On July 6, 1944 in Hartford, Connecticut, a fire erupted in a circus big top filled with people. 167 people died and over 700 injured. The cause of the fire was linked to the use of a gasoline and paraffin mixture to waterproof the outside of the big top. During World War 2 the US military was using the waterproofing material that the circus had requested, so they suggested the circus use a mixture of gasoline and paraffin. The mixture is a great waterproofing agent but the flammability of gasoline made it very dangerous. The fire at the circus was caused by intense summer heat igniting the gasoline vapors, which then sparked a fire in the paraffin. Thinking the fire was an intentional part of the circus act, people didn't panic. By the time people realized there was an actual threat, it was too late. The chemical reaction happening during the fire was somewhat simple. The gasoline vapors (highly flammable) started to heat with the direct sunlight, and the paraffin (flammable under direct heat) started to burn with the heat of the gasoline. Eventually, the gasoline lit on fire, and the entire big top started to burn. In the mass panic, many people were trampled and trapped in the collapsing big top. Unfortunately, 167 people died and over 700 injured.
green chemistry
By the mid-1900s, numerous scientific advances had been made. At the cost of human advancement, many environmentally damaging substances had been created. Ozone damaging substances, smog, and human carcinogens are among the list. These threats to humans and the environment couldn't be ignored anymore. The green chemistry initiative was created, with its goals being to reduce pollution and harm to the Earth and to humans, while still making scientific discoveries. A major industry that could benefit from the advances of green chemistry is the consumer products industry, which still uses many hazardous materials like lead in their products. Beauty products are another major non-green industry, with hazardous materials going into products that will eventually make it's way to human skin. Overall, the main goal of the green chemistry movement is to reduce pollution, reduce cancer or other health risk, and to save the earth for future generations.