January 25, 2010 – Hemp was among the first crops to be cultivated, and historically it ranks among the most widely cultivated annual crops. Today industrial hemp is enjoying a renaissance in many countries. It is increasingly recognized as a valuable, environment-friendly, bio-resource.

Selectively bred to minimize the THC (narcotic) content, industrial hemp is licensed and aided by the EU and grown increasingly for fibre and seed oil production. But Hemp has up to 50,000 product applications across a surprisingly wide range of industry sectors, automotive, textiles, paper/pulp, bio-plastics, for example.

The Hemp plant grows well in Ireland as trials by Hemp Ireland and Teagasc have demonstrated. In a broad range of climates and soil types hemp yields a rich abundance (circa. 8-12 tonnes per acre), of quality natural raw materials: fibre, shive, hurd, and seed (rich in edible proteins and essential oils).

Hemp Environment Benefits
Hemp benefits the environment in several ways.The growing crop absorbs the greenhouse gas CO2, ‘sequestering’ it and reducing atmospheric pollution responsible for climate change. Hemp also provides a low-energy and ‘low-carbon’ alternative to products requiring more energy intensive processing and production.

Hemp requires much less chemical fertilizer, and no pesticides or herbicides to grow. Thus hemp supports biodiversity and a transition to organic farming methods. The deep roots of the plant draw nutrients upward, and irrigate the soil as they decompose following the harvest. The leaves also make a rich compost. In rotation with bio-fuel, grain or other crops, hemp can enhance yields.

Finally, hemp supports local and regional sustainable development, employment creation and eco-innovation.

Hemp has for centuries been used in construction and is today making a comeback, thanks largely to the work of ecological building pioneers in Ireland and overseas. In France a traditional hemp building method of combining hemp with a lime binder, to make solid walls and floors, has been revived to build hundreds of houses in recent years. Products such as ‘ Hempcrete’ and ‘Hemcrete’ are used in conjunction with timber frame in multi-storey buildings.

Industrial buildings, such as Adnam’s (UK) new brewery depot, showcase the opportunity for mainstream developers to boost energy-efficiency and dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Natural building materials are also non-toxic and safer to work with. As we spend 90% of our lives indoors, indoor air quality is important. Hemp insulation helps create a warm comfortable interior environment. In Germany, the UK and elsewhere hemp building and insulation products have won numerous awards and commendations from technical and health experts.

In comparison with other insulation materials hemp has several performance advantages:

* Hemp is a durable long-lasting renewable material.
* Hemp insulation has a low thermal conductivity, or U-value, of 0.040 KW/m.
* Hemp absorbs and distributes moisture allowing the wall to breathe and thereby reducing humidity and condensation indoors.

In many tests, and when installed, the energy efficiency of hemp building and insulating materials surpasses expectations. Thermal conductivity is just one aspect of energy performance. Convection and radiation also matter. A material’s capacity to hold heat, deal with moisture and extreme cold helps determines real energy efficiency and your heating fuel bills.

All-round hemp is an excellent insulation material with a thermal performance that easily matches conventional synthetic insulation. The real advantages of hemp lie in the fact that it absorbs carbon from our atmosphere and requires far less energy in its production. It takes 1.84 tonnes of CO2 to make each tonne of dry hemp.

The more hemp we use the less CO2 in the atmosphere!

As environment awareness grows, and with the introduction of new regulations, the use of hemp building and insulation materials is becoming an increasingly attractive choice for property developers and homeowners alike. By Teri Wallace. Source.

November 9, 2010 – While the food versus fuel debate continues to put crop-based biofuel production on the back burners it might just be Cannabis sativa that blazes the competition. Researchers at University of Connecticut have found that industrial hemp has properties that make it viable and even attractive as a raw material, or feedstock, for producing biodiesel. Hemp biodiesel has shown a high efficiency of conversion (97 percent) and has passed laboratory’s tests, even showing properties that suggest it could be used at lower temperatures than any biodiesel currently on the market.

The plant’s ability to grow in infertile soils also reduces the need to grow it on primary croplands, which can then be reserved for growing food according to Richard Parnas, a professor of chemical, materials, and biomolecular engineering at UConn.

“For sustainable fuels, often it comes down to a question of food versus fuel,” said Parnas, noting that major current biodiesel plants include food crops such as soybeans, olives, peanuts, and rapeseed. “It’s equally important to make fuel from plants that are not food, but also won’t need the high-quality land.”

Cannabis sativa is known for it’s ability to grow like a “weed” in many parts of the world, needing little fertilizers, or high-grade inputs to flourish. But the seeds, which house the plant’s natural oils, are often discarded. Parnas points out that this apparent waste product could be put to good use by turning it into fuel.

“If someone is already growing hemp they might be able to produce enough fuel to power their whole farm with the oil from the seeds they produce. The fact that a hemp industry already exists means that a hemp biodiesel industry would need little additional investment,” he said.

Although growing hemp is not legal in the U.S., Parnas hopes that the team’s results will help to spur hemp biodiesel production in other parts of the world. And while the Proposition 19 ballot in California to legalize Marijuana was defeated last week, the pathways have been opened for more discussion on Cannabis sativa production in the U.S..

As for other industries that utilize Cannabis plants, Parnas makes a clear distinction between industrial hemp, which contains less than one percent psychoactive chemicals in its flowers, and some of its cousins, which contain up to 22 percent.

“This stuff,” he pointed out, “won’t get you high.” By Grant Banks. Source.