Bamboo products have exploded in the market recently. Bamboo is being used in flooring, textiles and all sorts of household items. Its popularity is based on its reputation as a sustainable material. It's a hardy plant that can thrive without the use of pesticides and in many climates and it grows quickly, so what is cut down can be easily replaced. At least that's what has been assumed.
It turns out that bamboo's popularity has led to it being over-harvested and not only is it not being replaced quickly enough with new growth, but many species are on the verge of extinction. Even though it grows quickly, turns out it's very hard to propagate from seeds. That's where Booshoot Gardens, a biotechnology company, comes in. They have figured out a way to propagate bamboo species through tissue culture and are cultivating various species in mass amounts in their greenhouses in Washington state.
Booshoots supplies nurseries and agroforesters with bamboo to ensure that the grass continues to be available and thrive. The continuing existence of large quantities of bamboo is to the benefit of the environment. Bamboo absorbs more CO2 than trees and releases more oxygen, so it's important that bamboo not just be used as a material, but also stay in the ground.
Of course, even with Booshoots propagating bamboo in a sustainable way, there are still many questions left about what processes are used to make bamboo products and what is being cut down in order to make room for bamboo. As it continues to grow in popularity, standards will have to be put in place to truly make it sustainable, but at least there is a company out there like Booshoot that is doing their part to help the plant and the planet.
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written by Karl, March 14, 2009
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written by Fred, March 15, 2009
CO2 is NOT driving temp increases, it is NOT a pollutant, and it is NOT a problem that we need to solve.
Here's the science:
http://www.sydneyminingclub.org/presentations/2008/november/plimer/player.html
But bamboo is a wonderful renewable resource which we should husband and grow for all sorts of useful things. So, hooray for Booshoots!
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written by Bob Wallace, March 16, 2009
Credibility is a terrible thing to lose....
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written by Folten Heisert, March 16, 2009
It would be more logical for us to treat the current levels of CO2 as an anomaly.
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written by Elijah, March 16, 2009
Science is supposed to remain objective, but the presentation you link was given to a bunch of miners by a guy who is a mining company owner. He's got a serious conflict of interest problem, and he's deliberately picking and choosing what data he presents and how he presents it, such that it's easily misinterpreted. It helps especially that he misinterprets it.
To get back on topic:
It would be a big step towards making bamboo sustainable if they harvested it from areas where it is an invasive species (like here in Georgia).
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written by Melissa, March 20, 2009
There are a couple of different types of bamboo. I'm not sure if the type that is terribly invasive here is the type that can be used for floors, cloth, etc. Anyone know more on that?
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written by jordan shoes, June 19, 2009
accept failure, but can not accept to give up.â€He always called the god of basketball ,air jordan.He never give up while fierce
competition .
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written by air jordan, June 27, 2009
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written by Marci, July 16, 2009
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written by ed hardy clothes, September 24, 2009
Credibility is a terrible thing to lose....
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