Carbon footprint: a phrase we hear almost as often as we hear global warming and climate change. Not surprising, as all of them are connected. Climate change is a threat to the future of planet earth. Global warming is one of the major factors behind climate change. Increased carbon emission is one of the core reasons for global warming. In this article, we will discuss how hemp can help us reduce carbon dioxide and fight against global warming.
Carbon here refers to gas carbon dioxide or CO2. Human activities since the industrial revolution, and especially since the mid-20th century, has been consistently increasing the level of CO2 released into the earth’s surface. Hence the phrase ‘carbon footprint’. Today, the amount of CO2 in the earth’s atmosphere is much higher than what it would be naturally.
CO2 and the Greenhouse Effect
Higher levels of CO2 and some other gases in the earth’s atmosphere cause the greenhouse effect. A greenhouse is a structure built entirely of glass, used in gardening to grow plants that need warm weather. The typical use of greenhouses is for growing tropical flowers, fruits, and vegetables in places where the natural weather is cooler than these plants need.
A greenhouse maintains warmth 24X7 even during winter. The sunlight passes through the glass structure easily and warms the air inside during the day. The glass walls and ceilings trap the heat so that the warmth lingers through the night also.
Higher CO2 levels in the atmosphere have just this effect on the earth. CO2 traps the heat and increases temperature levels on the earth’s surface. It is like the whole planet is inside a greenhouse.
Why Does It Matter?
The official website of the climate department of the US government mentions that the current atmospheric CO2 level is higher than it has ever been in the last 800,000 years. In 2018, the CO2 level on the earth’s surface reached 407.4 parts per million, a record high after three million years.
Unless we control the greenhouse effect on the earth’s atmosphere, CO2 levels are likely to cross 900 parts per million by the end of the 21st century. Higher levels of thermal energy trapped on the earth’s surface imply that the planet is warmer than it would be naturally.
So what if we live in a warmer planet? Well, for one, it causes the polar ice to melt faster than it gets replaced. The Arctic and Antarctic icecaps play a critical role in keeping our landmass intact. If these icecaps get damaged, all coastal areas in the world will be submerged.
Here is a photo of the Arctic ice sheet at its peak in winter on 13 March 2019. It is the seventh-lowest in 40 years.
Ocean and sea levels are rising because of global warming. That is another threat to losing coastal areas to water bodies. Also, the natural habitat of flora and fauna gets affected and so does the overall ecological balance. Also, our oceans are already 30% more acidic because of absorbing excessive CO2.
The threats are many and varied. One way out is to explore outer space for creating new human settlements there. But a much more practical solution is to look for natural responses to reduce the greenhouse effect.
Why Hemp Counts
The hemp, or industrial hemp as it is also called, the plant is a natural solution to much of the excessive CO2 emission issue. It is an amazingly versatile plant that had been in human use for thousands of years. It is only in the 20th century that we declared it an outlawed plant in many countries of the world.
A simple act of omission caused this (though there are conspiracy theorists who believe that it was more an act of commission). Psychoactive cannabis or marijuana is a cousin of the hemp. They both belong to the same plant species, Cannabis Sativa. But hemp does not have the psychoactive properties of its cannabis cousin.
Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the chemical that gives marijuana its capacity to cause a “high”. But the THC level in the industrial hemp is limited to 0.3%. That is why this plant does not have the psychoactive capacity of cannabis the drug.
The hemp has a number of benefits for human beings and the environment we live in. Reducing our carbon footprint is only one of them.
Fossil Fuels vs. Hemp Biofuel
Much of the excess CO2 in the earth’s atmosphere is because of our dependence on fossil fuels like petrol and diesel. Hemp biofuel is one of the most easily available renewable energy sources that we can use to substitute fossil fuels.
A 2010 report from the University of Connecticut, USA, reports on a research initiative led by Richard Parnas, professor of biomolecular, chemical and materials engineering at the university. According to the findings of this research, industrial hemp is a feasible source of producing biodiesel.
One of the main advantages of using hemp for producing biodiesel is that the plant grows on infertile soil not suitable for cultivating other crops, especially foodgrains. It is an easy-to-grow plant thatneeds no additional fertilizersand is naturally resistant to pests.
The research report states that hemp seeds are naturally rich in oil content and 97% of that can be used to generate biodiesel. Hemp biofuel can also be used at temperatures lower than other plant-based fuels presently in use.
