[Greenbuilding] Bamboo is invasive. Shame on you David

Fri Feb 9 08:45:25 CST 2007

Johan,

Why do you keep "shaming" me? In reply to someone else's post (which 
you quote below) stating that there was a lot of bamboo grown here 
and that the plantations could expand, I ASKED whether bamboo was 
invasive because that was my understanding. Surely asking a question 
is not irresponsible.

And are you saying it IS invasive, or it isn't? The websites, on 
quick perusal, look to be promoting bamboo grown domestically.

David Bergman

At 05:43 AM 2/9/2007, you wrote:
>Hi folks, after reading some of the mail regarding Bamboo, I thought I would
>like to get David's foot into his mouth.  Not to flame but to rap him over
>his professional Architectural fingers to say such an irresponsible things
>about Bamboo.  Here goes
>http://www.inbar.int/facts.htm
>http://www.bamboocraft.net/gallery/index.php
>_http://texasbamboosociety.org/_ (http://texasbamboosociety.org/)
>_http://americanbamboo.org/_ (http://americanbamboo.org/)
>_http://bamboocentral.net/_ (http://bamboocentral.net/)
>http://bamboocomposites.com/Pro_Profiles/DemoHouse.pdf
>http://bamboocomposites.com/publication.htm
>http://www.conbam.de/conbam.html?&L=1
>http://www.architecture.com/go/Architecture/Also/Awards_2006.html
>
>Hope you all become Bamboosarios.
>Regards
>Johan Van Tonder
>
>
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: <greenbuilding-request at listserv.repp.org>
>To: <greenbuilding at listserv.repp.org>
>Sent: Thursday, February 08, 2007 7:16 PM
>Subject: Greenbuilding Digest, Vol 8, Issue 13
>
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> > Message: 3
> > >      2.)   Importing ANYTHING from China.   Yes, I agree this is a bad
> > > practice for both economic and so called 'green' reasons.   There is
>plenty of
> > > bamboo growing in the USA and the plantations would expand if there were
>a large
> > > market such as an US-based plyboo factory.   While establishing a grove
>isn't
> > > quick, it is quicker than planting softwoods and much more sustainable.
>Bamboo
> > > is a natural monocrop, or, depending on species and variety, and
>understory
> > > cover.   Figure that you start harvesting in less than 10 years after
>planting
> > > out, especially temperate species, e.g., the Phyllostachys genus.
>Large
> > > plantations would enable pre-harvest of premium timber culms for use in
>bamboo
> > > construction and crafts prior to a general cut for plywood fiber.   The
>real
> > > limitation is labor, since each culm needs to be individually selected,
>leaving
> > > the younger culms to mature.   (A culm should be between 3 and 6 years
>old for
> > > maximum strength.)   Unlike tropical bamboos, temperate bamboos suit
> > > agroforestry arrangements, such as feeding foliage to ruminants, as the
>leaves carry
> > > negligible amounts of cyanide precursors.   I've seen this done as cut
>and carry,
> > > where the whole culm is removed to an adjacent pasture where the cattle
> > > devour the foliage and small twigs.   Then the culm can be dressed and
>shipped.
> > > Less handling can be done if culms are dressed in the grove and cattle
>turned
> > > in after harvest (in the fall to avoid damage to new growth).   This
>would make
> > > such systems more viable, economically, and would maximize the
>utilization of
> > > the land so that native forests can be unmolested to a greater degree.
> > > Woody trimmings too coarse for browsing would remain as mulch, which
>bamboo dearly
> > > loves.   Some fertility from the leaves would pass through the cattle
>into
> > > the grove as manure, reducing the need for fertilization.
> > >
> > > That would meet my definition of 'green' bamboo production and, given
>the
> > > location of a plyboo factory in the kudzu belt, minimize shipping of raw
> > > materials (which would have almost no factory waste) and provide an
>excellent
> > > construction material.
> > >
> > > Bamboo can also be grown as part of a sewage treatment marsh.   It seems
>that
> > > everyone has to do his/her own research project on this, so there are
>endless
> > > positive research papers to back this up.   One just needs to somehow
>short
> > > circuit the industrial mindset that thinks a factory is the best way to
>process
> > > organic materials.
> > >
> > > Dan Hemenway
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > ---------------------------------------------------------
> > > Barking Frogs Permaculture Center
> > > www.barkingfrogspermaculture.org
> > >
> > > Our 11th Annual Permaculture Design Course Online began Nov. 5, 2006.
>Late
> > > registrations accepted as long as we have room. The protocol for our
>Annual
> > > Permaculture Design Course Online is at
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> > >
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> > >
> > >
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> > Message: 4
> > Date: Thu, 08 Feb 2007 11:57:37 -0500
> > From: David Bergman <bergman at cyberg.com>
> > Subject: Re: [Greenbuilding] Plybooboo
> > To: YankeePerm at aol.com,GREENBUILDING at listserv.repp.org
> > Message-ID: <6.2.3.4.2.20070208115518.03b65d68 at mail.cyberg.com>
> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed
> >
> > At 09:35 AM 2/8/2007, YankeePerm at aol.com wrote:
> > >There is plenty of
> > >bamboo growing in the USA and the plantations would expand if there
> > >were a large
> > >market such as an US-based plyboo factory.
> >
> > Are there issues with Bamboo being a non-indigenous plant and
> > threatening existing eco systems? I'd thought that, because it is
> > essentially rapidly growing weed, it is hard to control and can
> > potentially spread beyond farms and overtake systems.
> >
> >
> > David
> > DAVID BERGMAN ARCHITECT / FIRE & WATER LIGHTING + FURNITURE
> > architecture . interiors . ecodesign . lighting . furniture
> > bergman at cyberg.com    www.cyberg.com
> > 241 Eldridge Street #3R, New York, NY 10002
> > t 212 475 3106    f 212 677 7291
>
>
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David
DAVID BERGMAN ARCHITECT / FIRE & WATER LIGHTING + FURNITURE
architecture . interiors . ecodesign . lighting . furniture
bergman at cyberg.com    www.cyberg.com
241 Eldridge Street #3R, New York, NY 10002
t 212 475 3106    f 212 677 7291  