GetThe419 on How Hemp Can Save The Planet

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Let’s be honest: climate change is real.  The effects of climate change are being felt the world over. Strong hurricanes, famine, war, extreme heat waves, drought, and torrential rains are just some of the effects of global warming. In order to mitigate these effects we need to start getting creative about finding alternatives to our lifestyle to reduce our carbon footprint.  This is where hemp enters… a magical plant with numerous practical uses. A plant that can even completely eliminate our dependency on fossil fuels, water, energy, and other resources that harm the planet (and us in the process). In fact, a 1938 article in Popular Mechanics even stated that hemp could be used to create 25,000 different products.  But in this article we’ll take a look at a few of the most economical and practical uses for hemp today.   

Prevent Deforestation: Hemp Can Replace Timber  Hemp is the same exact plant as marijuana;  it is just from a different variety that was cultivated with other plants for industrial uses. This is why hemp does not have psychoactive properties unlike marijuana or other strains derived from the Cannabis family of plants. However, hemp is an extremely valuable natural  resource which is so underutilized. It’s not rocket science to understand that the reason why hemp products are not as widespread as its big-name industrial counterparts – it’s because large corporations  and many people will lose money by succumbing to the uses of hemp. Historically speaking, hemp has long been used to create many products. 

Did you know that the word “canvas” was actually derived from a Dutch word which meant cannabis?  This is why real canvas is derived from hemp; during ancient times the magical plant that we know it today was cultivated to make different kinds of commercial products such as paper, textiles, canvas, and rope.  There is so much potential for using hemp to promote sustainability, prevent deforestation, and save the lives of humans and animals:   

 1. Hemp has the potential to replace pretty much anything that’s made from timber. Using hemp gives us the opportunity to save natural resources while leaving something behind for future generations. It takes anywhere from 20 up to 50 years for trees to be suitable for commercial harvest while it only takes around 4 months for hemp.      

2. No other plant or tree in the world today can produce as much paper in each acre.  In 1916, it was reported by the US Department of Agriculture that just one acre of hemp can already provide just as much paper as 4 acres of trees each year but despite this deforestation remains a problem. In addition, the paper and pulp industry in the world’s 5 th largest consumer of energy and it also uses more water to produce per product than other industries. Over 40% of logged trees are used to make paper, and almost half of these will end up in landfills. Using hemp as an alternative to make paper will reduce the demand on burdened waste disposal systems and will also reduce energy and water consumption.      

3. Hemp paper is of better quality than paper made from wood.  Paper made from hemp can last many more years without degrading and can even be recycled more than tree-based paper. Making paper from hemp requires significantly less chemicals to manufacture too.        

4. Fabric that is made from hemp doesn’t have any chemical residue which can cause irritation or introduce harmful toxins to the body. Synthetic fabrics contain as much as 8,000 chemicals. Today manufacturers also add harmful toxins such as Teflon,  formaldehyde, and flame retardants to name a few just to give clothing  those special “wrinkle-free” properties. Clothing containing hemp is  much safer and even those that contains just 50% of hemp can already prevent the harmful UV rays from reaching your skin.      

5. Hemp is a sustainable biomass source for methanol.  Hemp can produce both ethanol and methanol from an environmentally-friendly procedure called thermo-chemical conversion.  Hemp as fuel can replace fossil fuels which are not sustainable sources  of energy and isn’t adequate enough to meet global fuel demands for a long time. Our dependence on fossil fuels has had major negative impacts on the environment, such as air pollution, oil spills, acid rain, and climate change to name a few.   

 6. Construction is another industry that can greatly benefit from hemp Instead of cutting down trees to use timber for homes and other buildings. Combining lime with hemp fiber can create insulated and soundproof material that is more durable and lighter than concrete. Reducing concrete and wood from construction sites will also reduce the overall waste matter. Homes that are built using hemp fibers are better insulated and will need to use less energy for heating.       

 7. Hemp is resistant to pests and because it doesn’t need pesticide and herbicides, hemp doesn’t contribute to air pollution. A minimal amount of fertilizers is used in growing hemp since its nutritious leaves naturally fall to the soil and provide it with minerals and nutrients needed for healthy growth.   

 8. Growing hemp plants is good for soil health. It grows aggressively and in very dense batches although sunlight is unable  to penetrate the ground which means that there are less weeds.  This also results in less topsoil erosion, which thereby decreases water pollution. Hemp plants are also capable of absorbing metals that are  present in the soil but are actually toxic – these include mercury, lead, cadmium, and copper.     

Hemp is 100% biodegradable and can be recycled – Multiple times even. Isn’t it about time we begin using more hemp products in our daily lives? 

Benefits of Hemp in Building Construction Hemp can replace synthetic, petroleum based and other high embodied energy materials to produce high performance products are better for the environment, better for your health and your wallet. 

