Hydrolife Magazine June/July 2016 (CAN Edition)

enjoy
The Hemp
Revival
by Lee G. Lyzit
Although hemp has been used
around the globe since the
beginning of human existence, the
stigma associated with marijuana
(hemp’s cousin) has somewhat
stalled its industrial uses.
Fortunately, that stigma is starting
to change, and we are seeing more
hemp-based products as a result.
The biggest potential for hemp
plants in promoting a culture
of eco-sustainability is their use in
building products. Hemp can be used to
replace or supplement a wide variety of
traditional building materials, mainly
wood and concrete. Researchers in
France have developed a way to use
hemp fibers to create a natural cement
with many admirable qualities. Their
creation, Hempcrete, can be used
in block-form in conjunction with a
wooden frame construction, or mixed
directly into a structure, similar to
working with stucco or cob.
Hempcrete is comparable in
strength to traditional concrete but
weighs one-eighth as much, which
makes building with it much easier.
Additional advantages of Hempcrete
building materials are:
• Thermal properties: Hempcrete
helps regulate both high and low
temperatures.
• Low maintenance: Hempcrete is naturally
mold and rodent resistant.
• Longevity: Hempcrete has a long lifespan
and is easy to repair.
• How sustainable it truly is:
Hempcrete is made out of plants,
which grow back.
Building with renewable, biodegradable
materials equates to a healthier
planet. While the hemp plant grows, it
turns carbon dioxide into oxygen and
also traps carbon dioxide within itself.
Structures built with hemp products are
carbon sinks, meaning they absorb more
carbon than they release. Traditional
concrete, on the other hand, is notorious
for releasing large amounts of carbon
dioxide when it is made.
Hemp particle board can be made
from both the short fibers from the
core of the hemp stalk and the longer
fibers found on the outer portion of the
stalk. In terms of insulation, only the
outer fibers of the hemp stalk are used.
Hemp building insulation is being used
consistently in newer construction and
has great potential as an eco-friendly
solution for retrofitting buildings.
Other Uses for Hemp
Hemp is also being used to make
clothing, ropes, paper, wax and much
more. Hemp seeds contain all the
essential amino acids humans need
and are arguably the single most
healthy food source on the planet.
They can be pressed to extract hemp
oil, which can be used as fuel or as
a natural sealant for wood. Hemp is
also an active ingredient in beauty
products and cosmetics.
Another incredible use of hemp is
in the automotive industry. Do you
remember Henry Ford’s hemp body
car? Due to the steel rationing of
WWII in 1941, Henry Ford and George
Washington Carver constructed a car
body made out of soybeans and hemp.
Although Ford’s hemp car never took
off, today’s automakers are paying
closer attention to hemp, as it can be
used to make plastics and other composites
that are stronger and lighter
than their traditional counterparts.
In fact, a Canadian company, Motive
Industries, designed the world’s most
eco-friendly car, the Kestrel, whose
entire body is made of hemp.
Humans are at a point where
practicing a sustainable lifestyle
is of the utmost importance. Just as
the hemp plant was an intricate part
of early man’s existence, I believe it
will become an intricate part in ours,
as more people start to embrace how
versatile it really is.
HEMP CAN BE used to replace
or supplement a wide variety of
traditional building materials, “mainly wood and concrete.”
62
grow. heal. live. enjoy.
myhydrolife.ca