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In the world of the building materials, bamboo could compete successfully against steel, concrete, wood and glass. Because of its exceptional mechanical qualities, low price and design, bamboo could turn into one of the preferred building materials of the future. Even if it looks like a tree, the bamboo is just a woody perennial evergreen grass, related to cereals like wheat, corn or rice.

For more than 2,000 years, the bamboo has been used for building suspended bridges, houses, scaffolds, but also for making home products, furniture, pirogues, and musical instruments. The Chinese employed it in making a wide range of tools, from surgical needles (pieces with widths of tenths of millimeters, used for sewing nerves) to pipe lines, even during the 4th century BC. They used bamboo pipe lines to transport the brine from the salt mines of Tsu-Liu-Ching (Sichuan province).

Some bamboo construction resisted over the millennia. The suspended bamboo bridge at An-Lan (over the Min River), built during the 3rd century AD (!), 320 m (1,066 ft) long, still stands (but it requires two maintenance sessions annually). The bridge is sustained by 15 bamboo cables, each having 5 cm (2 in) in diameter, whose resistance is four times higher than that of hemp ropes.

In 1905, China still had drilling stations made entirely of bamboo. They were 75 m (250 ft) tall and worked from 220 AD (!).

Tabashir, a siliceous resin secreted by some bamboo species, was used as chemical catalytic agent. In southeastern Asia, tabashir was used against asthma, coughing and even as an aphrodisiac. From heated bamboo, people extracted a
wax used for lighting. The first light bulb made in 1880 by Thomas Edison used a fiber of calcined bamboo as filament.

The Chinese also made a type of universal measurement standard based on bamboo. A bamboo rod was used as the length standard and when the distance between two knots made it possible, a bamboo rod was used as pipe. The hundredth part of this length was considered the size of a seed or grain, and the volume of the cylinder comprising 1,200 seeds was the standard for capacity. The weight of the 1,200 seeds gave the standard for weight.

The Japanese build spectacular bamboo kites. The largest were those of the Shikoku Island: they could be 24 m (80 ft) in diameter and weighed up to 4 tons, requiring the effort of 200 persons who had to hold the 1 km (3,300 ft) long cable. The last kite of this size was built in 1914. Modern kites are up to 19 m (63 ft) wide, 13 m (43 ft) tall and weigh 80 kg (200 pounds), being raised in groups of two during a May festival.

Records and qualities of the bamboo

The bamboo is the plant with the fastest growth rhythm: 2-3 cm per hour. The record is detained by a Japanese species: 1.2 m (4 ft) in 24 hours. In 5-6 weeks, a bamboo reaches the adult height of 18-20 m (60-66 ft). For short periods, the bamboo can reach maximal growth speeds of 40 inches (1 m) per hour. The largest bamboos grow in Brazil: up to 40 m (133 ft) tall, with a diameter of 33 cm (1.1 ft).

If for cutting a timber tree you have to wait 20 to 70 years (respecting its natural cycles), the bamboo can be harvested in 3-5 years, when its stem is strong enough. Thus, the efficiency of a bamboo plantation is much higher than that of a forest.

Another advantage of the bamboo: if you pull out a stem, another one grows instead. The bamboo has an underground net of rhizomes and roots that naturally generates other aerial stems at a distance of 6 m (20 ft) from the central stem. On a hectare of bamboo plantation, there may be 187 rhizomes, whose fertility maintains for a decade. The bamboo rhizomes are very effective against soil erosion, land slides and even earthquakes, stretching the soil in a very dense knit.

Like in the case of wood, the bamboo stem cells have a cell wall made of very dense layers of cellulose, embedded in a matrix of lignin (from “lignus”, wood in Latin) which confer an extraordinary resistance to bamboo stems. French researchers checked traction, flexion and compressing resistance of the bamboo, finding it to be 2.5 times higher than that of the oak wood.

Bamboo production costs 8 times less than that of the steel and, during earthquakes, the concrete cracks easier than the bamboo. Still, this material is rather used artisanally in southeastern Asia, Africa and Latin America.

The 91 genera and about 1,000 species of bamboo are associated with tropical climate, because they miss from Europe and most of North America. But in the mountains of China, Korea and Japan, they can stand -24o C. Bamboo can be found up to 5,000 m (16,660 ft) in altitude and, in East Asia, up to 50°N latitude. In Argentina and Chile, they are found at 47°S latitude.

The main bamboo producer countries are India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, China, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Kenya, Costa Rica and Brazil. The annual bamboo production is estimated to 10 million tons.

A weak point of the bamboo is its blossoming. The bamboo flowers just once in its lifespan and the effect is the exhaustion of the roots and the rhizomes. Even if some bamboos flower annually, most species flower infrequently, at intervals of 10, 30, 60 or 120 years. This is called mast flowering (gregarious flowering), with all bamboos in an area flowering at the same time. After flowering, bamboos die in mass, and this compels the cultivators to renew the plantations soon after the flowering periods.

