Hemp and the Environment
by Paula E Heaney
An acre of hemp produces four times as much paper as an acre of trees. Every pot-smoking hippy in the country knows that. The problem is, why doesn’t anyone else? In this short article, I will attempt to educate you, the reader, of the many ways in which hemp can Save The Planet. No kidding.
First of all, just growing hemp is good for the environment. It is a hardy, no-nonsense, drought-resistant plant. With few natural predators, hemp needs little to no pesticides. Herbicides are also virtually unnecessary as the plants grow 6 to 16 feet tall in only 110 days. The complex root structure prevents erosion and decays quickly after harvest. Hemp does not deplete the nutrients in soil, and even purifies the earth by absorbing heavy-metal contaminants. Hemp farmers around the world agree that any crop planted in the wake of a hemp crop will flourish.
That’s all well and good, but what do you do with the hemp? Well, as I mentioned above, its great for making paper. That’s most of the reason that industrial hemp is illegal in the U.S. See, in the mid-1930’s, there were two industries that had just made breakthrough machines that would make paper productions much more cost-effective. One was the hemp industry, the other was DuPont. Coincidentally, the 1937 Marijuana Tax Act was passed, effectively making hemp illegal by charging transfers $1/ounce or, for unregistered dealers, $100/ounce, even for industrial grade hemp.
So, with hemp out of the way, DuPont was free to become the giant corporation that it is today, and to produce the great majority of the toxic sludge that contaminates our Northwestern and Southeastern rivers. Had hemp become our primary paper source, this pollution would have been vastly reduced, and here is why: Hemp means no deforestation, which results in less topsoil erosion, more oxygen, less carbon dioxide, less destruction of natural habitats, etc. Hemp paper is much easier to bleach, and does not require chlorine, which means no more thousands of tons of toxic sludge pouring into the water. Scientists in Sweden have developed a hemp-bleaching process that uses only natural enzymes and some pounding of the pulp.
Cotton, the other big evil, is grown on 3% of the world’s arable land and uses 26% (wow!) of the world’s pesticides and 7% of the world’s fertilizer annually. It requires heavy irrigation, depleting the water supply even as it poisons it. Many developing countries grow cotton as a cash crop, trying desperately to pay off foreign debt. While the country’s land and water is being destroyed, food crops are neglected, so the people go hungry.
Hemp can be used to make clothing that is, if treated properly, soft like cotton and far more durable, thus rendering cotton unnecessary. Adidas and Ralph Lauren already have hemp products, and Calvin Klein insists that hemp will hit the fashion industry full-force in the years to come. A friend of mine has this catalog of hemp/silk blend clothing. Check out the Hempest on Newbury St. if you are interested in buying some hemp clothing.
Hemp can also be used to make rope, plastic, and building materials enough to make an entire house. Hemp seeds are a good source of protein. Hemp seed oil, some claim, is the healthiest oil known for skin. The Hempest, the Body Shop, and many other smaller companies, have complete lines of hemp products.
THE WAR ON DRUGS
There are a billion things I could include here that are just outrageous, but one simple statistic will probably be enough to get you thinking: 75% of Guatemalan rainforests have been sprayed with defoliates (or in other words, destroyed) by the US in the name of the War on Drugs. Think of the people who live in Guatemala.
HEMP AS BIOFUEL
From Energy Farming in America by Lynn Osborn: “Remember, in 10 years, by the year 2000, America will have exhausted 80% of her petroleum reserves. Will we then go to war with the Arabs for the privilege of driving our cars; will we strip mine our land for coal, and poison our so we can drive our autos an extra 100 years; will we raze our forests for our energy needs?”
No! Not necessary! General Electric researchers found woody biomass had a heat value about half of an equal weight of coal and 1/6 of natural gas. The cost of electricity, many say, would be higher, but GE points out the savings in pollution control systems and says the cost would actually be lower. Their only concern was global deforestation.
Hemp is a viable source of woody biomass, no deforestation necessary. In fact, while an acre of trees is about 60% cellulose, and acre of hemp is nearly 75%. How much hemp is necessary to meet current US energy needs? Somewhere between 10 million and 90 million acres, depending on how efficient the production is. Every year, the US government pays farmers (in cash or “kind”) to *not* farm what they call the “soil bank”, which happens to be about 90 million acres of farmland. The math is pretty simple.
Hemp seed oil is very similar to petroleum diesel fuel, and produces full engine power with reduced carbon monoxide and 75% less soot and particulates. Hemp stalk (different than the part that can make paper and textiles) can be converted into 500 gallons of methanol/acre. US energy consumption is responsible for 80% of the world’s air pollution. The use of hemp biomass fuel would be a globally responsible evolution.
It seems so simple, you must be saying. If this is true, why are we still using petroleum and paper and cotton? Well, there are corporations who sponsor politicians that have a reason to keep hemp down, like, the oil industry, etc. If you are not already aware of corporate influence in government affairs, PLEASE read up on it and become an informed citizen. Perhaps the easiest explanation, however, can be illustrated in the following excerpt from an interview by Jack Herer and Maria Farrow of Steve Rawling who, in 1989, was the highest ranking officer in the US Department of Agriculture.
- Rawling: “Well, Mr. Herer, did you know that hemp is also marijuana?”
- “Yes, of course I know.”
- “Well you know marijuana’s illegal, don’t you? You can’t use it.”
- “Not even to save the planet?”
- “No. It’s illegal. You cannot use something illegal. Don’t get me wrong. It’s a great idea. But they’ll never let you do it.”
I would like to take this moment to point out that trying to get high from industrial grade hemp would be like trying to get drunk off vinegar.
Sources:
The Great Book of Hemp by Rowan Robinson
The Emperor Wears No Clothes by Jack Herer
Earth Follies by Joni Seager
mit.edu |
