Natural Environment Blog

Since 2003, the UK has held a Hemp Expo, which aims to raise public awareness of the value of hemp as a national crop.

Each year, the Hemp Expo is held in held in various locations around the UK. This year it’s returning to London - the place of the first Hemp Expo back in 2003.

Here’s what the official website has to say about the Hemp Expo:

Featuring the latest and greatest in new inventions, clothing, bags, food, books, alternative therapies, healing, music, famous names and famous faces, seminars, new seed strains, vaporisers and much, much more.

Exhibitors, inventors, wholesalers and retailers will be coming from all over the world to show the best in hemp and alternative technologies.

This year’s Hemp Expo will be held on 14th, 15th and 16th of November 2008, at the Truman Brewery, Brick Lane, London E1

Hessian cloth is a coarse woven fabric typically made from jute or hemp. In the US, hessian cloth is usually referred to as ‘burlap’.

Hessian cloth (or just ‘hessian’) is often used to make sacks and bags for industrial purposes. It’s breathability makes it suitable for carrying foodstuffs - as it less prone to condensation than other materials. This, in turn, reduces spoilage of the contents.

Hessian cloth is also very durable. Again, this makes it ideal for carrying heavy goods. Because of its durability, Ghillie suits (or yowie suits) are often made from hessian. Ghillie suits are a type of camouflage suit used in the military and is designed to resemble the foilage of the forest.

Although hessian cloth is not popular in modern day apparel (probably due to it’s coarse texture), there are still many potential uses for it. And, because it’s made from plants like jute and hemp, it can be more sustainable than many other alternatives.

A new bill supporting industrial hemp production in Minnesota has been introduced to House committees.

The bill, authorized by Rep. Phyllis Kahn, DFL-Minneapolis, has already been given the thumbs up by the House Public Safety and Civil Justice. They voted 7-6 in favor of keeping the bill moving.

Unfortunately, Bob Bushman of the Minneasota Peace/Police Officers Association, isn’t so keen on the idea. He thinks that, legalizing industrial hemp will open the doors to all sorts of drugs being legalized. He’s also concerned that the laboratories that test drugs that have been seized by police, will become over-burdened.

Personally, I doubt that it will open the doors to the legalization of drugs. I mean, what the bill intends to do is make a clear distinction in the law between industrial hemp and drugs. And that’s all that is needed. The reason the law needs to have a clear distinction is because there is a clear distinction between industrial hemp and drugs.

Furthermore, unless drugs share the enormous benefits to the environment that industrial hemp does, it’s unlikely that we’ll see those being legalized any time soon.

As far as the burden on the drug labs goes, I don’t think the burden will be that great. Anyone with a trained eye can tell the difference between industrial hemp and marijuana.

It’s pretty much common knowledge that we’re burning through oil at an unsustainable rate. Sooner or later we’ll run out of oil and then what?

When many of us think of oil, we think of the stuff that we put into our car engines. We might also think of gasoline (also known as petrol) - the stuff that our cars need to run on.

In reality, crude oil is a much larger part of our lives than many of us realize. There are more than 4,000 different petrochemical products. These products are manufactured by refining crude oil.

Here are some common products that are made from oil:

• Gasoline
• Diesel fuel
• Heating oil
• Jet fuel
• Bunker fuel
• Fertilizers/pesticides
• Plastics
• Synthetic rubber
• Synthetic fibers
• Fertilizers/pesticides
• Dyes
• Paint
• Detergent
• Photographic film
• Food additives (canned food)
• Medicine
• Synthetic fibers (such as polyester, nylon, acrylic)
• Make-up
• Candles

It would be extremely difficult (probably impossible?) to live a civilized life in a developed country without using oil. Even those of us who are concerned about the environment, can’t help but use products that are derived from crude oil. Sad but true.

Alternatives to Crude Oil?

As well as being more efficient (and conserving as much as possible), the best thing we can do is search for alternative ingredients for these products. And there are alternatives.

For example, instead of using crude oil, many of these products could be manufactured from hemp. Hemp is a natural fiber which provides amazing environmental benefits over crude oil. And you might be surprised by the enormous variety of products that hemp can produce. Some say there are over 25,000 uses for hemp! For starters, here are 60 uses for hemp.

