How Hemp can Help Save our Planet

 

Hemp a plant to save the planet

 How Hemp can Help Save our Planet

I'm excited, and you should be too. We have technologies and products within our grasp that can help us save the planet, help feed the hungry, provide construction, textiles and other materials and are eco-friendly.

The plant I'm excited about is hemp. It is part of the stavia plant family, cannabis, but hemp doesn't contain as much THC as cannabis, which gives it it's unique qualities.  Accordingly to wikipedia, Hemp has lower concentrations of THC and may have higher concentrations of cannabidiol (CBD), which decreases or eliminates its psychoactive effects.  

What Makes Hemp Great for Our Planet?

1) Hemp is one of the fastest growing planets on earth. It takes about 4 months for the stalks to mature.

2) Hemp is a great carbon sponge - for every tonne of hemp it removes 1.63 tons of carbon from the air, which is more than trees.

3) Hemp seeds are highly nutritious - Hemp seed provides more protein per gram than beef, and  more omega 3 and 6 than salmon.

4) Hemp is a plant that is organically grown, so it is good for the soil, and other plant, animal and  insect life because hemp requires no pesticides or herbicides, nothing is destroyed or poisoned in its production and it can grow just about anywhere, as it needs far less water than rice wheat or soy.

5) Hemp has multiple uses besides that of a food and skincare products. And by the way it is an impressive emollient, and fantastic for clearing skin conditions in a safe and natural way.  

Hemp and it's many uses 

Hemp has multiple uses and doesn't need pesticides to grow

6) It helps to reduce industrial and household waste. As far back as over 10,000 years ago it was the first plant to be woven into a usable fibre.  It's fibres which are cellulose can be used to make textiles, and other construction materials  such as a  Hempcrete, a biocomposite material which is used for construction and insulation.

 

 It can completely wipe out the need for plastic production and thereby cut out the toxic pollution created by this industry.  What is more it is a biodegradable product, so it won't damage our seas, soil and wildlife like plastic has done.  In fact BMW is using hemp products to replace it's use of plastic in some of it's cars.

Bioremediation - Hemp cleanses the soil 

Hemp cleanses the soil in crop rotation

It can help with soil pollution. -Industrial hemp has a natural ability to remove toxic chemicals from soil. After the Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster, hemp was used to help clear radiation from the soil, showcasing successful results as the roots of the plant are deep and wide and can reach down to a depth of 3 feet. They are tolerant to heavy metals enabling them to be more effective at expelling widespread contamination.

Taranto in Italy also used industrial hemp to help clear the air and soil from the massive toxic problems caused by Italy's largest steel works. 

In Taranto, according to experts, between 2004 and 2010 there were on average 83 deaths a year attributable to exceedances of particulate matter in the air, while hospitalizations for cardio-respiratory causes would amount to 648 per year. [ILVA] workers showed excess mortality from malignant disease (+11%), in particular for stomach cancer (+107), pleura (+ 71%), prostate (+50) and bladder (+69%). Among the non-cancerous diseases are found to be in excess neurological diseases (+64%) and heart disease (+14%). The workers with the qualification of employed presented excess mortality for cancer of the pleura (+135%) and brain (+111%). The impairment framework of the health status of the workers of the steel industry is confirmed by the analysis of hospital admissions in excess of hospitalizations for causes cancer, cardiovascular and respiratory.” (7)

3. Solution to Deforestation

Hemp can provide a solution to deforestation by providing the materials we need instead of needing to cut down trees to get it. Deforestation inflicts devastation on the planet, daily by increasing the amount of carbon dioxide in the air. It is also responsible for the extinction of many animal species in the Amazon and other countries.

How can Hemp Help with Global Warming and Climate Change?

Hemp Plastic

 

The more hemp we safely grow the more carbon is taken out of the air, reducing global warming. And since hemp has a plethora of uses the more we use it for paper, bio-fuel, textiles, construction materials, food etc. the less waste we will produce.the less deforestation will be required and we could potentially reverse existing damage afflicted by global warming and climate change.  

