We're not the only ones thinking about the environmental and sustainability applications of nanomaterials and molecular assembly. Mark Wiesner, Director of the Environmental and Energy Systems Institute at Rice University is, too, and has written a readily-understood and well-structured article for the Pakistan Daily Times on precisely this issue. He's careful to address the environmental questions about the safe use of nanomaterials such as fullerenes -- indeed, that discussion takes up the greatest part of the aritcle. Fortunately, he doesn't come across as hyping the technology so much as providing some cautious optimism.

Towards a green nanotechnology is a good introductory piece for thinking about the environmental implications of this emerging field; it answers some important questions, but leaves the reader hungry to learn more.