TODAY'S NEWS
The Fiber of Our Being
Legalizing hemp would help environment and economy, says report
The U.S. war on non-smokable hemp hurts the environment and the economy, according to a new report from the free-market-promoting Reason Foundation. To wit: Hemp fiber requires six times less manufacturing energy on average than polyester fiber, and requires less water and pesticides than cotton. Hemp can be used to make paper, fiberglass, and cement, generally with less energy use than other materials. It could make a lovely cellulosic biofuel, were cellulosic ever ready for the big time. And in case you needed a reminder, says the report: "Marijuana cultivated for drug value contains between 3 and 10 percent of the active ingredient, tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC. Industrial hemp typically contains 0.3 percent or less of this active ingredient -- as a result, it has no value as a drug."
[ email | discuss | + digg | + del.icio.us ]
straight to the report: Illegally Green: Environmental Costs of Hemp Prohibition [PDF]
see also, in Grist: Umbra on hemp fabric
No comments:
Post a Comment