Hemp Can reduce Carbon Dioxide
Planting more trees is an effective means of addressing the carbon emission issue, for plants absorb carbon dioxide. Hemp is a plant with a particularly high level of efficiency in this regard. Experts say that every ton of hemp can sequester 1.62 tons of CO2. In simple language, that is how much CO2 a ton of hemp can trap and hold.
Hemp can also reintegrate CO2 back into the soil through biosequestration. This is a process of smoldering a harvested plant slowly. Harvested hemp produces charcoal-like biochar when smoldered slowly post-harvest. To mix this biochar with the soil is to return the carbon to the soil, rather than releasing it into the atmosphere.
Hempcrete Reduces Carbon Emission
A recent report from the United Nations Environment Program mentions that the construction industry is responsible for up to 30% of the total greenhouse gas emissions globally. This industry also accounts for about 40% of the total global energy consumption.
Using hempcrete as insulation for buildings can reduce carbon dioxide emissions considerably. A 2010 report by the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills, Government of UK, mentions that one square meter of hempcrete wall framed by timber can store up to 35.5 kg of CO2. That is after absorbing the energy cost of transportation and assembling of the materials.
Hempcrete is a biocomposite made of hemp hubs, water, and lime or some other natural binder. Hemp hubs or shives are the inner core of hemp stalks left after the outer fibers have been taken out. These hubs are woody in texture. Hempcrete is not strong enough for load-bearing, but they are effective for insulation.
Hempcrete insulation also reduces energy consumption for insulating buildings as it is naturally breathable. It can both store thermal energy and release it, which makes it suitable for different temperature zones.
Think Hemp for a Greener Planet
There are myriad other ways that hemp can help us find natural solutions to the climate change menace. Reducing our carbon footprint is only one of them. It is time we started relying more on the ancient wisdom associated with the use of this miracle plant.
Jaspreet Singh is the Co-Founder and COO of Hemp Foundation. He is passionate about adventures tours, trekking, and long bike rides. This story originally appeared at Hemp Foundation.
We all can agree, growing hemp for paper in 12 to 16 weeks is much greater for our environment than growing trees for years and cutting them down for the same reason, paper products. Hemp can not only augment the paper industry, it can be well on it’s way to replacing the tree paper industry.
Whether you need product packaging, business cards, posters for an event, product brochures, or you have an idea for print media you need help bringing to fruition, Hemp Press can make your brand look good and reflect your business’ value.So then, why choose cutting down our forest trees when we can choose Hemp for all our paper products?
As for me, of course, I live by all things hemp! I believe in choosing life sustaining products over all others. How about the cost we think? For a few dollars more, (which will never really break our pocket book) we give our participation to the greatest sustainable evolution of our time. We know that we are doing our part in choosing the sustainable values for our planet which is well worth our small additional investment.
Printed on all natural white Hemp paper – I love the natural texture
Here’s a few vital reasons why Hemp Paper Vs Tree Paper
The Library of Congress found that, “While the hemp paper in volumes 300-400 years old is still strong, 97% of the books, printed between 1900 and 1937 on tree paper, will be useable for less than 50 years.” Hemp paper can be recycled 7 to 8 times, compared with only 3 times for wood pulp paper.
The USDA reported in 1916 that an acre of hemp produced as much paper as four acres of trees annually , yet 70% of American forest have been destroyed since 1916. Read more here https://hempfrontiers.com/hemp-paper-vs-tree-paper/
In the United States alone, paper companies consume over one billion trees each year and convert it to pulp to make paper. It takes that many trees to provide an average of 735 pounds of paper for each and every person. That number is expected to rise approximately 60% by the year 2050. The United States uses up about 32 % of the world’s paper. In the US, only about 5 % of our once vast virgin forest remain. We are using up our trees faster than we are growing new ones. At that rate, we have to import more trees from other parts of the world forest just to meet the demand.
HEMP PRESS Printing says, ‘Why package your sustainably grown, ethically produced product in a paper box made from farmed trees that were grown on land that isn’t able to support that kind of agriculture?’
Why print our marketing material, such as business cards, posters, and flyers on paper produced in China when you could promote your brand and values with sustainably grown, American hemp?
In 2012 the founder of Hemp Press, Matthew Glyer, asked that same question. The search for sustainable paper stock to print labels for his beeswax candle company led him to a very special paper made of hemp fiber.