How Hemp is Used in Building Construction Materials The parts of the hemp plant currently used for construction are woody inner core (for hempcrete), the outer fibrous skin (for hemp fiber batt insulation) and hemp seed oil (for hemp oil wood finish and deck stain).

Hemp-Lime “Hempcrete” Building Envelope Thermal Walls Hemp shiv or hurd is mixed with lime-based binder to produce a rigid material that is cast into walls, between or around structural supports.  Hempcrete walls, when cured and finished, exhibit low toxicity and good vapor permeability while maintain a high degree of air tightness, good thermal insulation, and stabilizing thermal mass. This combination of properties, unique to hempcrete, combines to create a sustainable, healthy and comfortable indoor environment.

Hemp Fiber “Batt” Insulation Hemp fiber is bonded into sheets that be formed and cut into a  variety of dimensions then installed as semi rigid “batts” between structural framing as a direct substitute to fiberglass and many other  typical insulation materials. Hemp fiber insulation exhibits higher insulation performance (R-Value) but less other beneficial characteristics than Hemcrete in its typical application.

Hemp Oil Wood Finish and Deck Stain
Hemp oil is pressed from seeds and processed to produce a coating that is easy to use, beautiful and durable. Product test results show that hemp oil based deck stain can outperform high end commercial products in resistance to weathering while containing very low levels of  toxic VOCs (volatile organic compounds), making it an excellent alternative to synthetic and petroleum based polymer coatings.

Hemp fuels- Environmentally friendly fuel sources 

The basics: Hemp can provide two types of fuel.

1.  Hemp biodiesel – made from the oil of the (pressed) hemp seed.

2.  Hemp ethanol/methanol – made from the fermented stalk. To clarify further, ethanol is made from such things as grains, sugars, starches, waste paper and forest products, and methanol is made from woody/pulp matter. Using processes such as gasification, acid  hydrolysis and enzymes, hemp can be used to make both ethanol and  methanol. In this day of oil wars, peak oil (and the accompanying soaring prices), climate change and oil spills such as the one in the gulf by BP, it’s more important than ever to promote sustainable alternatives such as hemp ethanol. Hemp turns out to be the most cost-efficient and valuable of all the fuel crops we could grow on a scale that could fuel  the world. And as it turns out, the whole reason for hemp prohibition – and  alcohol prohibition – may have been a fuel the realization that OIL production is threatened by any competing fuel source, especially one that requires no modifications to your car! 

What is Hemp Biodiesel?
Hemp biodiesel is the name for a variety of ester based oxygenated fuels made from hemp oil. The concept of using vegetable oil as an engine fuel dates back to 1895 when Dr. Rudolf Diesel developed the first diesel engine to run on vegetable oil. Diesel demonstrated his engine at the World Exhibition in Paris in 1900 using peanut oil as fuel.  Hemp biodiesel come from the pressing of the hemp seeds to extract the oil. Through a process explained here , hemp biodiesel can be made. Hemp biodiesel can be made from domestically produced, renewable  oilseed crops such as hemp. With over 30 million successful U.S. road miles hemp biodiesel could be the answer to our cry for renewable fuel  sources. Learning more  about renewable fuels does not mean we should not cut back on consumption but does help address the environmental affects of our choices. There is more to hemp as a renewable fuel source than you know.

Why Hemp Biodiesel?
  

• Biodiesel is the only alternative fuel that runs in any conventional, unmodified diesel engine.
• It can be stored anywhere that petroleum diesel fuel is stored. Biodiesel is safe to handle and transport because it is as biodegradable  as sugar, 10 times less toxic than table salt, and has a high  flashpoint of about 300 F compared to petroleum diesel fuel, which has a  flash point of 125 F.
• Biodiesel can be made from domestically produced, renewable oilseed crops such as hemp.
• Biodiesel is a proven fuel with over 30 million successful US road miles, and over 20 years of use in Europe.
• When burned in a diesel engine, biodiesel replaces the exhaust odor  of petroleum diesel with the pleasant smell of hemp, popcorn or french  fries.
• Biodiesel is the only alternative fuel in the US to complete EPA Tier I Health Effects Testing under section 211(b) of the Clean Air Act, which provide the most thorough inventory of environmental and human health effects attributes that current technology will allow.
• Biodiesel is 11% oxygen by weight and contains no sulfur.
• The use of biodiesel can extend the life of diesel engines because it is more lubricating than petroleum diesel fuel, while fuel consumption, auto ignition, power output, and engine torque are relatively unaffected by biodiesel.
• The Congressional Budget Office, Department of Defense, US Department of Agriculture, and others have determined that biodiesel is the low cost alternative fuel option for fleets to meet requirements of the Energy Policy Act.