5 signs Bamboo Loves The Earth: An Eco-friendly Read

Giving our green planet some TLC!

When I think of Bamboo, the Kungfu Panda scene where Po uses it as stilts while manipulating the plates on the floor so Tai Lung won’t be able to access the secret scroll comes to mind. My first thought on watching that scene was “wow! Those are some mighty strong sticks”. It turns out those were bamboo sticks, but I digress…ancient Chinese attributed great significance to the bamboo plant recognizing it as a life-giving plant with high nutritional properties. They viewed it as a symbol of harmony between humans and nature. Ancient Chinese people designated the plum, orchid, bamboo, and chrysanthemum as the “four gentlemen”, and pine, bamboo, and plum as the “three friends in winter”.Certain cultures also attribute several symbolic meanings to different parts of the bamboo plant; its deep root denotes resoluteness; its tall, straight stem represents honor; its hollow interior modesty and its clean and spartan exterior exemplify chastity.

In traditional Chinese culture, bamboo is a symbol of Oriental beauty. It represents the character of moral integrity, resistance, modesty, and loyalty. It also stands as an example of loneliness and elegance, among others. This value becomes one of the major themes in Chinese painting, calligraphy, poetry, and diet even. It has been rumored to be a contributing factor to the youthful, ageless look of the people of that region. Yes, bamboo has a great impact on the appearance of our hair, skin, and nails, as well as the metabolic and gut function of the human system.

But it seems this plant isn’t just a superfood with incredible tensile strength but also a lover of the earth and nature itself. Bamboo is one of the most prolific growing plants on earth and can be found in the tropical and subtropical regions throughout Asia, Africa, America, and many other continents and countries across the globe. Because bamboo is such an easy plant to grow and harvest; growing at a very fast pace, some species grow as fast as 1.5inches per hour. It has helped to create a housing revolution in parts of the world where shelter is needed most. This rugged plant can be used to manufacture flooring, walls, scaffolding, and more. Bamboo’s lightweight, flexibility, and ease of transportation make it ideal for use in several areas and applications. Also, unlike other plastic options, bamboo is biodegradable and natural while being strong and durable.

Here are 5 signs the Bamboo plant has shown the earth that it loves and cares for it

• Acts as a Sponge for Carbon dioxide: Bamboo acts as a sponge, mopping up carbon dioxide from the environment. Bamboo absorbs twice as much carbon dioxide from the environment as trees. This process means it acts as a “carbon sink” helping to absorb pollutants and pollution caused by greenhouse gases. It safely stores carbon dioxide within itself to offset the amount let out into the environment in a process called carbon sequestration.
• It produces Oxygen: Bamboo produces a large amount of oxygen, about 30% more than most plants and trees. While regulating carbon dioxide amounts in the atmosphere, bamboo acts to balance carbon dioxide and oxygen levels in the atmosphere.
• Prevents erosion and landslides: Bamboo has a shallow but fibrous network of roots that helps to hold the soil together. These strong roots make the soil more stable thereby stabilizing and restoring weakened areas, preventing landslides, and washing away of land as a result of erosion. Most countries and regions prone to soil erosion and landslides have adopted methods of planting bamboo groves to help lessen the effects of these disasters.
• Reduces carbon footprints: Bamboo trees grow relatively fast so a supply of bamboo is available more easily than other timber trees and producing bamboo products uses less energy than steel or wood products. They also natural and biodegradable. So using bamboo products reduces our carbon footprint significantly as well as being sustainable and safe for use.
• Protects biodiversity: Bamboo tree groves act as a home for several plant and animal species including endangered species. Bamboo forests save and protect the species living in that forest, by providing both homes and food; a typical example would be Giant Pandas that have a strictly only bamboo diet.

There are so much more reasons why Bamboo is such an eco-friendly and sustainable choice. As well as being a lover of the environment, Bamboo included in a diet is such a great choice for supporting health and boosting skin and hair appearance. A future with less pollution and a more environmentally conscious approach to living is one with the Bamboo plant in it.