Environmental benefits of bamboo
Environmental benefits of bamboo
Our post about Olive and Cork trees raised some eyebrows, so this post is about bamboo – one of the most environmentally friendly products you can buy.
Although there are over a thousand different bamboo species, they include some of the fastest growing plants on the planet. Some bamboos can grow at a rate of 36 inches (910mm) a day, and some species can grow almost 100 feet tall.
Bamboo gives out a large amount of oxygen as it grows – about one third more than trees. It absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, which remains in the ground after harvesting because the roots remain in the ground: Technically bamboo is a type of grass!
Bamboo is also very hardy. It doesn’t need pesticides or herbicides to grow, or need large amounts of water, and rarely needs replanting. It can be grown on what would otherwise be marginal land.
So the environmental benefits of bamboo are cear
We think of bamboo as an Asian product, and it is very much part of Asian culture. But it can also be grown in most areas of Europe and north America, as well as the mountains of central Africa. It is now being planted in semi-arid areas in east Africa.
Bamboo is well known as the staple diet of the Panda. It also helps to sustain populations of Mountain Gorillas in Africa, where it is also eaten by Chimpanzees and Elephants.
We think of bamboo as only useful for canes and poles, but it has many more uses than that.
Bamboo is remarkably strong and is used in Asia as a building material.
It can be used for fencing, crafts and wooden objects, straws and tools.
If suitably processed bamboo can be used for food for humans.
In recent years, bamboo has been used for clothing which is very soft, absorbent (absorbing moisture from the skin, keeping you dry), breathable and fresh.
Here are some links to bamboo products:-
Bamboo gifts from Always Personal
Bamboo travel mugs from The Gift Experience : Socks and other items from Outdoor Look : Amazon Bamboo Products
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Amazon bamboo straws
