Dangers Posed by Obsolete Chemicals

Last Thursday, the Vice Chancellor of the Catholic University College of Ghana, Prof. James Hawkins Ephraim, gave his inaugural speech as a fellow of the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences.
The inaugural speech is a tradition of the Academy that sees newly inducted members give a talk on an issue in their areas of expertise.

Prof. Ephraim delivering his speech

The speaker, being a professor of Chemistry chose to talk on the topic, "The Dangers that Obsolete Chemicals Pose to Us."
Below are some tweets that captured the moment. I will do well to update this post with pictures soon.

Only 3% of chemicals used in Ghana ia not imported. That is salt! Palm oil is imported. Hmm #GAASInauguralLecture2013
— Kafui (@Qaphui) June 6, 2013

Classification of obsolete chemicals via Ekow Woode. #GAASInauguralLecture2013 pic.twitter.com/IkzasK55kA
— Kafui (@Qaphui) June 6, 2013

Does #Ghana have laws that deal with the management of chemicals? Yes we do! The challenge is the lack of coordination, & efficiency. #GAAS
— Kafui (@Qaphui) June 6, 2013

Chemicals pose danger to: 1. human health & safety, 2. soil, 3. water resources, 4. general environment #GAASInauguralLecture2013
— Kafui (@Qaphui) June 6, 2013

Options of disposing obsolete chemicals: 1. secure/lined landfills 2. lined lagoons 3. encapsulated facilities #GAASInauguralLecture2013
— Kafui (@Qaphui) June 6, 2013

Recommendations by Prof. Ephraim. #GAASInauguralLecture2013 pic.twitter.com/Iohjpirng1
— Kafui (@Qaphui) June 6, 2013

There's a lot we can do as individuals to help save our environment, and safeguard our health.
Folks like @GreenGhanaian and @QwophiCedi are already on the way. Let's join the cause!
God (will) Bless our Homeland Ghana -- only when we do our part.
UPDATE: Here is a link to the presentation!

Prof. Ephraim with the some members of the CUCG family

Some students from Accra Wey Gey Hey

God, speak to me

I woke up with a start. The time -- 5:02am! I had been 'thinking' in my sleep. Recently, my mind has had a lot to deal with -- a full plate.
All I could say was, "God, please speak to me. Show me the way. I can't give up... ."
I shut my eye and fell asleep again. After a couple of hours, I woke up and started preparing for work.
Then. It. Happened.
I received a text message from my friend Francis. It was a Bible quotation!

Hebrews 10:35 - 36:

³⁵ Therefore, do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward.
³⁶ For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised.- New American Standard Version (1995)

It dawned on me. I've been impatient most of my life, and that had made me take
a lot of bad decisions. I've paid for -- and still continue -- to pay for my mistakes.
It's amazing how I expected God to talk to me in an 'extra-ordinary' way, and he chooses my friend. I'm sure missed a lot of His subtle convos as well.
Thank You, Abba. Do increase my faith, so I can be still and know that You are God.

My first draft of a mind map

So I came across the term 'mind mapping' from the creativity class on-line by Stanford University.
It's an approach that I believe is going to help me put a lot of things into perspective. I therefore tried my first draft of a mind map on campus and came out with the diagram below: The above diagram was creatred using the online software from Mind42.