Green Striped
Wednesday, January 20th, 2010
Getting Green With Bamboo
What is all this fuss about being green? If your social conscience is pricking and you want to feel virtuously green, have you thought of utilizing bamboo? You can build a shed with it, eat it, sleep in it, walk on it, wear it, or grow it as a tree or bush to make more oxygen for the planet! Now that is being green!
Bamboo is so fast growing it could be the most ’sustainable’ and natural commodity on the planet! On the question of it being replaceable, well some bamboos can grow as much as one meter in one day which is 1.5-2.0 inches per hour (under special accelerated conditions).
Even under natural growth conditions, a large full-sized bamboo tree could grow in six years, as opposed to sixty years for an average North American tree. This is a very high yield; in fact bamboo has been labeled the fastest growing renewable resource on the planet.
With all this growth, bamboo can be exploited without guilt, but in the West we have not, so far, found many uses for bamboo. All this is changing with the onset of the green outlook; in Asia, bamboo has been used for almost everything.
For centuries, Asians have used bamboo to make houses, to form single span bridges and to build scaffolding for high rise buildings; they have been making hard wood-effect floors with it, making towels and sheets with it, eating from it and even eating it (bamboo shoots). How versatile is that?
Strangely, to date, we do not seem to revere it so much over in the West. It has traditionally been used in North America for outdoor furniture, outdoor fencing, musical instruments and baskets. Recently we have seen fabric made from bamboo and with the call for sustainable living getting louder, bamboo is proving to be a ‘must-have’ commodity in North America.
If you are having a new home built and want to subscribe to the sustainable living ideals, there are many bamboo products that you can order from your builder. For instance, bamboo flooring, furniture, drapes, mats and food containers are all available in USA.
Bamboo flooring appears just as if it is a hardwood floor. Like wood, it can be used in the bathroom as it is suitable for radiant heat floors. According to the National Hardwood Flooring Association bamboo flooring is 10% harder than red oak hardwood flooring. It usually has a tongued and grooved finish which produces a smooth sheen to the floor.
Another use of bamboo that is gaining more popularity is as its use for fabrics for drapes and clothes. It is a breathable fabric and is very soft. For clothes, bamboo can take up to four times more moisture absorption than cotton, although this is not useful for drapes. Sheers in bamboo can be bought, they are available in several shades and have a soft look and feel that is unique to bamboo.
Bamboo can be bought and raised successfully in North America, even in most climates of the west coast, including the damp ones, (hello Seattle!)
You can mail order or email order from photos illustrated on the web site of a bamboo nursery in Chilliwack B.C. This company offers delivery and they quote actual temperatures that their plants can withstand. Some of the temperatures that Japanese bamboo can live through are well down in the sub-zeros .If you want to buy some fast growing trees for your yard, bamboo would be a good choice.
Bamboos start from tiny house plants to bushes in one gallon tubs and on up to seven gallon tubs. Bamboos would be a great tree to choose for a new home, or for a newly landscaped garden, as they can grow to full size within 6 years, unlike most of the trees of the North West which take ten times longer.
Some trees can be bought which sport the massive bamboo stems that we associate with the look of bamboo, and some just bush out voluminously almost hiding all their branches. You can choose from brown, green or golden stems and leaves come in green or variegated colors including yellow, orange, green and white or thinly striped.
About the Author
When searching for Fergus Falls real estate, plan to use Century 21 Vista for your buying and selling needs. If you enjoy water sports or lake side living, be sure to check out Ashby real estate.
