Sunday, November 16, 2008

bamboo



Bamboo is a type of woody grass that is very renewable resource and is just coming into the limelight one of the most eco friendly materials available today. It is very quickly becoming the popular material of choice for housing, furniture, accessories, and various other products. And here’s why:
Bamboo can grow up to 1.5 meters (4’11”) a day (or 2 inches an hour), as well as grow in almost any environment, without pesticides, herbicides, or much water. It is the strongest wood/plant on earth, and is even stronger than graphite and mild steel. It lasts for decades. It can be used for a wide variety of products such as the housing construction, piping, bamboo plywood, used for flooring, wall paneling, furniture, etc., bamboo pulp for paper and fabrics, as well as food and medicines. And it’s 100% biodegradable!
cute!!
Houses can be made very cheaply and quickly using bamboo, and is much stronger than a house made from other materials equivalent in price. Since bamboo is resilient and lightweight, bamboo houses can even withstand earthquakes.
We could potentially replace many of our current wood products (that are rapidly decreasing our rainforests) as well as other materials such as cotton fabrics and replace them with bamboo. Since bamboo can grow in many environments, it can be harvested locally (in North America), saving oil, reducing toxic emissions, and reducing greenhouse gasses. Also, since it is renewable, it would probably always be a cheap material.
A disadvantage that I found on bamboo is that it is resistant to stains. Which isn’t really a disadvantage in my opinion because I think the colour of bamboo is quite nice.

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