Born on 15-9-1943 near Antwerp (Flanders, Belgium).
After Technical Highschool, obtained a Bachelor Degree in Industrial
Chemistry at the Institute of Technology in Antwerp in 1965.
Was three years sailor (engine room), principally instead of military service and to see something of the world.
After a two-years intermezzo in a Cola bottlery, starting a carrier
as Process Engineer in 1970 in the Akzo Nobel Synthetic Resins plant at
Bergen-op-Zoom, The Netherlands (50.000 tpa raw materials for paints and
inks).
In 1980 changed the interests, later the job, towards the then rapid
growing possibilities of process automation, first on laboratory scale.
The first plant process line was automated in 1984. In 1988 shifted to
the Akzo Nobel plants in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, producing 250.000
tpa of chlorine, 500.000 tpa VCM (monomer for PVC) and 20.000 tpa chlorinated
herbicides. Now a Senior Project Engineer Process Automation.
Interested in all kinds of science and techniques, from biochemistry to electronics or from volcanoes to the survival of the birds at the Great Lakes. Long years member of a organic growers association (VELT). Also active in politics (several actions against wild urbanising plans of valuable nature), social associations and the municipal council for development of the third world (actions to bring money together for non governemental organisations which have projects in the third world). And you can find me on all manifestations against war and nuclear tests.
More than 30 years married with Rita De Meyer, born June 30,1946, retired director of an elementary school. Two daughters: Greet, born January 5, 1971, now a teacher English, geography and Latin and Ann, born October 20,1973, now a graduated geologist, specialised in marine seismics. Is finishing a Ph.D. work in a team, commissioned by the UN, to find methods for the detection (and destruction) of personal mines, used in countries like Angola, Cambodia and Bosnia.
Most of the good-willing volunteers in environmental groups don't have any background knowledge about chlorine or PVC. And those who have it, especially in the top of Greenpeace (see Greenpeace and chlorine), are fundamentalists for whom the once started anti-chlorine campaign is more important than truth or even the environment.
During the investigation, we reacted already on wrong statements about PVC and chlorine in newspapers. So did also persons of other factories. We contacted each other, and first met at a demonstration against the Belgian ecotax, which discriminated - without any scientific reason - PVC-bottles for mineral water (see also Life Cycle Analyses of PVC and alternatives). That was the start of the Chlorophiles movement. See Chlorophiles activities.
You are at level one of the Chlorophiles pages.
Created: March 10, 1996.
Last update: September 8, 1998.
For any comment on this or other pages:
chlorophiles@pandora.be
