Hemp and the Environment
Hemp is gaining a lot of respect around the world for its amazing versatility and environmental benefits. Naturally, products made from hemp are 100% biodegradable, recyclable, and reusable. Also, the speed at which hemp grows can provide benefits regarding the resource requirements of the end product. Unfortunately, widespread acceptance of hemp still has a long way to go.
Here are some key reasons why hemp should become much more widely used than it currently is.
- Fast and robust growth: Hemp grows extremely fast and can be grown in any climate, in any agronomic system
- No herbicides/pesticides required: Hemp can be grown with no (or little) herbicides, fungicides, pesticides, or other biocides.
- Suppresses weeds: Hemp is a natural weed suppressor due to the fast growth of the canopy. Actually, hemp is a weed. Because it grows so fast and densely, it blocks out sunlight to other weeds that are trying to grow.
- Improves soil structure: Due to it’s long roots, hemp replenishes soil with nutrients and nitrogen and helps control erosion of topsoil. Also, once harvested, any residue can act as an eco-friendly manure.
- Hemp produces lots of oxygen: Hemp produces the same amount of oxygen while it’s growing that it would use in carbon dioxide if burned as a fuel. Also, due to it’s leaf/root ratio (this can often be 10% roots vs 30% leaves), hemp can produce between 20% - 40% more oxygen than will be polluted.
- Cleans up pollution: Hemp can actually clean up toxins from the ground. This process is called phytoremediation. A good example of this is when hemp was used to help clean up the Chernobyl nuclear disaster site to remove radioactive elements from the ground.
Some quick facts about hemp and the environment:
- There is no tree or plant species on Earth capable of producing as much paper per acre as hemp.
- Hemp grown for the production of biomass fuels can provide all of our gas, oil and coal energy needs and end dependency on fossil fuels.
- An acre of land will produce 2 to 3 times as much fiber as cotton, about 1,000 Ibs. of fiber per acre.
- Hemp produces the strongest, most durable natural soft-fiber on earth. Until the 1820's, up to 80% of all textiles and fabrics for clothes, canvas, linens and cordage were made principally from hemp.
- Hemp paper is suitable for recycle use 7 to 8 times, compared with 3 times for wood pulp paper.
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