Buy Local

Many countries are producing hemp, so buy from your own country or a country close by. Don't increase the size of your carbon footprint because of price, it diminishes the objective of reducing air pollution.

I certainly won't be buying any of my hemp products from China because there is a great source of high quality, organically grown and processed hemp in the UK.

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Why are Mangrove Forests so Eco Friendly?

Why are Mangrove Forests so Eco Friendly? 

 

Mangrove Forest

That's easy to answer. They are a coastal ecosystem. Take a look at the list below. Basically they battle climate change on many fronts.

1) They absorb 5 times more carbon dioxide and store it in the ground as blue carbon, than the arboreal rain forest.

2) They can grow on the shores of the sea and river estuaries, because they can tolerate saltwater.

3) They are a natural barrier to tsunamis, as they can minimise the height of the waves hitting the land behind them. 
(It has been estimated that 5 miles of forest, can reduce wave damage by 95%.

4) They encourage all types of biodiversity of wild life and aquatic life to live amongst them, providing much needed opportunities for the people living next to them.

I first saw a mango and tasted the salt from it's leaf when I was in Egypt 5 or 6 years ago. I didn't then understand how significant their role was and is to the entire earth, not just their local communities.

Where are Mangrove Forests Found?

Mangrove wetland forests are found in the tropics and subtropics where weather conditions are harsh with levels of high salinity and lots of mud.

Over the last 2 decades over 35% of mangrove forests have been lost through changing the land for agricultural use, large scale shrimp farms or for property development.  But when you cut down the mangroves you destroy your natural defenses against the sea. Your land becomes more susceptible to damage from storm surges and tsunamis. This type of damage can completely destroy lives, property and once sea water enters agricultural farming areas the land becomes barren.

On the Ganges delta they are having a race against time to save some of their islands, many of which have had massive land loss, and some of the islands have been completely submerged by the sea.  Many small agricultural lands have been lost.  Many people have been displaced. Even hospital and school services, and some agricultural farming are now carried out on board ships because the land damage is so severe.

They are fighting back along with many other countries. They have developed mangrove nurseries, off site to grow mangrove trees and harden them off before planting them in the saline mud when they are 4 months old. These new trees are literally being planted by the millions  Some panting schemes have worked, and some haven't. The one's that haven't is because mono-planting has been carried out instead of using a diversity of the 3 major varieties..

As far back as 2011 a mangrove nursery manual was created by Guyana and Europe to help to successfully build new forest areas and regenerate areas that been cut down.

Affects of Climate Change

 

Mangrove Tree

Sea levels are rising and seas are becoming warmer. Even as far back as 2011, it was noted that the Arctic sea ice was shrinking because of climate change. 

In Florida mangroves are now being seen in areas further north than they were traditionally, because of the effects of warmer areas further north.  Also mangroves are protected in Florida, a person cannot cut them down or take them out. Specialised tree surgeons, who have a license to work with mangroves, are the only people allowed to work on them, and they can only cut the trees down to a maximum of 8ft.

If we can stop the loss of mangrove forests, and continue to create them, then the planet will have a much better chance of fighting global warming.

Great News From Thailand

News of a wonderful project in Thailand is showing what great benefits and opportunities can occur when reclaiming lands and turning them back into mangrove forests when all the community get involved.

Mangrove Forests are Legacy for the Health of the Earth

 

mangrove in flower

Mangrove forests are essential to the health of the planet, and careful management is required to ensure their survival.

Mangroves provide building materials, a human food source as well as a magnificent ecosystem for other wildlife and fish. They provide protection against devastating damage caused by storm surges and they can provide a good quality, sustainable life for those communities who live amongst them.

As people we need to stop being takers and start to be givers because the more we give back to the earth and others, ultimately leads to the more we all have given back to us to take.