Ms. Lee Says - ACCHS Chemistry

If green chemist's exist and regular people exist who want to create a more sustainable future..... then whats the next step for the future. In Bridget's post she spoke of not knowing how much of our recyclables and compost end up in landfill. If we can use non-toxic substances to biodegrade waste into reusable powders to make more reusable products then that is an ideal situation. I wonder how much is a possible reality and how much is too idealistic. If there is truth to Monsanto seeds, the power of his lawyers, and the near impossibility to of being able to prove your crops haven't been contaminated. My question is how can we create an environment where bio-pesticides stand a chance to make an impact. How can we create a world that is ecologically sustainable when our current world is based on money. I don't think green chemists will be able to utilize there ecological resolutions on a grand scale until it becomes lucrative to the people who are currently making mone...

As many of our class discussions go, we were on the up and optimistic for our class discussion. One things that stood out to me was how little I know about what to do with my own waste and more importantly my view on what waste is terrifyingly narrow. I originally thought of waste as items which are molded, broken beyond repair, and used paper/plastic/electronics products. In the middle of our discussion I started thinking of everything in my bathroom, under my sinks, and whats gets disposed of during a move out. I thought of my nail polish, toxic makeup, bath products, cleaning products, single use containers, expired herbal patents, and more. It's appalling about how much waste I currently have and do not know what to do with.  This lead me to do some research and I found more information on how to dispose of hazard waste, but I am still unsure on how to dispose of items which arent quite labeled as hazardous waste such as: makeup and nail polish.

Element of the week is the one and the only Oxygen. Coming in with with a solid 8 protons and electron and an atomic weight of 15.999. The valence shell has 6 electrons and it takes 8 electrons to complete an outer shell. This means oxygen our lucky element of the week is eager to bond with other elements. It makes a strong covalent bond with other elements such as : nitrogen , carbon, and hydrogen. All of which are essential life supporting elements.

During class we read an article called "Are you Eating Monsanto weed killer for breakfast." It really opened my eyes to how bioaccumalation of pesticides is affecting us. The study performed by the Alliance for Natural Health showed trace amounts of synthetic pesticides in pre-packaged breakfast foods and grains. This wasn't surprising to me because in the back of my mind I believe none of those items benefit my health. The shocker was "the amount detected in cage-free organic eggs actually exceeded the allowable limit under FDA guidelines." This means the chickens are eating so much corn and feed with synthetic pesticides that their bodies have accumulated more than the regulated amount. I never considered how the synthetic pesticides are getting into the animals and for chickens this means its getting into their eggs. I realized I am likely ingesting more chemicals and synthetic pesticides than I am aware. I currently only buy pasture raised eggs, but I have n...

I am unsure whether this weeks blog post is the quick quiz or reflection on our class conversation. For this reason I am doing a little of both. 1. Classify the following as either a chemical or physical change.  Burning wood  (chemical) Crushing a rock  (physical) Dissolving sugar in water  (physical) The rusting of iron  (chemical) 2. Classify the following as to whether or not they are pure substances or mixtures.  milk  (mixture) table salt  (mixture) sugar  (mixture) steel  (pure substance) 3. A cup of black coffee is considered to be __?__ and a/an __?__ substance.  (b) homogeneous�..impure 4. The boiling of water is considered to be a __?__ change and the temperature at which water boils is considered to be a __?__ property.  (d) physical�..physical Reflection on Class Discussion: Although I made a comment on class about the cost of makeup and wanting to use it prior to looking for...

Personal Legend "It's what you have always wanted to accomplish. Everyone when they are young knows what their Personal Legend is.  - from The Alchemist It was known as the land of no seasons and all climates. People say it is sunny all the time and everyone spends their day at the beach. As a young girl growing up in Southern California, Ms. Lee lived in sunshine and very little rain. As she grew, she yearned to share herself in a meaningful way and contribute to the land. Unwittingly she stumbled upon coastal travel. In her early 20's she lived in Monterrey. She woke to the seals barking and was mesmerized by psychology late until the foggy nights. After a couple years, she grew bored of the monotony within her undergraduate program. She decided to get out of her mind and into her body. She experienced the extraordinary affects of a 5 element balance in Polarity and the soothing nature of Swedish massage. She thought to incorporate the physical healing (massage) wit...