|
|
Italian art glass pink/green striped BULLICANTE vases,2 $695.00 |
|
|
Auth PRADA Green Pebbled Leather Striped Shoulder Purse $555.00 |
|
|
Gucci 5200M Green Red Striped Men’s Watch *NEW 0004983 $550.00 |
|
|
Rare Rotring Roll-Kuli green candy striped in box/instr $495.00 |
|
|
IN LOVE by CARLING Paris Green Striped Tank Top Small $475.00 |
|
|
NWT STELLA MCCARTNEY Green Striped Blazer Pant Set 40 $399.00 |
|
|
4Drawer Chest with Rooster in Two Toned Striped Green $369.00 |
|
|
MINT PELIKAN 400NN green striped 14C -F- gold nib + BOX $325.00 |
|
|
DOLCE & GABBANA burgundy and green striped sweater 48/S $299.99 |
|
|
Green Striped Venetian Trade Beads White Core Africa $299.00 |
|
|
ETRO Tropical Weight Wool Striped Pants Caramel & Green $299.00 |
|
|
DANISH GREEN/CHARCOHL STRIPED CERAMIC LAMP MID-CENTURY $299.00 |
|
|
Auth PRADA Green Striped Pure Cashmere Crop Pullover 42 $299.00 |
|
|
Auth PRADA Green Striped Pure Cashmere Crop Pullover 38 $299.00 |
|
|
MINT PELIKAN 400NN green striped 14C -KM- gold nib $295.00 |
|
|
Krinkles Lime Green Striped Display Table Dept.56 NEW $289.00 |
|
|
1500 Thread Siberian Goose Down Comforter Bed in a Bag $287.50 |
|
|
1500 Thread Siberian Goose Down Comforter Bed in a Bag $287.50 |
|
|
1500 Thread Siberian Goose Down Comforter Bed in a Bag $287.50 |
|
|
1500 Thread Siberian Goose Down Comforter Bed in a Bag $287.50 |
|
|
PELIKAN 400 NN FP green striped 14 C-585 KF rare nib! $279.99 |
|
|
Girl Pink Green Rag Striped Queen Quilt Kid Bedding Set $275.97 |
|
|
Girl Green Pink Rag Striped Full Quilt Kid Bedding Set $275.97 |
|
|
1500 TC Duvet Sheet + Siberian Goose Down Comforter Set $262.49 |
|
|
1500 TC Duvet Sheet + Siberian Goose Down Comforter Set $262.49 |
|
|
1500 TC Duvet Sheet + Siberian Goose Down Comforter Set $262.49 |
|
|
1500 TC Duvet Sheet + Siberian Goose Down Comforter Set $262.49 |
|
|
RARE FOUNTAIN PEN PELIKAN GREEN STRIPED M 140.I RARE $255.00 |
|
|
1500 TC Duvet Sheet + Siberian Goose Down Comforter Set $251.99 |
|
|
1500 TC Duvet Sheet + Siberian Goose Down Comforter Set $251.99 |
|
|
1500 TC Duvet Sheet + Siberian Goose Down Comforter Set $251.99 |
|
|
1500 TC Duvet Sheet + Siberian Goose Down Comforter Set $251.99 |
|
|
Bright Rare Purple Green Striped Ammolite Pendant $249.00 |
|
|
Perfect Pelikan K800 ballpoint green striped black $245.00 |
|
|
PELIKAN 400 NN FP green striped 14 C-585 OF gold nib! $239.99 |
|
|
Girl Green Pink Striped Rag Twin Quilt Kid Bedding Set $235.97 |
|
|
Girl Green Purple Striped Full Quilt Kid Bedding Set $232.97 |
|
|
PICASSO **LADY IN STRIPED GREEN CHAIR** GICLEE ON PAPER $230.00 |
|
|
Striped Velvet Red Green Blue Ottoman NEW FREE SHIP $229.99 |
|
|
2 New Pink/Green striped 100% silk drapes curtains $229.00 |
|
|
Vintage PELIKAN 140 green striped 14C -KM- gold nib $225.00 |
|
|
Rare “Naughty” Ladies Legs Corkscrew Green Striped $225.00 |
|
|
Vintage PELIKAN 400NN green striped 14C -KF- gold nib $225.00 |
|
|
Vintage Pelikan 400NN green striped 14C gold nib -F- $225.00 |
|
|
8 pc BED IN A BAG Sheet Duvet Comforter Set 1500 THREAD $224.99 |
|
|
8 pc BED IN A BAG Sheet Duvet Comforter Set 1500 THREAD $224.99 |
|
|
8 pc BED IN A BAG Sheet Duvet Comforter Set 1500 THREAD $224.99 |
|
|
8 pc BED IN A BAG Sheet Duvet Comforter Set 1500 THREAD $224.99 |
|
|
GREEN Striped Trade Beads Green Core Venetian $220.00 |
|
|
1200 Thread Siberian Goose Down Comforter Bed in a Bag $219.95 |
|
|
4 Pack Oversized Kitchen Towel sets by Cotton Craft – size 20×30 – Pure 100% Cotton – Crisp Basketweave striped pattern with hanging loop – Highly absorbent, soft & sturdy – in 6 cheerful colors Spice, Green, Red, Linen, Black, & Blue – Save 66% Orient Originals has been manufacturing towels of unsurpassed quality to the highest international standards since 1968. We offer a complete range of luxury, spa, hotel, resort, bath, beach, kitchen, decorative, whimsical, utility, and kids towels. We offer uncompromising quality at the lowest cost by combining our family owned vertically integrated manufacturing with Amazon’s world class technolo… |
