Soil to Foil: Author Talk with Saleem Ali

On America Recycles Day, the History Center will welcome award-winning and nationally acclaimed author Dr. Saleem H. Ali to Pittsburgh. His book, “Soil to Foil: Aluminum and the Quest for Industrial Sustainability,” tells the extraordinary story of aluminum, the most abundant metal in Earth’s crust that is ubiquitous in the modern world, from aircraft to soda cans.

The history of the aluminum industry began in Western Pennsylvania in 1888 with the founding of the Pittsburgh Reduction Company, which later became the Aluminum Company of America (Alcoa). Dr. Ali will discuss the industry’s evolution from its Pittsburgh beginnings, reveal aluminum’s pivotal role as a technological innovation, and discuss its importance to addressing future global environmental challenges.