Then he wondered…“What else could I print on hemp paper?”And Hemp Press was born.
We at HempingtonPost we are super delighted to have discovered Hemp*Press – So we reached out for a product review in which I, the CEO had the opportunity to have my new cards printed on Hemp Paper. We begin with looking at these three things, Quality of Product, Quality of Customer Service and Quality of Fair Pricing.
Hemp Press has all of this and ordering was easy, fast and I recieved my new cards in about a week’s turnaround. I love them – I choose the natural background so we can see it’s printed on hemp paper – I’m super proud to be a part in making our world green and sustainable again.
The pricing varies and Hemp paper is a bit more pricey than tree paper, again, in the long run, over time when it’s amortized out, as I always do when quantifying any product or service, if my extra pennies a day can create a greater impact on our life and our environment then I’m all in. Someday Hemp can be the paper we’re all choosing and using. It’s important to step up to this all natural table of life now, if we can. We can help make our world a more sustainable place to live which would make this priceless!
The staff, I worked with Gared is super easy and helpful to work with – Give them a call and get a quote on business cards or other hemp packaging. Keep in mind they do have their own design team if this is also a part of your needs.
It’s time we make our choices not only work for us but also work well for our world.
Give them a call, get a quote, ameritize it out, including the priceless effects we make when we choose for the good of all life.
PrintonHemp.com – At Hemp Press we believe that The Future of Paper is Rooted in Fields, Not Forests.™
Hemp is possibly the most valuable plant on Earth, and has the potential to bring economic stimulus all of Rural Planet Earth … But that is up to WE The People!
All Hemp is Cannabis, but not all Cannabis is Hemp … Why?… because of arbitrary, absurd Statutes that define Hemp as Cannabis with a THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) level of less than .3% in the United States and up to 1.0% in more enlightened countries. Even with a psychoactive threshold of 25 milligrams, this 1% limit is not enough to make a person “high”. Additionally, there are no documented cases of fatal overdoses with Hemp/Cannabis. The primary reason this plant is made illegal was because it was a competitive threat to other industries in the 1930s and those industries had enough money and political clout to stifle their competition by making it illegal.
Currently the majority of Hemp grown in the United States is utilized in the nascent CBD (cannabidiol) industry which has purported medical properties without the psychoactive effect of THC. Ironically, studies have shown that all the cannabinoids actually work together for an “Entourage Effect” that increases their usefulness in treating many ailments. Some researchers are even promulgating that many illnesses that we are currently experiencing in the 21st Century are a result of endocannabinoid system deficiencies in the human body. Cannabis, animals, and humans have evolved together for millennia and it is only in the last 80 years that the cannabinoids have been taken out of the human diet because they have been taken out of the animal diet and human food chain by the same Statutes that made them illegal.
Hemp, however, is much more than medicine and food. It has the versatility to supply the raw materials for literally thousands of products. Once grown properly, the hemp plant can be processed mechanically into four primary composite parts which are the seed, flower/leaves, and the stalks which are decorticated (separated) into the Bast (the outer bark fiber) and the Hurd (the inner pith fiber). Additionally any residual biomass can be “cooked” by pyrolysis and turned into biochar (which we call CannaChar ™). Here is a brief summary of the wide variety of products that can be produced from the different parts of the hemp plant:
Consumer Textiles Apparel Diapers Fabrics Handbags Denim Shoes Fine Fabrics
Hurd Fibers
Building Materials Fiberboard Fiberglass Substitute Stucco and Mortar Insulation Flooring Framing Materials Hempcrete Hemp Geopolymers
Bast and Hurd Fibers
Mulch and Compost Geoplastics for the Automobile Industry Ethanol Biodegradable Geoplastics for other Industries Acrylics Animal Bedding
Paper Printing Paper Newsprint Fine/Specialty Paper Cardboard/Packaging Air Filter Paper Toilet Paper Tissue Paper Paper Towels Absorbent Oil Spill Remediation Materials
Hemp/Cannabis Biomass Waste
Hemp Biochar (CannaChar ™) Syngasses (can be filtered and compressed and used like propane) Excess Heat from Pyrolysis can be converted into Electricity
Hemp Biochar (CannaChar ™)
Food and Beverage Products Bottle Labels Coasters Coffee Cup Sleeves Coffee Filters Coffee Packaging Cup Holders Disposable Plates Egg Cartons Food Trays Fruit Packaging Napkins Placemats Sandwich Wrappers To-Go Containers Tea Bags
