Color Green And Its Origin

Among the colors in the color wheel, green is probably the most important of all. It is the color of nature and has been associated with “bloom”, “growth”, and “grass”. The leaves of plants have a green color because of the chlorophyll pigment present. This pigment is vital for the survival of plants for them to produce food and oxygen. In life, green is related to balance, calmness, and harmony.  However, not all green can be helpful. There are also green substances that can be harmful to health and the environment.

How color green is manufactured

Surprisingly, how the color is manufactured may be contradicting the common concept of the color green. Manufacturing the color is not environmentally friendly because of the chemicals used. It has been shown in several studies that you cannot dye certain materials like plastics without contaminating them. It is therefore a necessity to use stabilizers to manufacture the color green. Examples are chlorine, titanium, cobalt, and zinc oxides. Unfortunately, these chemicals are known to cause birth defects and cancer. 

Color green in the history of mankind

In the past, artists were struggling to create the right shade of green for their artwork. Even if they thought that they already have the exact shade of green, it will eventually fade or get discolored through time. Early green-colored paints are even corrosive and can damage the canvas. During the early period, the color green is created with the addition of arsenic, a known poisonous substance. Many experts also believe that the said chemical was responsible for the death of Napoleon Bonaparte in 1821.

However, as time goes by, the color is commonly used by environmentalists as it is associated with the natural color of nature. Whatever and however the color is manufactured, green has many benefits, both in health and the environment. 

Environmentalists and the color green

It was in 1970 that the color was used and resurfaced to be associated with certain environmental groups. The Canadian environmentalist group, Greenpeace, used a ship in Alaska to conduct a campaign against nuclear testing.

Since then, anything that is colored green is associated with the environment. Products with green-colored packaging suggest that they are environmentally friendly. Until this day, color is being used by many manufacturing companies in branding and marketing strategies. 

Final Thoughts

Green is a cool and calming color that is associated with many things. The color is often used in environmental-related things. Interestingly, it has a toxic history as manufacturing the color is not that easy. Certain harmful chemicals were used and these chemicals are known to be detrimental to health and the environment. These chemicals were used to stabilize the color and make it useful in creating the desired shades of green. As such, painters were able to use the color with ease but with side effects. For years, this has been the case but throughout the years, people used the color and associated it with the environment. A cool color that when used in the interior can create a comfortable and relaxing vibe.