Plus, there are alternative energy sources such as solar, wind etc.

One day the world will need to make a transition from oil based products to alternatives. I suppose you could say the transition has begun. The more we embrace this transition, the better.

You may have seen my post about the North Dakota farmers who were issued hemp licenses. Having received their state licenses, they still aren’t allowed to grow hemp. They now need federal licence - due to the DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency) not recognizing the term ‘industrial hemp’.

Well, they’re still fighting their battle. It seems that it’s not that straight forward getting an industrial hemp license in the US!

Here’s a news article I found with one of the farmers displaying some hemp products. The farmer, Wayne Hauge, says:

Just a couple of hours north of us in Canada, industrial hemp is grown for multiple products.

They’re growing it, and they’re doing well with it. They make soaps, lotions, ropes and twine. When you combine its fibers with flax, cotton and silk, it makes a very soft product. Hemp could make a nice prom dress. They’ve got hemp granola bars and hemp milk in three flavors.

And he says that the unopened hemp milk could set on a shelf almost a year unrefridgerated.

Doesn’t it seem crazy that, given the amazing benefits of industrial hemp, and the variety of uses of hemp, that it’s so difficult to do the right thing and grow it?

Here are some facts regarding the earth’s forests:

• One and a half acres of rainforest is lost every second.
• To date, earth has lost 50% of its tropical forests worldwide.
• Many countries have lost between 70% and 95% of their forests in a very short timespan. In a 15 year timespan, Nigeria lost 79% of its old growth forests!
• Earth’s forests are being cut down at the same rate in which the human population is increasing. The alarming thing is that this rate is actually accelerating.
• At the current rate of deforestation, we will only have 20% of the world’s forests left by 2030. 10% will be in a degraded condition.
• Experts have estimated that all of earth’s rainforests will be gone within 40 years.

Given the alarming rate of deforestation, something big needs to be done. Our increasing demand for paper doesn’t help either. In 2003, the Certified Forest Products Council said:

Worldwide demand for paper – the single largest use of wood fiber – is five times what it was in the 1950s. This number is expected to double again over the next 50 years.

What can be done about this? I’m sure plenty could be done.

To start with, paper doesn’t need to be made from wood. For example, perfectly good paper can be made out of Jute or Hemp. These plants grow much faster than trees, and use up much less land. Trees take many years to grow. Jute and Hemp are fully grown within months. They also have a higher biological efficiency than trees planted for the same purpose.

We need to start thinking about ways to reduce deforestation - then act on it. Otherwise, some of us may actually see a day where there are no rainforests left.

Two farmers in North Dakota received licenses from the N.D. state to grow industrial hemp. But if they do grow it, they will be breaking the law. It’s now a year later - renewal time. But still not allowed to grow industrial hemp.

Apparently it’s all mixed up between state and federal government. North Dakota Agriculture Commissioner Roger Johnson said:

“Although other states are beginning to follow North Dakota’s lead in legalizing the production of industrial hemp, it very well may be up to the courts to bring about the necessary recognition of industrial hemp as a legitimate crop,”

and…

“Congress seems to have little stomach for the matter, and it is highly unlikely that DEA will change its stand and choose to exercise its discretion to differentiate between industrial hemp and marijuana.”

Source: GrandForksHerald

Just another demonstration of how the US hemp law is preventing people from doing the right thing by the environment.

Did you know that more concrete is made each year than any other man-made material? It’s second only to water as the most consumed substance on the planet. It’s been reported that each year, more than one ton of concrete is produced for each person on earth!

Hempcrete is being billed as an eco-friendly alternative to concrete. Hempcrete is a generic term for a hemp-based building material that can be used in place of concrete. It consists of a mixture of hemp, lime, sand, plaster, and cement, and can be used in the same way as concrete.

There are a number of trademarked variations for hempcrete. Here are some of them:

Hemcrete

Hemcrete, or Tradical Hemcrete, is a trademarked version of hempcrete produced by Lime Technology in the UK.

Canobiote

Canobiote consists of hemp hurds coated with mineral salts. Canobiote is intended to provide insulation for wood-framed, closed lofts and floors . It’s particularly ideal for those that receive regular use.