Home and Office Air Filters Book Covers Book Marks Water Filters Ceiling Tiles Computer Covers Drop Cloths Furniture Hangers Kitchen Waste Compost Bags Picture Matting Toilet Covers Wall Coverings Radiation Shields
Medical Band-Aids Biodegradable Bedpans Biodegradable Disposal Bags Biodegradable Kidney Dishes Biodegradable Urinals Gurney Liners Patient Gowns and Slippers Skin Wraps Surgical Attire (Mask and Caps) Underpads and Exam Table Paper
Personal Use Biodegradable Urns Gift Wrap Sanitary Napkins Toilet Liners
Pets Bird Cage Liners Fish Tank Filters Pet Caskets Poop Bags Kitty Litter Liners Wee Wee Pads
Miscellaneous Car Insulation Caskets Casket Liners and Crypts Gaskets Wall Insulation Carbon Black Replacement in Batteries
Other Benefits Of Hemp and Hemp Biochar
High Insulation Properties Air Decontamination Noise Reduction Low Electrostatic Charging of Air Conservation of Wood Increased Oxygen Production Reduction of Dust and Dust Mites Antibacterial Antimicrobial Mold and Mildew Resistant Flame Retardant Restoration After Floods Humidity Regulation Odor Reduction Electromagnetic Radiation Shielding Radioactive Soil and Water Remediation Digestive Tract Health for Humans and Animals
The above is not an exhaustive list, and more products are being researched every day. The good thing is that with whole Hemp plant processing, the list of products is not limited like it is with just CBD or medical and recreational Cannabis. What all this means is that these markets are not going to saturated for quite a while. If one segment does, there are plenty of other market options to utilize the raw materials that will be produced from the whole hemp plant processing thereby increasing the value of the raw materials produced.
Cooperative whole hemp plant processing facilities are the best option for the future of hemp fiber and seed. Everyone needs Tier 1 processing to produce the raw materials for all industries. Low shared risk, high shared returns. The Colorado Hemp Processing Cooperative (CHPC) is the forefront of this movement. We will be offering contracts to growers to protect them and as a Shareholder they will be a part of all excess revenue distributions. The Colorado Hemp Processing Cooperative has that business model that is geared for the 21st Century.
Our goal is to have similar Cooperatives in all states and every Cooperative being a Shareholder in every other one. That way we are all collaborating and raising the tide for all boats by sharing best practices, SOPs, cultivars, machinery, sales and marketing of the raw materials we produce, and more. Excess Revenues Generated by the Cooperative will be distributed to all Shareholders in perpetuity and will provide a much larger and more long term return on investment than any short term loan. We have everything in place and just need the funds to make it happen.
In putting all this together, we looked at all the viable business models. The Colorado Hemp Processing Cooperative is legally organized as a Limited Cooperative Association (LCA). A template for LCAs was approved by the US Federal Government in 2008. Because Cooperatives are state specific, each state has to take that template and modify it for their particular statutes that govern Cooperatives. Colorado did this in 2012 but only a handful of states have approved this type of Cooperative. The biggest difference from an LCA and a more traditional Cooperative is that the LCA is allowed to have the more traditional Patron Shareholders, but is also allowed (unlike traditional Cooperatives) to have Investor Shareholders.
The advantages of the LCA are that the Patron Shareholders are protected in a couple of ways. Like other Cooperatives, every Shareholder gets one vote regardless of the number of shares that are owned. This protects Patron Shareholders from big money monopolies (e.g. Bayer/Monsanto) from coming in and trying to monopolize everything. In addition a minimum of 50% of any excess revenues distributed have to go to the Patron Shareholders regardless of how many Investor Shareholders are involved. The CHPC is organized so that currently Patron Shares are $100 and Investor Sharers are $1000. We kept the price of Patron Shares low on purpose in order to include as many growers and hemp product users as possible. Once we begin to make excess revenue distributions, we will adhere to the Statutory 50% of those revenues going to the Patron Shareholders, but the other 50% will go to the Investor Shareholders to repay their total Investment.
Once their Investment is repaid, their Investor Share(s) will revert to a Patron Share(s) (a 10% Return on Investment) and they will continue to share in the excess Revenue distributions along with the other Patron Shareholders in perpetuity. Again we felt this was the most equitable business model for all Shareholders and is the prototype model for all 21st Century Businesses that want to move away from the unsustainable competitive model of business of the 20th century and evolve into the more sustainable cooperative model that provides true trickle-down economics to Rural Planet Earth.
