Did you enjoy the Fourth of July fireworks? Good. Because you might be interested to know, the next generation of fireworks lighting up your sky will be green.
Today's fireworks spew perchlorates and heavy metals and other toxic chemicals into the air. The glorious reds and blues and yellows that make us go "Oooh" owe their brilliance to elements like strontium and copper and rubidium.
In fact, there's nothing like a fireworks display to make one think of the periodic table.
But a new crop of fireworks is being developed that won't be made of harmful chemicals. Based mostly on nitrogen (remember, air is 78% nitrogen), these fireworks will be as lustrous as their toxic-chemicals-laden forebears. Plus, they won't release as much smoke.
Still, chances are you won't be seeing the green fireworks in your local park anytime soon. Their higher costs are expected to hamper their widespread usage.