Ms. Lee Says - ACCHS Chemistry

The conversation exploring the relationship between the colors of our chakras and the foods we eat was very intriguing,  The weather is increasing in temperature and my appetite is expanding as well. I crave foods with the colors purple, red, green, tan, and yellow. The most desired of all the colors is red and purple which are the root and the crown chakra. There functions are I understand and survival. hahaha I believe those directly relate to where I am in the world and in the process of learning TCM. I find myself constantly attempting to understand what I cannot and find stability through it. In class we didn't discuss what colors are calling to us, but I think its probable we all have a few things in common.

The kitchen is my adorned rainbow of color. There is purple in the beets and plums, oranges, green in the plethora of cruciferous veggies, red in the apples and radish,  yellow in the condiments and peppers, oranges, and other colors such as: black, blue, beige, green, white, and brown. Although there is a variety of color, there is not a high quantity of color. The large majority is green, beige, and red/purple. In the end I like there to be two items of each color rather than only one. Currently blueberries solely represent blue in my fridge and I need to do some research on other blue foods. Sometimes the lack of diversity in our kitchens is economic and other times it is educational. In my case its based on what I do and don't know. At this moment I can't think of another fruit or veggie that is blue, but I will look it up and expand my palette.

I applaud the efforts of green chemists and think their work is priceless and necessary for the survival of our planet with us humans living on it. I think it’s a little discouraging to see there are chemists and organizations with the sole focus of creating a greener future and I don’t see their efforts when I walk outside. I see solar panels and recycling bins, but I’ve quickly learned our Earth requires more than that. All countries are not the same, but my surroundings in Oakland Ca say we need to do more. I recently started following an Instagram account called @reducewastenow. I learned there are alternatives to foil and plastic to preserve food, toothpaste without single use plastics, and greener initiatives in other countries. The most interesting initiative is Milan’s. According to US Nees and World Report Milan has an ambitious objective to plant 3 million trees within the next 12 years. Since Milan is a Mecca for fashion and trendsetting, I am hoping it’s green initiative wi...

The transitional metal of the week is Zinc (Zn). It is atomic #30 and in group 12 on the periodic table.  Zinc valence shell has 2 electrons and this means it’s a metal that can easily give or share electrons with other elements. Biologically zinc is an important component in most living things. It’s most widely used purpose in everyday appliances, tools, and materials is as a coating. Zinc is used as a covering ,galvanized, to prevent or delay the process of rusting on other metals. For example zinc is used to cover some roofing materials as a means to elongate the life of the materials. To personify Zinc is to call it the self sacrificing protector of metals. It will rust and die before it allows the metals it’s protecting to tarnish.

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.