THE
ENVIRONMENTAL ADVANTAGE
- Environmental
Benefits
- Advantages
of Hemp
There
is an environmental benefit from growing industrial hemp versus other fibre
crops.
Cultivation
of industrial hemp does not require pesticides (Bosca and Karus, 1998;
Nova Institute, 1996). The production of other fibre crops, such as flax
or cotton, often use large quantities of pesticides (Bosca and Karus, 1998).
This implies that a reduction in pesticide use will occur in society anytime
that industrial hemp fibre or grain is substituted for flax fibre or seed
in paper, oils, animal feed, animal bedding, and the like. Similarly, it
implies a reduction in pesticide use any time industrial hemp fibre is
substituted for cotton fibre in clothing, paper, or carpets.
From
soil reclamation projects through to reducing toxins produced from conventional
paper mills, hemp and bio-fuel hemp offer a multitude of solutions for "greening" the
planet.
Some
examples are:
- Growing
hemp plays a major role in helping reduce global warming, ozone depletion,
acid rain, depletion of forests and wildlife, marine pollution and toxic
wastes.
- Growing
and using hemp in industry reduces regional problems including water
and air pollution.
- Growing
hemp utilises ground water and therefore significantly reduces salinity.
- The
deep root can reach superficial ground water and solar pumps can access
deeper water for irrigation.
- Hemp
does not usually require herbicides and pesticides, whereas cotton uses
massive herbicides and pesticides degrading water supplies.
- The
hemp plant is vigorous and when grown densely, outgrows weeds.
- Heavy
metals introduced to the environment with dust, smoke, sewage and industrial
waste can be absorbed by hemp grown for industrial products. In a study
conducted by the Institute of Poland, the level of heavy metals such
as lead, copper, cadmium and mercury in contaminated soil was lower after
harvest than before sowing.
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