|
|
SaraBear Diaper Caddy- Green/Blue Striped $25.49 … |
|
|
7 PIECE EXQUISITE OVERSIZED COTTON COMFORTER SET IN BEUATIFUL SAGE GREEN & BEIGE STRIPED COLORS, PINTUCK DESIGN WITH FLORAL EMBROIDERY, QUEEN SIZE COMFORTER SET $99.99 This exquisite classic designed comforter set, has beautiful embroidered floral design, its pintuck adds a designers look. The beautiful sage green, cream and brown colors combined are sure to add light to your bedroom. This set includes 1 Oversized & Overfilled Queen Size Comforter, 92 x 94”, 2 Standard Shams 21 x 27”, 1 Bed skirt 60″ x 80″ + 15″, 1 Decorative Oblong Pillow 14″ x 20″, 1 Square … |
|
|
Kingdom of Heaven (Cruzada) [NTSC/REGION 1 & 4 DVD. Import-Latin America] $9.99 Cruzada De Ridley Scott, director de Gladiador y maestro de la épica moderna, llega esta apabullante saga de valor, pasión y aventura. Entre la espectacularidad e intriga del Jerusalén medieval, Orlando Bloom interpreta a Balian, un joven francés quien, habiendo perdido todo, encuentra honor y redención en una valiente búsqueda. Contra viento y marea, Balian enfrenta fuerzas sobrecogedoras … |
|
|
Lowepro Transit Notebook Backpack – fits most 17 Laptops $27.89 Transit notebook cases offer lots of protection for busy executives or students, who are always on the go. They keep files, accessories and personal items organized and include special features such as ticket / document pockets and luggage sleeves to make travel easier.The backpack model has a padded back with lumbar support and air flow channels to keep you comfortable whether you’re headed acros… |
|
|
Decorated Mouse Pad with green, sea, striped, angelfish, ocean, fish $9.95 Professional “Brite White” fabric mouse pads are among the most versatile and durable, providing brilliant graphic reproduction for spot color or full color imprints. This durable polyester surface is above industry standards and provides a superior product value overall. Designed to reproduce vibrant detailed images. Our mouse pads have white fabric top with the 100% genuine black rubber base (n… |
|
|
CybertronPC X-Cruiser PCXCR5000GNB, Green, AMD Athlon 64 X2 5000+ (2.60GHz), 4096, 250GB, DVD+-RW, (2) nVidia GeForce 7300, SLI, 600 Watt Power Supply, Windows XP Professional Edition, 1 Year Parts & Labor Warranty $1,299.99 MD ATHLON 64 X2 5000+ 2.60GHZ Dual Core ProcessorAsus M2N-E SLI Socket AM2 Motherboard (2000/1600 MT/s FSB Capable)4GB DDR2 667MHz (PC5400) MemoryDual 250GB SATA 2 RAID Edition Hard Drives in a RAID 0 (stripped) Array22x Dual Layer DVD±RW DriveDual nVidia GeForce 7600GT 256MB Graphics Cards in SLI configuration7.1 C-Media Audio On-Board10/100/1000 Gigabit Network LANX-Cruiser Gaming Chassis with … |
|
|
Candy Striped Diaper Cover by Zutano … |
|
|
Striped Marking Tape, 2 x 54-ft. – GREEN/WHITE STRIPE $13.02 Striped Tape Mark specific areas and promote safety by identifying potential hazard areas with visible tapes. Adhere to floors, walls, piping, posts, beams, handrails, stairways, machinery and equipment. Tapes can be used for color-coding and identifying aisles, walkways, indoor traffic lines, danger zones, boundaries, doorways and any other general purpose marking. Tape has bright, contrasting … |
|
|
JVCC HZ-8 Hazard Warning Tape JVCC HZ-8 Hazard Warning Tape is a conformable soft PVC vinyl tape used for aisle, exit, floor, restricted and hazardous area marking. It is also used for striping. Helps to comply with OSHA requirements per paragraph 1910.144 of the Federal Register. JVCC HZ-8 striped hazard warning tape features a self-extinguishing synthetic rubber adhesive and it will not corrode copper, brass, steel, or alumi… |