Should We Be Building With Bamboo in the Future?
Ok, so the original Bamboo PC was just a gimmick. The bamboo laptop launched last March at the Hanover computer fair. It had a laminated bamboo cover which surrounded a pretty basic computer, so it certainly won’t make much difference to the amount of plastic being used in the world.
But it was a little demonstration of what can be done, and, if proof of bamboo’s versatility were required, consider it proven.
Surely bamboo must be the only plant that is a source of building materials, clothing and food. Even one of Edison’s original light bulbs had a bamboo filament. Its strength, resilience and cheapness make it a widely used scaffolding material throughout Asia. Fibres from bamboo poles are extremely strong, it both tension and compression terms. Bamboo has almost the same tensile strength to weight ratio as steel, plus it has roughly twice as muhc compressive strength as concrete. And now there’s a bamboo laptop!
Bamboo will please anyone whose buying eco-friendly home furnishings. For a start, it’s a highly sustainable raw material. There are a number of bamboo species that are able to grow over a metre each day. The locals that live close to these fantastic plants are able top cut down as much bamboo as they need while still having the same sized forest at the end of the year as they did at the beginning. On the global warming question, since it comes from a plant source, any bamboo product contains a significant part of its weight in atmospheric carbon. Whereas any equivalent product made from plastic actually increases the carbon level in the atmosphere!
Another point; because it’s natural, bamboo has variations in quality and appearance that make it difficult to use in most mass production processes. You can be pretty sure that a craftsman has produced any bamboo item you buy. If you go to a reputable source you’ll also know that the craftsman got a fair wage for his or her work, and that no one was exploited by western buying power. The last thing is that you can be sure that your purchased product won’t have accumulated any air miles since it’s creation.
With eco credentials as strong as these, it’s amazing how beautiful bamboo products are. Picture a skilfully made bamboo box, lovingly lacquered with 15 layers of natural shellac. All natural and really stylish. Only the other day, I bought an amazingly crafted bamboo knife block and am now seriously considering investing in some other bamboo kitchen accessories like salad bowls. Stylish and ethical. Win. 
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Tags: eco, eco friendly, green, home furnishings, kitchen accessories