Comments on: Can Bamboo Save Our Forests and Help End Poverty? http://ecolocalizer.com/2009/02/17/can-bamboo-save-our-forests-and-help-end-poverty/ News & commentary on sustainability, activism, urban planning, politics, and our world. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 22:32:13 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: How bamboo will Help Haiti and the World! /  PermaCorps International http://ecolocalizer.com/2009/02/17/can-bamboo-save-our-forests-and-help-end-poverty/comment-page-1/#comment-73815 How bamboo will Help Haiti and the World! /  PermaCorps International Mon, 01 Mar 2010 18:23:38 +0000 http://ecoworldly.com/?p=2345#comment-73815 [...] 4.) You can eat it and it tastes amazing! How to grow edible bamboo shoots 5.)  In Permaculture there is a saying, “Unity through intergration, intergration through diversity!” and the world of Bamboo is full of diversity.  Due to bamboo’s amazing diversity of both products and species it will be a key economic factor in helping the 2/3rds (developing) world out of poverty especially in heavily deforested regions such as Haiti. Bamboo and sustainable economic development [...] [...] 4.) You can eat it and it tastes amazing! How to grow edible bamboo shoots 5.)  In Permaculture there is a saying, “Unity through intergration, intergration through diversity!” and the world of Bamboo is full of diversity.  Due to bamboo’s amazing diversity of both products and species it will be a key economic factor in helping the 2/3rds (developing) world out of poverty especially in heavily deforested regions such as Haiti. Bamboo and sustainable economic development [...]

]]> By: How Sustainable Bamboo will Help Haiti and the World « Punk Rock Permaculture E-zine http://ecolocalizer.com/2009/02/17/can-bamboo-save-our-forests-and-help-end-poverty/comment-page-1/#comment-65588 How Sustainable Bamboo will Help Haiti and the World « Punk Rock Permaculture E-zine Mon, 08 Feb 2010 10:39:40 +0000 http://ecoworldly.com/?p=2345#comment-65588 [...] Bamboo and sustainable economic development [...] [...] Bamboo and sustainable economic development [...]

]]> By: Uncle B http://ecolocalizer.com/2009/02/17/can-bamboo-save-our-forests-and-help-end-poverty/comment-page-1/#comment-61740 Uncle B Mon, 16 Mar 2009 12:06:06 +0000 http://ecoworldly.com/?p=2345#comment-61740 Canada, your social-democratic (as opposed to your currently vulture capitalist infected democracy) neighbor to the north, complete with Universal medical care, metric system in place, multi-lingual television shows, multi-cultural, multi-lingual, communities that love, enjoy, support and respect one another, and peace on the streets, has taken the ultimate threatening , unhegimonious step and legalized Hemp farming, while still forbidding growing dope - it seems that higher tech Canadian labs offer a cheap fast service to distinguish and provide proof for quick convictions for those who tempt the law, making Hemp farming a very profitable and viable proposition! SEE: Hemp – The Last Word Last word on Hemp in Canada, Canadian government site for the truth! http://www.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/highlights/2008/0803hemp_e.html P.S. Most of Canada is too far north to grow Bamboo of any sort, the freezing winters kill it off. Canada, your social-democratic (as opposed to your currently vulture capitalist infected democracy) neighbor to the north, complete with Universal medical care, metric system in place, multi-lingual television shows, multi-cultural, multi-lingual, communities that love, enjoy, support and respect one another, and peace on the streets, has taken the ultimate threatening , unhegimonious step and legalized Hemp farming, while still forbidding growing dope – it seems that higher tech Canadian labs offer a cheap fast service to distinguish and provide proof for quick convictions for those who tempt the law, making Hemp farming a very profitable and viable proposition! SEE:
Hemp – The Last Word
Last word on Hemp in Canada, Canadian government site for the truth!
http://www.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/highlights/2008/0803hemp_e.html
P.S. Most of Canada is too far north to grow Bamboo of any sort, the freezing winters kill it off.