Please consider becoming a Shareholder to help us make the Hemp Industry a true economic stimulus for all economically depressed areas. We are fortunate that we can revived the Hemp Industry that has been suppressed for over 80 years with 21st Century technology and business models, but we can do it alone. With low shared individual risks and high shared collective returns we can utilize the Hemp Industry for the Greatest and Highest Good. We can’t rely on governments or corporations to do this so it has to be done by WE The People!
Thank you for your time and consideration. You can learn more and become a Shareholder at: COHPC.ORG
‘There is a massive movement in the world right now which is truly transforming our entire species,’ Alki David said.
Mr David described our time as a ‘golden age’ which would only get better.
‘In Australia there is a huge movement … there are movements of plant medicine lifestyle,’ he said. ‘My intention is to bring plant-medicine wellness to Australia as best as I can … Cannabanoids are part of the arsenal of medicine that is revolutionising our species.’
Mr David has a long list of celebrity endorsers, including Mike Tyson, Scott Disick of Keeping up with the Kardashians, guitarist Dave Navarro of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, hip-hop artists Snoop Dogg, Chief Keef, and Lil Wayne, as well as cannabis legend Tommy Chong of Cheech and Chong.
‘I can show you 100 major, global clinical trials that prove cannabis kills most cancerous cells,’ he said.
“For a long time I have been concerned with . . . how our main economic measures failed to take into account environmental degradation and resource depletion. If . . . growth is not sustainable because we are destroying the environment . . . our statistics should warn us. But because GDP [Gross Domestic Product] didn’t include resource depletion and environmental degradation, we typically get an excessively rosy picture.” ~ Joseph E Stiglitz
Humanity has failed to realistically assess the long-term, functional importance of integrated natural systems. Bingeing on environmental toxins, mankind has been ignoring the laws of nature in order to make more money for the past 100 years. Moral detachment from responsible respect for nature; the quality of life on Earth for future generations is a corporate afterthought, typically dismissed as being too costly for meaningful concern.
It would cost trillions of dollars for our largest industries to be environmentally responsible. Accounting for clean air, unpolluted water and uncontaminated soil would make several major industries unprofitable or obsolete. “Political reality” serves the cult of toxic industrialism, supplanting ancient traditions of stewardship for the Earth. Future generations have been forgotten in the cypher of progress, abandoned in pursuit of immediate profit at any cost.
‘Inherently unsustainable’
Over time, chemical industrialism has proven to be inherently unsustainable. After decades of poisoning Earth’s atmosphere, water, air and soil, we are finally forced to admit we are facing extinction. Foundering in chemical and radioactive waste, we can no longer ignore or deny that fundamental changes must happen, now.
Motivated by GDP and industry’s insatiable desire to control unevenly distributed, toxic energy resources, radical disintegration of the natural order is leading to global extinction. Ignoring the primary importance of nature’s integrated systems, mankind continues to consume toxins with little or no regard for the predictable result. Humanity is in the initial stages of systems disintegration right now. The point at which irreversible systemic collapse becomes unavoidable will be reached in our lifetimes, if it hasn’t been already.
The good news
The good news is that cannabis hemp agriculture offers several unique and essential properties, necessary for repairing Earth’s systemic equilibrium. Most importantly, hemp is the most efficient, globally distributed crop there is, for turning sunlight into usable energy.
So-called “unquantifiable externalities” are the immeasurable, priceless things we can’t hang a price tag on. Quality of life, pure air, clean water and rich soil are universally valued, mostly in an abstract, often spiritual sense, but not in a corporate, numerical way. Since they can’t be assigned a number value, unquantifiables are routinely left out of the resource exploitation equation. Inevitably, the real price of industrial profit is eventually paid by people and animals downstream, geographically and chronologically. Generations that follow ours are heading toward degenerative health, a degraded environment, and violent collapse of the human social order, unless we act in a time-efficient, globally coordinated campaign of organic, non-GMO agriculture, immediately.
The spring planting season of 2020 is precious beyond measure. We don’t know how many growing seasons we have left before “cascading systems failures” and “non-linear extinction level events” become irreversible. (2) Indicator-species populations have been crashing for decades. Yet humans continue to consume toxic, gaiacidal resources degrading Earth’s environment, as though there were no alternatives. There are many things that can be done to heal the planet; but, there is only one plant possessing all of the properties necessary for doing everything that needs to be done, in the time we may have left to make a difference.
