What is Green Chemistry?

I thought I had a bit of an understanding of green chemistry when I started taking this course.  I definitely think that the more I learn, I realize that I really knew very little in the first place.  I would describe green chemistry as the study of how to lessen the environmental impact of industrial and chemical processes.  Replacing materials with green-friendly alternatives and making reactions as efficient as possible is something that green chemistry is all about.
One principle of green chemistry is about finding safer solvents, and I learned a lot about this, particularly during writing blogs.  So many materials that have been traditionally the go-to things that were sought after are so bad for our environment.  Another problem with that is that they are also in short supply, and we have the potential to create new resources that will not damage the environment to replace them.  So many green alternatives are also far more cost-efficient than their counterparts.  Another principle that ties into this is the one that involves the search for renewable feedstocks.  I also have a much better understanding of the prevention principle too.  That one is all about reducing waste from being produced than figuring out what to do with it after it has already been created.
Some things that will stick with me are the real-life applications of this that are really beneficial.  I still remember the example about ibuprofen that was discussed early on in the course, and how green chemists were able to greatly reduce the amount of waste obtained during the production process.