Do you know the surprising properties and history of the chemical element mercury (Hg)?  Alongside its beneficial uses to humankind historically are mercury’s toxic properties.  What is the story of mercury pollution – its sources, its continuing environmental impact, who is most greatly affected, and the global environmental justice questions it raises? What is the history and current status of mercury regulation, both in the United States and globally, in efforts to protect people and the environment from its damaging effects?  Our speaker will address these questions.

Presented by MIT Professor Noelle Eckley Selin, PhD, an atmospheric chemist who studies mercury and other hazardous substances, and applies her research to help inform global efforts to regulate toxic chemicals and persistent organic pollutants (POPs) to protect humans and our environment.

Her 2020 book Mercury Stories: Understanding Sustainability through a Volatile Element, co-authored with Henrik Selin and published by MIT Press in 2020, analyzes human interactions with mercury and sheds light on efforts to promote and achieve sustainability. The authors examine five mercury systems that illustrate important issues in mercury science and governance.  Then, looking across the five mercury systems, they distill insights for sustainability analysis more broadly, and draw lessons for researchers, decision-makers, and concerned citizens.

This virtual event is sponsored by the Trustees of the Needham Free Public Library in memory of former director Vivian D. McIver.  It is free and open to the public on ZOOM technology.  Please register through the library website NeedhamLibrary.org/events to receive the Webinar/Zoom link to attend.