Repairing & healing
Cannabis hemp is uniquely qualified to replace fossil fuels and nuclear energy. Hemp can simultaneously repair Earth’s atmosphere, feed the world, end economic disparity, expand the arable base, and purify the hydrologic cycle. At the same time, Cannabis can heal our bodies and calm our minds.
A crop so useful and beneficial sounds too good to be true, making it especially difficult to talk about after eight decades of “drug war” propaganda. Whether our species is capable of making the requisite shift in value from “illegal” to essential remains to be seen.
The so-called “political reality” we’re presently slugging our way through can be characterized as “Cannabis is valuable but, (despite decades of gold standard science to the contrary) THC is still “dangerous” enough to require government oversight and regulation.” Because the lies of “Reefer Madness” persist, the scale of production is being suppressed, and availability is being constricted.
As awareness grows about the unique and essential environmental services of Cannabis, a truly free market will eventually evolve infrastructural changes, in response to the influence of clean, inexpensive, hemp-based fuels. The most time efficient, globally distributed and cost-effective means of providing energy to billions of people, while healing the Earth, is in the stalk of the hemp plant.
Since Cannabis is the only crop that produces complete nutrition and sustainable biofuels from the same harvest, food security, nutrition and herbal therapeutic availability are vastly improved. The cellulose-rich stalks can be harvested and bio-digested to produce hydrogen, powering electrical generation. The seeds and leaves offer proteins, amino acids, essential fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, chlorophyll and more.
‘Pioneer’ crop
Expansion of the arable base using a non-invasive “pioneer” crop that produces complete nutrition for man and animals; and sustainable energy, as it heals the air, water and soil, is essential in order to increase the carrying capacity of this planet. Unless this is done soon, population displacement and species extinction will continue to get worse.
All nations must coordinate a global agricultural campaign, repurposing their military forces from armies to farmers. The mission is to plant cannabis in every soil and climate condition to which it may be able to adapt. That would be the most logical way to achieve balanced atmospheric conditions, and essential resource distribution in the shortest span of time possible.
Whether mankind is capable of achieving the requisite polar shift in Cannabis value, from “illegal” to essential, will determine whether or not our children and grandchildren will survive on Earth, beyond the 21st century.
The current rate of plastic production is about one billion tons in three years. That is what a 2016 article in ScienceDaily says, quoting a University of Leicester study. Plastic is inert and hard to degrade. So it becomes a toxic techno-waste that has severe polluting effects on the earth’s biodiversity.
National Geographic reports that plastic kills millions of marine and land animals every year. Experts have found that we are all consuming microplastics. The effects of these microplastics in the food supply may cause damage to our digestive and reproductive systems and eventually lead to an early death.
Mother Nature has provided a simple solution to this menace: The Hemp Plant.
Hemp: A Victim of Human Folly
Hemp, or industrial hemp, is one of the earliest plants that our ancestors cultivated and used. Archeologists have found evidence of the use of hemp fiber some 10,000 years ago. Experts estimate that hemp cultivation began about 8000 years ago.
The many benefits of hemp have been available to human beings for centuries. But its cultivation and use were banned in most countries across the globe in the 20th century. The only crime of the plant is that it belongs to the same species, Cannabis Sativa, as marijuana.
But there is a significant distinction between hemp and marijuana. That is in the concentration levels of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the component that gives marijuana its psychoactive properties. Marijuana can contain up to 30% of THC per dry weight.
Hemp, in contrast, contains 0.3% THC per dry weight. It does not have the psychoactive potential to get people high. Hemp got banned because this vital difference got overlooked.
The 21st century has, at last, brought a realization of this mistake. Many countries across the globe have now legalized hemp farming and the production of hemp derivatives fully or partially.
With the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (Farm Bill 2018), hemp is now legal across the USA. It is also legal in the EU countries as long as the THC content is 0.2%. It is now legal in Australia, Canada and several other European and South American countries.
In Asia, China is the biggest grower and supplier of hemp seed and hemp products across the globe. China also has the longest history of continued hemp production for almost 6000 years.
Hemp Against Plastic
People once hailed the 1907 innovation of synthetic plastic as a solution to a wide range of problems. However, it has now become an unmanageable problem in and of itself. But we do not need any technological innovation to counter it. The hemp plant offers a ready solution.
