It is a rare and lustrous silvery-white metal discovered in 1803 by William Hyde Wollaston. He named it after the asteroid Pallas, which was itself named after the epithet of the Greek goddess Athena, acquired by her when she slew Pallas.
Palladium, platinum, rhodium, ruthenium, iridium and osmium form a group of elements referred to as the platinum group metals (PGMs). These have similar chemical properties, but palladium has the lowest melting point and is the least dense of them.
Over half of the supply of palladium and platinum goes into catalytic converters, which convert up to 90% of harmful gases from auto exhaust (hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen dioxide) into less-harmful substances (nitrogen, carbon dioxide and water vapor).
Palladium is also used in electronics, dentistry, medicine, hydrogen purification, chemical applications, groundwater treatment and jewelry. Palladium plays a key role in the technology used for fuel cells, which combine hydrogen and oxygen to produce electricity, heat, and water.
Discussion: How Close Are we to a Green Economy?
It seems that we are still far off from a fully Green Economy. However, the private sector and businesses are investing in green technologies such as wind and solar power and energy efficient transportation. Discussions are becoming global with groups such as the Green Economy Coalition with its goal to transition the world to a "new green economy." It includes a diverse set of organizations including NGOs, research institutes and UN organizations, businesses and trade unions in current discussions about furthering environmental sustainability and social equity. Government involvement also has to improve. Enforcing legislation for sustainable business practices and improving taxation structures that aim at harmful practices like pollution and waste are also ways to further Green Economy.
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