10 Ways Hemp Can Help Save Us All
Why is Hemp So Good for the Environment?
Whether you believe in science or not, the climate is changing. Rapidly. And that could be catastrophic for all of us, believers and deniers alike. Fortunately, there’s a solution, and it’s been right in front of us for eons. There’s a direct connection between hemp and climate change. In fact, hemp is one of the most eco-friendly crops on the planet. It can absorb huge amounts of CO2, nourish the soil, and be used to create biodegradable and eco-friendly products.
1. Hemp Absorbs Large Amounts Of CO2
One of the most common greenhouse gasses driving climate change is carbon dioxide (CO2). CO2 is emitted by fossil fuels, livestock, and many industrial processes. Plants absorb CO2, which is why planting trees is one of the most popular ways to offset carbon emissions.
However, hemp can absorb four times more carbon than trees. It can take decades for newly planted trees to reach maturity, but hemp can shoot up 13 feet in 100 days. It can also grow just about anywhere, dramatically increasing the potential land that can be used to sequester carbon.
2. Hemp Nourishes The Soil
Many farmers have discovered that hemp can be a significant ally in nourishing and revitalizing their soil. The stalks and leaves of hemp plants are full of nutrients, which can be mixed back into the soil to bring overworked soil back to life. Planting hemp can also lower the need for farmers to add chemical fertilizers into their soil. Many farmers have added hemp into their crop rotation as a way to naturally nourish their fields between other plantings.
3. Hemp Prevents Erosion
Erosion is a natural process. Wind and water capture soil, often bringing it to nearby waterways. If large trees and plants are cleared and turned into fields, erosion happens at a greater rate. Erosion strips away topsoil, damaging fields and hurting crop yields, but also sends chemical fertilizers and pesticides into waterways, hurting local wildlife and affecting drinking water.
Hemp helps prevent field erosion. Hemp roots grow deep and fast, helping to hold soil together and protecting it from the erosion. They also transfer nitrogen into the soil, which is a major component in chlorophyll.
4. Hemp Detoxifies Soil
Chemical leaks and nuclear disasters turn soil toxic for generations. It’s unusable for planting, grazing, or anything else. A special class of plants known as “hyperaccumulators” absorb metals and other toxins from the soil by metabolizing it through their roots, where it is then transferred and stored in their stems and leaves.
Hemp happens to be one of the best hyperaccumulators in the world. Hemp bioremediation is a popular technique of planting hemp in order to draw toxins out of the soil.
5. No Pesticides Needed
Chemical pesticides and herbicides can harm insect populations beyond what the chemical is meant to destroy. They also often make their way into local water sources, where they can affect the local wildlife or contaminate drinking water. But hemp is naturally resistant to many of the pests and diseases that threaten other cash crops, so hemp farmers don’t need to use pesticides or herbicides on their hemp fields.
6. Less Water Needed To Make Fabric
Water is becoming an increasingly scarce resource, and some of the most popular cash crops require high amounts of water. In fact, one of the most popular fabrics, cotton, is also one of the most water-hungry plants. Every pound of cotton requires 1,440 gallons of water, but hemp needs only half that much! Hemp can also produce double the fiber of cotton per acre.
7. Hemp Paper Can Eliminate Polluting Paper Processes
Cutting down trees for paper eliminates forests, disrupts ecosystems, puts more carbon into the air, and the process of making paper from wood pulp is extremely dirty. Wood pulp must be bleached with chlorine and is often mixed with binders that release formaldehyde. On the other hand, hemp pulp doesn’t need to be bleached and can be made with soy-based binders. And hemp paper is higher in quality, stronger, thicker, and more durable than paper made from trees.
8. Hemp Can Help Reduce Plastic Waste
Plastic is choking our world. Every year, eight million metric tons of plastic waste is dumped into the ocean, killing seabirds and ending up in the stomachs of the fish that eventually land on our dinner plates. Hemp bioplastic is an alternative to plastics derived from petrochemicals. Hemp bioplastics not only eliminate the need to create more plastics from oil, but unlike traditional plastics, they are fully biodegradable.
9. Building With Hemp
Buildings and construction are two of the biggest polluters on the planet, contributing to 36% of annual greenhouse gas emissions. Hemp-derived building materials can cut down on the carbon emissions of the construction industry as well as promote more energy efficiency within homes.
Hemp can be used to make fiberboards that are stronger and lighter than wood, as well as soundproofing and insulating materials. It offers better thermal insulation than wood or concrete, allowing homeowners to use less energy to heat and cool their homes. This will only become more important as summers become hotter and winters become colder.
10. Hemp Biofuels
The world’s population is around 7.3 billion, and each of us uses an average of 78 million Btus per year. No, I can’t do the math, either. Let’s just agree that it’s a really, really, really big number. To create all that energy, we rely on petroleum and coal, both of which contribute to climate change and degrade the environment.
Hemp offers a clean energy alternative. Oils and fats extracted from hemp seeds can be used to make biodiesel. After a few more processing steps, hemp biodiesel can go into a car engine to fuel a car. In fact, one acre of hemp yields 1,000 gallons or 3,785 liters of fuel. And it can be turned into ethanol, which is usually derived from corn and barley.
Is Hemp the Solution to Climate Change?
No, not completely. But it can certainly help by providing more eco-friendly materials in a variety of industries, nourish and protect the soil, and sequester a lot of carbon. Hemp is only one of many tools we can deploy to transition away from fossil fuels and other pollutants. So, what can you do? Look for, ask for, demand products made from hemp. Investigate and patronize companies that employ solar power. Invest in carbon capture technology. Support auto companies and airlines that are expanding the use of sustainable fuels. Invest in or support start-ups that are working to reduce emissions. If we want to continue living on this planet, it really is everyone’s job.