M9.3: Green Chemistry

Green chemistry is a forward thinking way of looking at how we can clean up the mess we have made by starting at square one. Green chemistry is more than cleaning up the pollution that already exists, it is a concept that represents the processes that go into reducing and eliminating hazardous substances/wastes and how we can prevent waste. The 12 principles of Green chemistry represent the future and how we can change, it actually makes me more hopeful about or environmental health and that we have an opportunity to turn things around. Each of the principles focuses on a key aspect of how we approach the life cycle of chemical products. The video about the great pacific garbage patch was eye opening and made me think of the decades of accumulation of wastes and plastics that humans have “disposed” of. I really like how the video discussed the need to make this issue personal. It should be personal to every human being but it is often swept under the rug and not discussed as a major problem. Celebrity news gets more attention than the real life issues that are threatening our own existence. Though Green chemistry makes me hopeful for change there is a lot more we need to do and I plan to do all I can to make a difference and I hope that more people are educated an inspired to step up and do what is right. We need stricter regulations, and more research and funds provided to implementing Green chemistry principles and policies.