The growing demand for homes and commercial construction, furniture, plywood, utensils, flooring and paper has caused forests of trees to be harvested at a rate that is not sustainable for the planet. Logging contributes over 20 percent of the greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming. Chemical processing of wood results in further pollution of air and water supplies.
Other ecological damage due to deforestation includes erosion, loss of human, animal and plant habitats, endangered wildlife and the loss of infinitely valuable plant and animal species.
Bamboo Plants Regenerate and Improve Soil
An alternative wood resource that is environmentally friendly and can be used in many ways to reduce the over-exploitation of rainforests, is bamboo. There are over 80 species of bamboo and it is one of the fastest growing plants in the world, shooting up 30 cm to 100 cm in a single day.
Bamboo can also be commercially harvested in only three to six years and cutting it down does not kill the plant as chopping down a tree does. Bamboo is able to regenerate itself with rhizomes or shoot; this results in virtually no impact to the environment and takes away the cost, time and energy of replanting a harvested bamboo forest. Bamboo can also be grown in soil that is rendered infertile due to excess grazing and agriculture and planting a bamboo grove actually helps to replenish the topsoil.
Bamboo Flooring Is More Durable Than Hardwood Flooring
Bamboo has been used for centuries in many areas of the world by over 3 billion people, mainly for fiber, food and building material. Bamboo has great potential as a renewable building material and even as a biofuel source. However, in the West it is currently most commonly available as bamboo flooring.
Though bamboo is part of the grass family and has a flimsy cane-like appearance, it has amazing strength and durability. It is 25 percent harder than red oak, a common tree used to make wood flooring and more durable than the rock maple tree. Additionally bamboo floors expand and contract 50 percent less than the traditional hardwood wood floors.
Renovate With Sustainable and Renewable Building Materials
Bamboo flooring is the best ecologically choice for making a home ‘green’ by helping to sustain the ecosystem. It is also a smart choice for quality and appearance. Bamboo flooring is available in a selection of colors, stains, textures, width and lengths and groove patterns just as traditional wood flooring is.
And it is similarly available in easy to install floating floors or the glued or nailed down variety. Most people will not be able to tell the difference between the wood and bamboo flooring. Visit local construction, home renovation and flooring distributors and stores for more information on bamboo flooring for the next green home renovation project. Government programs in some areas may even subsidize green home renovations, check with local municipal offices.
Related Articles:
- Free and Easy Ways to Go Green At Home
- How to Make Biodegradable Laundry Detergent
- Mold Spray on Furniture Causing Skin Rashes
Reference:
Green Home Building: http://www.greenhomebuilding.com/bamboo.htm (Accessed March 24, 2010)
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Noreen Kassem - Noreen Kassem is a hospital doctor based in London, UK. She has extensive experience in clinical research and an undergraduate honors ...
