[Greenbuilding] [BULK] Bamboo...how about hemp

[Tim Vireo Keating]

Actually, we've opposed the use of hemp for paper for the sole reason 
that those promoting its use are often talking of planting the hemp 
as an "on-purpose" crop specifically for production of paper or 
building products. There's something on the order of 200 million tons 
of agricultural residue already generated in the US that would make 
excellent paper (a small amount of bagasse - sugar cane stems - is 
used in the south). In fact, back a few years when I looked into it 
(1995?), ag-res was the fastest growing sector of the paper industry 
globally. The US uses little of it and growth is stagnant. Brazil, 
India, China and many other countries are utilizing large amounts of 
ag-res for paper production and the use is on the rise. There's 
simply no reason to grow crops (or trees) specifically for paper.

That said, hemp can and should be grown for seeds, as the oil is 
superior for both food and industrial uses. Then the stalk becomes 
ag-res.

The same is true for kenaf. Given the amount of ag-res already 
generated in the US (and often burned), it makes little sense to grow 
crops for fiber-based building materials where the fibers are going 
to be chipped or ground up in some way (like MDF). Wheat straw, rise 
straw, etc. - these can all be made into excellent boards.

tim keating

At 10:52 AM -0600 2/9/07, Lawrence Lile wrote:
>Yeah, except for the baggage.....
>
>"Yup, I'm doin' 10-20 for having a rope farm." 
>
>Industrial hemp would be an ideal crop to make paper out of, if our
>nation's laws were written rationally instead of in response to
>hysteria.  
>
>Lawrence Lile, P.E., LEED AP
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: greenbuilding-bounces at listserv.repp.org
>[mailto:greenbuilding-bounces at listserv.repp.org] On Behalf Of Ken Beiser
>Sent: Friday, February 09, 2007 10:18 AM
>To: Greenbuilding at listserv.repp.org
>Subject: [BULK] [Greenbuilding] Bamboo...how about hemp
>Importance: Low
>
>Isn't industrial hemp going to be a greener approach than even bamboo?
>
>Ken
>Whitefish
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