The hemp plant has been around for millenia. It was thought to be one of the original crops of the fertile crescent and, more recently, people were required to grow hemp in the United States during World War II. If you didn’t know that last fact, look up “Hemp for Victory” and look at the propaganda.
Now, we’re inching back into industrial hemp farming with 13 states having re-legalized it. We’re still a far cry away from saving the planet with hemp at this point, but could it be done? And how? We’ll start with the facts that hemp can easily replace trees for making paper, furniture and building materials and can also replace the chemicals used to make plastic.
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Related Story: How Hemp Can Be Used To Clean Up Oil Spills
Hemp is perhaps the most versatile plant in the world and can be used to make a slew of things that go from beyond useful to environmentally friendly when using hemp. In fact, it even makes biofuel and can build the cars and jets that utilize it.
Want to get even more excited about the hemp plant? Think about the above statements: it is possible to stop deforestation by using hemp for paper and building materials, it’s possible to stop toxins from splitting apart our atmosphere by halting the use of chemicals in plastics, and especially by using biofuel. Plus, hemp cleans the air of carbon emissions by basically trapping the carbons inside the plant at an enormous rate.
Best of all, growing hemp is super healthy for the Earth. It can grow in many, many soil conditions and then takes that soil and increases its microbial content. And the parts of the plant that fall back to the land when harvested enrich the soil further. Because hemp is so soil friendly, it also doesn’t need to be rotated with other crops.
The reason that no crop rotation is a good thing is that most plants and tubers require pesticides and other chemicals. Hemp is truly a miracle plant in that it grows sturdy, without harmful substances and is at the ready to make the planet more sustainable once again.
The original bible on hemp was written by Jack Herer, called, The Emperor Wears No Clothes, and it’s available for free at www.JackHerer.com. If the idea of hemp has piqued your interest, this is definitely required reading that will change your whole idea of the world and what we can do to restore it and make it thrive.