]]> By: Sarah http://ecolocalizer.com/2009/02/17/can-bamboo-save-our-forests-and-help-end-poverty/comment-page-1/#comment-61739 Sarah Mon, 02 Mar 2009 16:17:34 +0000 http://ecoworldly.com/?p=2345#comment-61739 It is frustrating to me that hemp has not been taken seriously as a cash crop in America for many many years. before we started destroying the forests here hemp was the main crop in that respect and was required by LAW in many areas of the south. Why is it being ignored today? I think its great that people on legitimate websites like this one are arguing for the viability of hemp, because the opinions of those on pro pot web sites and such will forever be ignored here in the USA. Good job guys. It is frustrating to me that hemp has not been taken seriously as a cash crop in America for many many years. before we started destroying the forests here hemp was the main crop in that respect and was required by LAW in many areas of the south. Why is it being ignored today? I think its great that people on legitimate websites like this one are arguing for the viability of hemp, because the opinions of those on pro pot web sites and such will forever be ignored here in the USA. Good job guys.

]]> By: Chris Johnson http://ecolocalizer.com/2009/02/17/can-bamboo-save-our-forests-and-help-end-poverty/comment-page-1/#comment-61738 Chris Johnson Tue, 24 Feb 2009 22:32:40 +0000 http://ecoworldly.com/?p=2345#comment-61738 First, I agree wholeheartedly with Alexis's post, above. Hemp is superb and should be integral to a 'gradual green' strategy. Hemp fiber has the highest tensile strength of any natural fiber (other than spider silk), and is easy to process. Second, regarding bamboo: Bamboo grows wonderfully in North America. All several hundred varieties, from smallest to biggest. Not a problem. Most Americans regard it as a weed, however, not something to be cherished, as are fine hardwoods and the products made from them. Over millenia East Asians developed a broad array of products based on bamboo that are particular to Asia. It's a cultural thing. Only in the last decade or so have we in the West seen fine bamboo flooring material and some furniture items begin to carve small niches into those markets. But those efforts were made by Asians, not Americans, which should not be considered remarkable. Some serious threats to forests in North America and Europe are emerging, in the form of chemical processes that reduce wood chips to ethanol. It might be worthwhile considering the potential role of bamboo in such scenarios. Cordially, Chris Johnson First, I agree wholeheartedly with Alexis’s post, above. Hemp is superb and should be integral to a ‘gradual green’ strategy. Hemp fiber has the highest tensile strength of any natural fiber (other than spider silk), and is easy to process.

Second, regarding bamboo:

Bamboo grows wonderfully in North America. All several hundred varieties, from smallest to biggest.

Not a problem. Most Americans regard it as a weed, however, not something to be cherished, as are fine hardwoods and the products made from them.

Over millenia East Asians developed a broad array of products based on bamboo that are particular to Asia. It’s a cultural thing. Only in the last decade or so have we in the West seen fine bamboo flooring material and some furniture items begin to carve small niches into those markets. But those efforts were made by Asians, not Americans, which should not be considered remarkable.

Some serious threats to forests in North America and Europe are emerging, in the form of chemical processes that reduce wood chips to ethanol. It might be worthwhile considering the potential role of bamboo in such scenarios.

Cordially, Chris Johnson

]]> By: Alexis Anderson http://ecolocalizer.com/2009/02/17/can-bamboo-save-our-forests-and-help-end-poverty/comment-page-1/#comment-61737 Alexis Anderson Wed, 18 Feb 2009 13:29:54 +0000 http://ecoworldly.com/?p=2345#comment-61737 Perhaps you could similarly look into an even more useful crop that is even more crazily ignored - hemp. This crop requires one of the lowest levels of inputs from any crop and has a wide range of industrial uses including: Food for humans and stock; paper; textiles; biodegradable plastics; and fuel. Such is its vigour that it can be cropped as quickly as bamboo, and it actually IMPROVES the soil, so can be used in rotation with other crops. Hemp requires less processing than bamboo (not saying that bamboo is bad, but Hemp is just better) and it can grow pretty much everywhere. Like bamboo, issues of mono-culture are a concern, but hemp can easily be intercropped with other species and can add to pest control through attracting beneficial insects. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hemp Perhaps you could similarly look into an even more useful crop that is even more crazily ignored – hemp.

This crop requires one of the lowest levels of inputs from any crop and has a wide range of industrial uses including:
Food for humans and stock; paper; textiles; biodegradable plastics; and fuel. Such is its vigour that it can be cropped as quickly as bamboo, and it actually IMPROVES the soil, so can be used in rotation with other crops.

Hemp requires less processing than bamboo (not saying that bamboo is bad, but Hemp is just better) and it can grow pretty much everywhere.

Like bamboo, issues of mono-culture are a concern, but hemp can easily be intercropped with other species and can add to pest control through attracting beneficial insects.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hemp

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