Another undesired trait of the bamboo is its variable height and diameter, varying from one stem to another, depending on the soil quality, clime and species. Assembling the pieces, too, is complicated. Traditionally, the stems are joined with complicated knots like those used by the sailors. Industrial solutions like glues, nails and bolts are investigated.

The French Michel Abadie built Flyboo, a bamboo airplane, 6 m (20 ft) long and 8 m (26 ft) wide. Only the joining elements, engine and landing gear were made of another material. The flying machine can reach 50-120 km (30-75 mi) per hour and develops 49.6 H.P.

Bamboo, rats and panda

The mass fruiting of the bamboo comes with many unexpected consequences. The enormous amount of available seeds induces a boom in rat populations. As the rats turn increasingly numerous, they start attacking crops, causing famine in local human populations.

This happened in 1954-1955 with the Melocanna bambusoides population from northeastern India, which has a mass flowering period of 30-35 years. The rats can also spread deadly diseases like typhus, typhoid, and bubonic plague.

5.99 % of the panda bear’s diet is made of bamboo. An individual ingests 38 kg (90 pounds) of bamboo (shoots, stems and leaves) daily (an activity that takes around 14 hours) and eating bamboo requires some adaptations.

Pandas have wide molars and premolars (grinder teeth) and highly developed zygomatic arches (bones where chewing muscles are inserted) correlated to highly developed chewing muscles, adaptations for grinding tough bamboo stuff. They have a sixth “thumb”, a bony projection of the fore paw which enables them to grip bamboo stems while eating. The esophagus is folded by a keratin layer so that it is not scratched by bamboo shafts.

As it is so dependent on bamboo, the invasions of the bamboo Chinese rat (Rhizomys sinensis) – a large subterranean rodent (40 cm (1.3 ft) long and 1 kg (2.2 pounds) heavy) – represent a huge challenge for the panda.

Source: Softpedia News

Global Warming is a dramatically urgent and serious problem. We don’t need to wait for governments to find a solution for this problem: each individual can bring an important help adopting a more responsible lifestyle: starting from little, everyday things. It’s the only reasonable way to save our planet, before it is too late.

Here is a list of 50 simple things that everyone can do in order to fight against and reduce the Global Warming phenomenon: some of these ideas are at no cost, some other require a little effort or investment but can help you save a lot of money, in the middle-long term!

Replace a regular incandescent light bulb with a compact fluorescent light bulb (cfl)
CFLs use 60% less energy than a regular bulb. This simple switch will save about 300 pounds of carbon dioxide a year.

Install a programmable thermostat
Thermostats will automatically lower the heat or air conditioning at night and raise them again in the morning. They can save you $100 a year on your energy bill. Move your thermostat down 2° in winter and up 2° in summer. Almost half of the energy we use in our homes goes to heating and cooling. You could save about 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide a year with this simple adjustment.

Clean or replace filters on your furnace and air conditioner
Cleaning a dirty air filter can save 350 pounds of carbon dioxide a year.

Choose energy efficient appliances when making new purchases
Look for the Energy Star label on new appliances to choose the most energy efficient products available.

Do not leave appliances on standby
Use the “on/off” function on the machine itself. A TV set that’s switched on for 3 hours a day (the average time Europeans spend watching TV) and in standby mode during the remaining 21 hours uses about 40% of its energy in standby mode.

Wrap your water heater in an insulation blanket
You’ll save 1,000 pounds of carbon dioxide a year with this simple action. You can save another 550 pounds per year by setting the thermostat no higher than 50°C.

Move your fridge and freezer
Placing them next to the cooker or boiler consumes much more energy than if they were standing on their own. For example, if you put them in a hot cellar room where the room temperature is 30-35ºC, energy use is almost double and causes an extra 160kg of CO2 emissions for fridges per year and 320kg for freezers.

Defrost old fridges and freezers regularly
Even better is to replace them with newer models, which all have automatic defrost cycles and are generally up to two times more energy-efficient than their predecessors.

Don’t let heat escape from your house over a long period
When airing your house, open the windows for only a few minutes. If you leave a small opening all day long, the energy needed to keep it warm inside during six cold months (10ºC or less outside temperature) would result in almost 1 ton of CO2 emissions.

Replace your old single-glazed windows with double-glazing
This requires a bit of upfront investment, but will halve the energy lost through windows and pay off in the long term. If you go for the best the market has to offer (wooden-framed double-glazed units with low-emission glass and filled with argon gas), you can even save more than 70% of the energy lost.

Get a home energy audit
Many utilities offer free home energy audits to find where your home is poorly insulated or energy inefficient. You can save up to 30% off your energy bill and 1,000 pounds of carbon dioxide a year. Energy Star can help you find an energy specialist.

Cover your pots while cooking
Doing so can save a lot of the energy needed for preparing the dish. Even better are pressure cookers and steamers: they can save around 70%!

Use the washing machine or dishwasher only when they are full
If you need to use it when it is half full, then use the half-load or economy setting. There is also no need to set the temperatures high. Nowadays detergents are so efficient that they get your clothes and dishes clean at low temperatures.

Take a shower instead of a bath
A shower takes up to four times less energy than a bath. To maximise the energy saving, avoid power showers and use low-flow showerheads, which are cheap and provide the same comfort.

