How Hemp Can Save the World?
Industrial hemp is a unique strain of Cannabis Sativa that has been specifically cultivated throughout history for many non-psychoactive purposes. Each part of the hemp plant is used in the production of a wide variety of goods ranging from fabrics and fibers to food and medicine.
ONE ACRE OF HEMP PRODUCES THE MORE OXYGEN, THAN 25 ACRES OF FOREST.
Hemp cleans the air of carbon emissions by trapping the carbons inside the plant at a rapid rate.
Also, it’s possible to stop deforestation by using hemp as building materials and paper, and best of all, hemp is super healthy for the earth.
It can grow in all sorts of soil conditions and then takes the soil and increases its microbial content. But, there’s even more to hemp; let’s explore how this plant can save the planet.
EVERYTHING PLASTIC CAN BE MADE FROM HEMP.
If we know that, what we are waiting for? Plastic waste is a major conversation topic in sustainability circles these days. Right now, the plastic we use is fossil fuel-based and takes over 400 years to decompose, which is a nightmare for the environment.
Some of the earliest plastics were made from organic hemp cellulose fibers. Hemp is the greatest cellulose producer on earth, and it’s biodegradable. Hemp can form part of a biocomposite plastic whereby it’s either part of a totally organic mix or is mixed with a synthetic polymer.
It’s no surprise then that close to 100 years after Henry Ford made his first hemp car, many companies in the automobile industry are making use of hemp plastic. This car, made of hemp, was lighter than steel but could withstand ten times the impact without denting.
ONE ACRE OF HEMP WILL PRODUCE CELLULOSE FIBER PULP THAT IS EQUAL TO 4 ACRES OF TREES.
Which means that hemp could quite easily and efficiently replace the majority of items that are made of wood.
Hemp is an incredibly valuable natural resource that is very underutilized. As one of the strongest fibers on the planet. There is a lot of potential for using hemp to prevent deforestation, promote sustainability, and save the lives of animals, and humans. The use of hemp gives us the opportunity to save natural resources, ensuring that we leave something behind for future generations. While it takes only around four months for hemp to be ready for commercial harvest, it takes trees between 20 to 50 years. Deforestation is increasing globally at a frightening rate.
BUILDING MATERIALS
FUEL
hemp can be made into biodiesel by pressing the hemp seed into oil, and the fermented stalk can be made into ethanol and methanol. Hemp biodiesel fuel can run in any diesel engine completely unmodified. While it is not the greatest alternative, it is much better for the air; unlike fossil fuels, biofuels are biodegradable, non-toxic, and produce less of the greenhouse gas.
HEMP REQUIRES ABOUT HALF THE AMOUNT OF WATER THAT COTTON NEEDS.
Hemp is stronger than cotton and only gets softer with every wash rather than wearing out or weakening. In addition to this, hemp clothing is also odor-resistant, breathable, UV-protectant, and fire resistant.
HEMP CLEANS SOIL
Through phytoremedation the powerful plant pulls toxins up through its root where it stores or transforms the pollutants. Most famously known for clearing radioactive materials from the soil around nuclear reactor, Chernobyl, hemp clean up the hottest mess. An Italian study that was published in Plant and Soil in 2003 found that hemp had the ability to absorb nickel, chromium, and cadmium from soil, and also that high concentrations of the heavy metals had a very little effect on plant morphology.
Industrial hemp is so much more than CBD and its controlled substance relatives. Hemp has the potential to reduce our waste, support our soil systems, and protect our resources. Jack Herer is famously quoted, “I’m not sure that hemp will save the planet… but I know it’s the only thing that can.” It’s time we let the hemp revolution take place if we really want to change the world that we currently live in.