How Bamboo Can Save the Planet

In an age when we're increasingly concerned about our carbon footprints and renewable resources, bamboo is emerging as an unlikely wonder material; it is a pioneering fabric for an eco-friendly time. Bamboo is highly durable, rapidly renewable, and highly eco-friendly to the point where it can grow freely and abundantly without the assistance of pesticides. But just how "green" is bamboo? And can bamboo, like so many claim, actually be a significant force in helping to save the planet?

Bamboo is basically a grass; it is a grass that grows at a dizzying rate of up to two meters per week. When bamboo is harvested, it is cut down without being totally uprooted which allows it to quickly renew itself. Because of its abundance and low maintenance, bamboo is becoming a favorite source material for many industries. Let's take a look at how bamboo is currently being implemented as a means to "save the world."

1. Bamboo is highly renewable. Bamboo provides an alternative to wood which is harvested from trees that can take close to half a century to reach maturity. In contrast, bamboo can be harvested in as short a timeframe as a single year, making it very appealing as a renewable resource.

2. Bamboo has super fast growth cycles. Bamboo exhibits the fastest growth rate of any plant on Earth, and some species are capable of growing several feet in a single day. Paired with bamboo's highly renewable quality, this makes it a natural resource that is in no risk of being depleted.

3. Bamboo combats the Greenhouse Effect. Bamboo absorbs greenhouse gasses; it absorbs carbon dioxide while also releasing more than 30 percent more oxygen into the Earth's atmosphere than trees.

4. Bamboo produces almost no wasteful byproducts. Once bamboo is harvested, nearly every part of the plant is used to make a varied array of products, such as furniture, chopsticks and mulch.

5. Bamboo can do whatever wood can do. Bamboo can effectively replace wood in almost all applications. It can be used to make everything from building materials and flooring to paper. Amazingly enough, bamboo has also proven to be sturdier than most kinds of wood and is more likely to maintain its shape in the face of atmospheric conditions.

6. Harvesting bamboo leaves no carbon footprint. In contrast to other cash crops, bamboo can be easily grown and harvested without the use of fertilizer, herbicides, or pesticides. At no stage in the growing or harvesting of bamboo are any chemicals added to the environment.

7. Bamboo protects the soil. When hardwood forests are harvested, the end result is usually top soil erosion as rainfalls push nutrient-rich soil out of the newly cleared lands. Because bamboo is not harvested by its roots, the roots remain in place and grow new shoots, protecting the land from soil erosion.

8. Bamboo promotes economic development. Bamboo production is steadily growing as a reliable industry in underdeveloped countries that have traditionally struggled with unemployment and civil unrest, helping to effectively stabilize formerly shaky economies.

9. Bamboo can thrive in many conditions. Even in arid areas, where droughts have destroyed other crops, bamboo can easily grow. This is because its roots are never harvested which helps the plant to retain moisture in all conditions.

10. Bamboo brings people together. Disappearing natural resources have led to serious problems between nations who fight each other for the right to the materials. As bamboo skyrockets in popularity, diverse cultures have the chance to put their disputes to rest and engage in a new level of trade and cooperation.

11. Optimism and cultural cooperation. In a fractious world where wars are fought over resources, the increasing popularity of bamboo products provides an opportunity for diverse cultures to settle their differences through trade and cooperation that benefits everyone.

Only time will tell if bamboo can actually save the world but it is proving to be a remarkable resource as it makes a positive stamp on our planet.