| Today, almost 1 million acres of forest disappear | | | | edible shoots and removing toxins from |
| each week. This alarming rate of deforestation is | | | | contaminated soil. Ecologists tout bamboo as a |
| forcing many world economies to rethink their | | | | logical, renewable source of building materials. |
| business and manufacturing practices. A | | | | Many promote bamboo planting for erosion |
| seventy-foot tree cut for its lumber takes 65 | | | | prevention, and even to reverse the effects of |
| years to replace. A seventy-foot bamboo cut for | | | | global warming. |
| market can be replaced in less than 3 months, as | | | | Bamboo helps reduce carbon dioxide gases |
| bamboo is officially recognized as the world's | | | | blamed for global warming. Bamboo removes |
| fastest growing plant. Some species can grow 3 | | | | significant quantities of carbon dioxide from the |
| feet per day! | | | | atmosphere, which makes it a highly efficient |
| Driven by the constantly-growing consumer | | | | plant, and conducive to fresh air. Being a grass, |
| demand for environmentally friendly products, | | | | bamboo regenerates without replanting after |
| many bamboo-related companies are gaining | | | | harvesting. |
| momentum as a reliable source for high quality | | | | Bamboo is a natural water control barrier. Because |
| and durable green building materials. Consumers | | | | of its widespread root system and large canopy, |
| are choosing high quality alternative building | | | | bamboo greatly reduces rain run off, preventing |
| materials over traditional non-sustainable products. | | | | soil erosion. Bamboo can keep up to twice as |
| Hybrid cars, recycled materials, reusable energy | | | | much water in a watershed. Due to its high |
| sources, bamboo flooring; use of these products | | | | nitrogen consumption, bamboo helps mitigate |
| is exploding as consumers are recognizing the | | | | water pollution, making it a solution for excess |
| need to choose products of a sustainable and | | | | nutrient uptake of wastewater from |
| regenerative nature. | | | | manufacturing, livestock farming and sewage |
| The general population is becoming weary of | | | | treatment. |
| ever-decreasing hardwood forests and the threat | | | | Bamboo can restore degraded lands. It is a |
| that this deforestation poses to an already fragile | | | | remarkable plant and can be grown in soil |
| global environment. Bamboo flooring is the logical | | | | damaged by overgrazing and poor agriculture |
| and ethical choice. Since bamboo is termite, | | | | practices. Proper harvesting does not kill the |
| moisture and rot resistant, it functions extremely | | | | bamboo plant, therefore topsoil is held in place. |
| well as a prime flooring material. | | | | Because of its dense litter on the forest floor, it |
| There are multiple types of bamboo floors sold | | | | feeds topsoil creation, restoring healthy agricultural |
| that cater to unique tastes. Strand woven | | | | lands for generations to come. |
| bamboo flooring is twice as resilient as regular | | | | Traditional hardwood lumber trees, such as oak, |
| wood flooring and has a hybrid grain that is | | | | maple, and birch, take 40-50 years to regenerate. |
| between wood and bamboo. Distressed bamboo | | | | In the meantime, there is less oxygen produced, |
| floors look antique as if they were pulled out of | | | | less carbon dioxide consumed, and more soil |
| an old barn. Engineered/laminate bamboo floors | | | | runoff in the spot where those trees were |
| are highly stable and great for basements and in | | | | harvested - all producing negative environmental |
| areas of varying humidity. | | | | effects. Our planet is suffering from resource |
| Bamboo is the fastest growing plant on earth. It is | | | | depletion, habitat loss, species extinction, and |
| known to produce 30% more oxygen than a | | | | ecosystem pollution. The choice of bamboo |
| hardwood forest of comparable size, while | | | | flooring will greatly help reverse those negative |
| preventing erosion, restoring soil, providing sweet | | | | trends. |