Canobiote was patented by a group called La Chanvriere de L’Aube (LCDA). LCDA is a French company that specializes in production and processing of industrial hemp. Established in 1973, LCDA works together with many hemp farmers located in Champagne - the vineyard region in Eastern France.

Canosmose

Also patented by LCDA, Canosmose is a light-weight concrete made with hemp hurds and natural lime. Canosmose is intended for non-load bearing masonry, such as walls sectioned with wooden supports.

Isochanvre

Isochanvre was created by France Périer, who previously worked for LCDA promoting Canobiote. Like Canobiote, Isochanvre is typically used for acoustic and thermal insulation. It is also increasingly being used as a construction material.

The Difference?

These products appear to be quite similar. Isochanvre and Canobiote are slanted towards insulation, while Canosmose and Hemcrete are promoted as a construction material.

As with many proprietary products, it’s not absolutely clear what the technical difference is between these products. What we do know is that they are all hemp-based, and used for housing construction. We also know that hempcrete has some great benefits over concrete.

The Future of Concrete?

Who knows what the future of concrete will be. Given the sheer scale of the concrete industry, I think it’s unlikely that one solution will completely replace concrete. I suspect we’ll see more and more environmentally friendly versions of concrete. Hempcrete will be one of the many. But one thing’s for sure; hempcrete won’t make any headway in the U.S. until the U.S. government finally recognizes hemp for its outstanding potential.

If you’ve read my various posts about hemp, you might remember me mentioning how strong it is. Hemp is well known for its strength and durability.

In 1941, Henry Ford built a car that contained cellulose fibers derived from hemp, sisal, and wheat straw. The plastic was said to be lighter than steel and 10 times stronger than steel. Ford demonstrated its strength by attacking it with an axe.

Turn the sound up see Ford attacking his hemp car with an axe!

I recently raved about the environmental benefits of hemp. I also compiled a list of various ways hemp is being used around the world. There’s no doubt to the versatility of this fiber.

One industry that is reaping the benefits of hemp is the building industry. Sustainable housing is becoming more and more important and hemp can certainly step up to the mark.

There are many applications of hemp in the building industry. It can be used for insulation, fiberboard, stucco and mortar and more. The use of hemp in the building industry has even sparked a new word - hempcrete.

What is Hempcrete?

Put simply, hempcrete is an eco-friendly alternative to concrete. It consists of a mixture of hemp, lime, sand, plaster, and cement, and can be used in the same way as concrete. Hempcrete is typically mixed on site, then sprayed on to the building frame. Hempcrete can also be used for making pipes.

Hempcrete is self insulating. It’s resistant to rotting, mice, rodents, etc. It is also fireproof, waterproof, and weather resistant.

Hempcrete actually has some pretty cool benefits over concrete too.

Benefits of Hempcrete

Hempcrete has a number of environmental benefits over concrete. It also has a number of general benefits too.

General Benefits

Here are some of the general benefits of hempcrete over concrete:

• Stronger: Hempcrete is said to be 7 times stronger than concrete
• Lighter: Hempcrete is about half the weight of concrete
• Less cracking: Hempcrete is more elastic than concrete, which means it is less prone to cracking

Environmental Benefits

Using hempcrete instead of concrete can drastically reduce carbon emissions produced by our buildings.

In the UK for example, the construction and ongoing use of buildings accounts for over 50% of of carbon dioxide emissions. Studies have shown that, for each square meter of house walling, up to 200 kilograms of carbon dioxide is emitted from its construction. This works out to be around 40 tonnes of carbon dioxide emitted for a typical house.

Hempcrete, on the other hand, can actually remove carbon dioxide from the air, and trap it within the wall construction. The producers of Tradical Hemcrete claim that it has been found to lock up around 110 kilograms of carbon dioxide per m³.

So, which is it? “Hemcrete” or “hempcrete”?

Both! Hempcrete (with a “p”) is the generic name for the product. Hemcrete (without the “p”), is a proprietary version of hempcrete. Its full name is Tradical^® Hemcrete^®, and it’s a registered trademark of Lime Technology in the UK.