum…” —Katrin Daehn, Science
Aluminum is the most abundant metal in the earth’s crust. It is also ubiquitous in the modern world, from aircraft to soda cans. Today, the efficiency with which we use—and reuse—aluminum is vital to addressing key environmental challenges and understanding humanity’s fraught relationship with the earth. In Soil to Foil (Columbia University Press, 2023), Saleem Ali tells the extraordinary story of aluminum. He reveals its pivotal role in the histories of scientific inquiry and technological innovation as well as its importance to sustainability. He highlights scientists and innovators who discovered new uses for this remarkable element, ranging from chemistry and geoscience to engineering and industrial design. Ali argues that aluminum use exemplifies broader lessons about stewardship of nonrenewable resources: its seeming abundance has given rise to wasteful and destructive practices.
Presented by the Harvard Museum of Natural History and the Harvard Museums of Science & Culture.
About the Speaker
Lecture by Saleem H. Ali, Blue and Gold Distinguished Professor of Energy and the Environment at the University of Delaware and a senior fellow at the Columbia University Center on Sustainable Investment. He is a member of the United Nations International Resource Panel and the Scientific and Technical Advisory Panel of the Global Environment Facility.