Treehugger

I wanted to start TreeHugger's blog here by giving a little background info on some things you're likely to see more of: building and furniture materials; apparel textiles; home furnishings and electronics, that kind of thing. Somewhat amazingly, one material can do all of these things (and more), and it's bamboo. Though technically a grass, and not a tree, it is extremely hard (25% harder than red oak, and 10% harder than rock maple), grows easily without pesticides and fertilizers, and, perhaps most importantly, grows extremely quickly. With some species growing a matter of feet in a day, bamboo can renew itself in three or four years, while a more traditional tree forest takes closer to 80 years.



So it's definitely renewable, a trait we love at TreeHugger, but it is also extremely versatile. Because it's harder than wood, it makes a great substitute for hardwood floors and are excellent cutting boards. It's also great for things like spatulas and spoons in the kitchen; it resists water better than wood (so there's less swelling and warping) and is heat-resistant, which cuts down on the chances of burning yourself if one gets left in a hot pan (check out the wares that Bambu [www.bambuhome.com] has to offer for examples).

Bamboo is also great for furniture; plywood boards, known as plyboo, are particularly well-suited to bending and shaping the sleek shapes and clean lines of modern furniture that TreeHugger drools over; take a peek at Project Import Export [www.projectimportexport.com] to see what we mean. But it doesn't stop there; we've seen televisions and computer monitors encased in bamboo, which sure beats petroleum-based plastic, we think. Bamboo can also be spun into a very soft, anti-microbial textile that's great for apparel, bed sheets and towels.

Like all things, bamboo is not perfect. A lot of it is grown in Asia, which means it has to be shipped halfway around the world to get to North America; the ships, trains and trucks that transport it spew greenhouse gasses all the way. As it continues to become more popular (6 million people in China work in bamboo and 600 million people worldwide rely on income from it), more forests are being cleared to grow it, and although fertilizers are not necessary, they are being used to increase yield in some cases. There is no Fair Trade certification, ensuring that the workers have appropriate working conditions and wages, so TreeHugger encourages careful research, especially before installing flooring [www.treehugger.com].

Still, there's an awful lot to like about bamboo, and we'll be bringing more examples of great implementations and designs over the life of the blog. Stay tuned for more ideas and examples of thinking, being and living green!