5 ms·

Fantastic news for construction: hempcrete - https://www.google.com/search?q=hempcrete https://www.google.com/search?q=hempcrete

by ckluis 8y ago

specialist 8y ago
Cool, thanks for link. Tree hugger me keeps hoping bamboo and hemp sourced fibers displace most wood and plastic for most of modern society's short-lived tasks. Packaging, paper, hygiene, etc.
- shittyadmin 8y ago
  Isn't the whole bamboo thing just a sort of greenwashing? Sure, it grows fast, but it doesn't really grow more efficiently in terms of a resource consumption to output ratio than most other trees. Might have been here that I heard this: http://freakonomics.com/podcast/why-bad-environmentalism-is-such-an-easy-sell-a-new-freakonomics-radio-podcast-2/ http://freakonomics.com/podcast/why-bad-environmentalism-is-... Unfortunately, some of the links out from there on the topic now appear broken.
  - specialist 8y ago
    EcoPlanet Bamboo claims to address the prior criticisms of using bamboo. Pretty cool if true. http://www.ecoplanetbamboo.com http://www.ecoplanetbamboo.com https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecoplanet_Bamboo_Group https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecoplanet_Bamboo_Group http://www.ecoplanetbamboo.com/fsc-certification http://www.ecoplanetbamboo.com/fsc-certification
gdubs 8y ago
Particularly exciting given that concrete makes up close to 5% of global CO2 emissions.
- Nasrudith 8y ago
  Doesn't the CO2 eventually return to the concrete when it cures and hardens making it sorta the reverse of crops in long term neutrality? (Generates CO2 on creation but retrieves it eventually as opposes to capturing but returning eventually.)
  - foxyv 8y ago
    Most of the CO2 produced is the energy used to process it. Concrete is very energy intensive.
    - Nasrudith 8y ago
      Huh I thought it was the Calcium Carbonate needing to be broken free. I guess that is more good news for clean energy - get that down (not a trivial task) and you only have to worry about that component.
    - greenbee1981 8y ago
      Bamboo can be used to hold a lot of CO2 and store it in long term products. The fiber is also being used in a concrete mix to reduce the carbon footprint and reduce weight etc.. Bamboo plantations can be great for the planet. www.ecoplanetbambooplantations.com
- goda90 8y ago
  I'm not sure hempcrete would be able to replace most concrete since it's compressive strength is 1/20th of concrete, but it'll certainly help in some applications because it has its own advantages.
  - CuriouslyC 8y ago
    Hempcrete makes a great component of alternative homes, where environmental impact and low cost are important and structural strength/long term durability are less of an issue.

Fantastic news for construction: hempcrete - https://www.google.com/search?q=hempcrete https://www.google.com/search?q=hempcrete

by ckluis 8y ago

Fantastic news for construction: hempcrete - https://www.google.com/search?q=hempcrete https://www.google.com/search?q=hempcrete

specialist 8y ago

Cool, thanks for link. Tree hugger me keeps hoping bamboo and hemp sourced fibers displace most wood and plastic for most of modern society's short-lived tasks. Packaging, paper, hygiene, etc.

shittyadmin 8y ago
Isn't the whole bamboo thing just a sort of greenwashing? Sure, it grows fast, but it doesn't really grow more efficiently in terms of a resource consumption to output ratio than most other trees. Might have been here that I heard this: http://freakonomics.com/podcast/why-bad-environmentalism-is-such-an-easy-sell-a-new-freakonomics-radio-podcast-2/ http://freakonomics.com/podcast/why-bad-environmentalism-is-... Unfortunately, some of the links out from there on the topic now appear broken.
- specialist 8y ago
  EcoPlanet Bamboo claims to address the prior criticisms of using bamboo. Pretty cool if true. http://www.ecoplanetbamboo.com http://www.ecoplanetbamboo.com https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecoplanet_Bamboo_Group https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecoplanet_Bamboo_Group http://www.ecoplanetbamboo.com/fsc-certification http://www.ecoplanetbamboo.com/fsc-certification

gdubs 8y ago

Particularly exciting given that concrete makes up close to 5% of global CO2 emissions.

Nasrudith 8y ago
Doesn't the CO2 eventually return to the concrete when it cures and hardens making it sorta the reverse of crops in long term neutrality? (Generates CO2 on creation but retrieves it eventually as opposes to capturing but returning eventually.)
- foxyv 8y ago
  Most of the CO2 produced is the energy used to process it. Concrete is very energy intensive.
  - Nasrudith 8y ago
    Huh I thought it was the Calcium Carbonate needing to be broken free. I guess that is more good news for clean energy - get that down (not a trivial task) and you only have to worry about that component.
  - greenbee1981 8y ago
    Bamboo can be used to hold a lot of CO2 and store it in long term products. The fiber is also being used in a concrete mix to reduce the carbon footprint and reduce weight etc.. Bamboo plantations can be great for the planet. www.ecoplanetbambooplantations.com
goda90 8y ago
I'm not sure hempcrete would be able to replace most concrete since it's compressive strength is 1/20th of concrete, but it'll certainly help in some applications because it has its own advantages.
- CuriouslyC 8y ago
  Hempcrete makes a great component of alternative homes, where environmental impact and low cost are important and structural strength/long term durability are less of an issue.