Plant

Bamboo is an herbaceous plant known to be the fastest growing plant on earth (3 months to reach its maximum height and 3-5 years to reach maturity). The traditional hardwoods not only take 25-70 years to mature, but also require replanting.

On the contrary, bamboo is a sustainable and renewable resource as it is self-replenishing and spreads rapidly across large areas. It continuously sends up new shoots after harvesting without a need for replanting. Therefore, it offers an opportunity to turn away from the destruction of native forests and to prevent erosion by stabilizing the earth thanks to its everlasting roots.

Furthermore, the bamboo plant removes damaging carbon dioxide and produces 30-35% more oxygen then a hardwood forest on the same amount of land, which means more photosynthesis and nearly 5 times less greenhouse gas. It is believed that if bamboo were planted on a mass basis it could completely reserve the effects of global warming in just a few years.

Bamboo can grow on damaged soil (it was the first plant to grow back after the atomic bomb), improving the health of the soil by sequestering excess nitrogen.

It retains water in the watershed, reduces runoff, sustains riverbanks, and helps reduce water pollution due to its high nitrogen consumption. It survives drought conditions as well as flooding.

The plant doesn’t require fertilizers, pesticides or chemical treatments thanks to its natural anti-bacterial agent called “bamboo kun”. Furthermore, it doesn’t involve the use of genetically modified organisms.

It is light and has static, elastic strength. It is the most durable hardwood, it is stronger than oak, but at the same time extremely flexible. When earthquakes or tsunami hit, bamboo buildings remain intact.

There are over 1200 species of bamboo on this planet found in many different climates and on every continent (apart from the Poles) at sea level up to the peaks where the air is thinner.

Let’s plant a bamboo tree, let’s breathe pure air!