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