Hemp fiber can produce a non-toxic and fully biodegradable substitute for plastic. Natural plastic derived from the cellulose fibers in plants has been in use since much before the current petrochemical-based synthetic plastic was invented.
The cellulose fiber in plants is used for producing several varieties of biodegradable plastic. Hemp has about 65-70% cellulose, which makes it a viable plant for natural plastic production.
Henry Ford produced the original Model T Ford in 1941 using hemp plastic panels. This plastic was 10 times stronger than steel in withstanding the impact of a hit without denting.
Substituting synthetic plastic with 100% biodegradable hemp plastic will be a blessing for our environment. Apart from being eco-friendly, hemp is also sustainable.
Why is Hemp Sustainable?
Hemp is sustainable for a variety of reasons. Apart from being a natural source of non-toxic biodegradable plastic, the hemp plant helps in topsoil conservation. Farmers use hemp as an in-between crop to keep their soil fertile.
Hemp cultivation needs 50% less water than cotton. Hemp is totally free from pesticides because it is naturally insect resistant. It is also easy to grow hemp plants organically.
Hemp is a source of paper more efficient than other trees currently used for paper production. One acre of hemp can produce four times more paper than an acre of trees. Incidentally, the first paper ever used was in China, and it was hemp paper.
Hemp is also a source of biofuel. If we use a biofuel derived from hemp, our transportation fuel will be 86% greener than gasoline. It is not for nothing that Henry Ford designed his first Model T hemp plastic car to run on hemp biofuel.
Hemp Plastic and the Chinese Plastic Pollution Riddle
This is an obvious question. If hemp plastic is such an eco-friendly product, why does China still contribute 30% of global plastic pollution? China is the global leader in producing and exporting hemp and its products. It truly seems inexplicable.
But the answer is rather simple, as it happens. First of all, much of China’s plastic pollution is because the country was importing plastic waste from many European countries. China believed that it has solved the recycling problem of single-use plastic. The country started making products out of hemp plastic.
However, because the products proved to be below international standards, China had to stop making them. It also banned the import of plastic waste from European countries in 2016. But the aftermath of this import policy is still far from over.
Secondly, because of the long-term ban on hemp and its products in much of the world, hemp plastic is only just beginning to find its way into public consciousness. As of now, hemp plastic is far more expensive than the kind of cheap single-use plastic the world has become used to.
This is another barrier. Global commitment to end plastic pollution is not high enough to make hemp plastic commercially viable immediately. China is not an exception in this. Only a strong global political will to ban single-use plastic within national boundaries will facilitate the uptake of the more expensive hemp plastic.
If world leaders can actually make a concerted move, planet earth will benefit in a number of ways.
The Many Benefits of Hemp
Hemp seeds are highly nutritious and constitute a source of complete plant-based protein. The omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acid content of hemp seeds is precisely the right proportion (1:3) that the human body needs. Hemp seeds are ideal for vegans as no other plant-based protein is so complete.
Dehulled or unshelled hemp seeds are also rich in fiber. Hulled or shelled hemp seeds lack in fiber content. But even hulled hemp seeds are high in nutrition value. These seeds are also extremely versatile, usable in several ways – cooked or raw.
Hemp seed oil is also equally nutritious with a high content of good fats and a low content of the harmful ones. Cold-pressed hemp seed oil preserves the goodness of the oil in its entirety. Like the seeds, the oil derived from hemp seeds is also versatile.
Hemp seed oil is edible and can be taken by itself or as a salad dressing. It is also good for cooking, except for deep frying. Topical use of hemp seed oil can improve hair and skin health. It also has anti-inflammatory properties.
The cannabinoids (CBD) derived from hemp buds, flowers, leaves, and stems have much medicinal potential. CBD oil is particularly good for arthritis. Healthcare professionals have also used it with success to manage anxiety and sleep disorders.
Hemp stalks yield fibers that can be processed into fabric for clothing. Hemp fiber is also used for making ropes and sails. All of these products have natural antibacterial and antifungal properties. Incidentally, canvas used to be made of hemp fabric.
Finally, hemp can also be used as a building material. There are amazing benefits attached to this use as well. This easy to grow plant seems to provide an environmentally sustainable solution to many problems we’ve created for ourselves!
Written By: Vishal Vivek. This originally appeared at PSBiz.net.
