Bamboo is one of the most amazing plants in this word. Here are a few reasons; its biodegradable, some species can grow up to one meter per day in excellent conditions, it is re-usable and can be used for diverse production purposes such as furniture, cups, textile, building and construction. Besides that it is bacteria resistant which means it can keep smells away while providing a cooling effect. Because it is a renewable resource it can be used for charcoal production and poverty alleviation by employing millions of people worldwide.
Currently however I view that the potential of bamboo is not fully embraced. In Europe we are importing annually more then 1 percent of tropical timber from which it is estimated that around 50 percent are imported illegally such as into the EU in 2007. Because we are currently facing a challange in terms of keeping up with the timber demand, which stimulates a global challange in terms of (tropical) forest degradation, I view bamboo as a unique timber alternative. However, there is little knowlege on bamboo in the European context with various people may not knowing about its potential. At the same time I think that it has a key advantage due to its quick growth rate with 3-5 years while tropical timber takes between 25-50 years to mature.
To raise more awareness around bamboo I am using this blog to illustrate the various uses for bamboo around the world by sharing individual stories of people involved in bamboo or believing into the uniqueness of bamboo. Ideally, I wish that by sharing stories around bamboo, its usage can be stimulated (especially in Europe).
If you are interested in an interview to share your story or someone else’s story, please contact me: annjoest@gmail.com
[There are quiet a few blogs and newspaper that don’t reference because it does not “look nice”. However, I think its important to give each other credits and keep the credibility of the information we share high. So you will frequently cross over various forms of references]
