Regardless of which side of the fence you are on when it comes to global warming, it is a billion dollar industry – made up of taxpayer dollars. Over the past 25 years, $32.5 billion dollars has gone toward funding scientific research through legislature. This is not even counting money from the private sector, such as oil companies and utilities. Imagine the money that could be saved from striking this subject completely from the government agenda.
Hemp is hardly a new subject, just one that big business wishes to sweep under the rug. If a fraction of this money had been used to research the scientific aspects of hemp, Hempcrete would be the mainstay of the American building industry today. Instead, taxpayers are financing a losing war on how to clean the air that petroleum-based products create.
What is Hempcrete?
The inner woody core of the hemp plant (Shiv), mixed with a lime-based binder creates Hempcrete. This is not a new formula. In fact, Hempcrete was discovered in a bridge abutment in France, believed to have been built in the 6th century. A product that was able to survive for centuries was definitely worth looking into. Today, several countries in Europe and Asia are taking full advantage of this remarkable building material. 3 times more resistant than concrete, earthquakes are unable to crack Hempcrete walls. Hempcrete is also a great replacement for insulating outer walls. Instead of stopping moisture from entering an insulating barrier, Hempcrete holds the moisture until a more accepting climate is present.
Hemp + Lime + Water = Hempcrete
The benefits of Hempcrete are vast and much more sensible than the pollution-causing building products in use today.
- Lightweight – A block of Hempcrete will float in water.
- Naturally non-toxic
- Incredible insulating power – Structures built with Hempcrete are cool in the summer and warm in the winter.
- Flame, water and pest resistant
- Strong and breathable
- Lasts hundreds of years
- Negative carbon dioxide emission
Some experts like to point out that Hempcrete is not a feasible option because of the high cost factor of importing and manufacturing. They insist that synthetic materials are more cost efficient. While this may be a true statement, it is also unfounded given the obstacles that the government has placed on hemp. If hemp were allowed to be grown in the United States, the production rate is capable of reaching 10 tons per acre in four months. And without the import taxes imposed, there would be no argument on the cost savings comparison.
There is currently a bill in the Congress that has been sitting idle for over a year. It is called the Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2015. This bill basically redefines industrial hemp from having any relationship to marijuana, as originally worded. Consider how this bill could impact our lives and economy for the better.
http://www.nationalreview.com/article/414359/global-warming-follow-money-henry-payne
https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/senate-bill/134