Use less hot water
It takes a lot of energy to heat water. You can use less hot water by installing a low flow showerhead (350 pounds of carbon dioxide saved per year) and washing your clothes in cold or warm water (500 pounds saved per year) instead of hot.

Use a clothesline instead of a dryer whenever possible
You can save 700 pounds of carbon dioxide when you air dry your clothes for 6 months out of the year.

Insulate and weatherize your home
Properly insulating your walls and ceilings can save 25% of your home heating bill and 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide a year. Caulking and weather-stripping can save another 1,700 pounds per year. Energy Efficient has more information on how to better insulate your home.

Be sure you’re recycling at home
You can save 2,400 pounds of carbon dioxide a year by recycling half of the waste your household generates.

Recycle your organic waste
Around 3% of the greenhouse gas emissions through the methane is released by decomposing bio-degradable waste. By recycling organic waste or composting it if you have a garden, you can help eliminate this problem! Just make sure that you compost it properly, so it decomposes with sufficient oxygen, otherwise your compost will cause methane emissions and smell foul.

Buy intelligently
One bottle of 1.5l requires less energy and produces less waste than three bottles of 0.5l. As well, buy recycled paper products: it takes less 70 to 90% less energy to make recycled paper and it prevents the loss of forests worldwide.

Choose products that come with little packaging and buy refills when you can
You will also cut down on waste production and energy use… another help against global warming.

Reuse your shopping bag
When shopping, it saves energy and waste to use a reusable bag instead of accepting a disposable one in each shop. Waste not only discharges CO2 and methane into the atmosphere, it can also pollute the air, groundwater and soil.

Reduce waste
Most products we buy cause greenhouse gas emissions in one or another way, e.g. during production and distribution. By taking your lunch in a reusable lunch box instead of a disposable one, you save the energy needed to produce new lunch boxes.

Plant a tree
A single tree will absorb one ton of carbon dioxide over its lifetime. Shade provided by trees can also reduce your air conditioning bill by 10 to 15%. The Arbor Day Foundation has information on planting and provides trees you can plant with membership.

Switch to green power
In many areas, you can switch to energy generated by clean, renewable sources such as wind and solar. In some of these, you can even get refunds by government if you choose to switch to a clean energy producer, and you can also earn money by selling the energy you produce and don’t use for yourself.

Buy locally grown and produced foods
The average meal in the United States travels 1,200 miles from the farm to your plate. Buying locally will save fuel and keep money in your community.

Buy fresh foods instead of frozen
Frozen food uses 10 times more energy to produce.

Seek out and support local farmers markets
They reduce the amount of energy required to grow and transport the food to you by one fifth. Seek farmer’s markets in your area, and go for them.

Buy organic foods as much as possible
Organic soils capture and store carbon dioxide at much higher levels than soils from conventional farms. If we grew all of our corn and soybeans organically, we’d remove 580 billion pounds of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere!

Eat less meat
Methane is the second most significant greenhouse gas and cows are one of the greatest methane emitters. Their grassy diet and multiple stomachs cause them to produce methane, which they exhale with every breath.

Reduce the number of miles you drive by walking, biking, carpooling or taking mass transit wherever possible
Avoiding just 10 miles of driving every week would eliminate about 500 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions a year! Look for transit options in your area.

Start a carpool with your coworkers or classmates
Sharing a ride with someone just 2 days a week will reduce your carbon dioxide emissions by 1,590 pounds a year. eRideShare.com runs a free service connecting north american commuters and travelers.

Don’t leave an empty roof rack on your car
This can increase fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by up to 10% due to wind resistance and the extra weight - removing it is a better idea.

Keep your car tuned up
Regular maintenance helps improve fuel efficiency and reduces emissions. When just 1% of car owners properly maintain their cars, nearly a billion pounds of carbon dioxide are kept out of the atmosphere.

Drive carefully and do not waste fuel
You can reduce CO2 emissions by readjusting your driving style. Choose proper gears, do not abuse the gas pedal, use the engine brake instead of the pedal brake when possible and turn off your engine when your vehicle is motionless for more than one minute. By readjusting your driving style you can save money on both fuel and car mantainance.

Check your tires weekly to make sure they’re properly inflated
Proper tire inflation can improve gas mileage by more than 3%. Since every gallon of gasoline saved keeps 20 pounds of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere, every increase in fuel efficiency makes a difference!

When it is time for a new car, choose a more fuel efficient vehicle
You can save 3,000 pounds of carbon dioxide every year if your new car gets only 3 miles per gallon more than your current one. You can get up to 60 miles per gallon with a hybrid! You can find information on fuel efficiency on FuelEconomy and on GreenCars websites.

Try car sharing
Need a car but don’t want to buy one? Community car sharing organizations provide access to a car and your membership fee covers gas, maintenance and insurance. Many companies – such as Flexcar - offer low emission or hybrid cars too! Also, see ZipCar.

Try telecommuting from home
Telecommuting can help you drastically reduce the number of miles you drive every week. For more information, check out the Telework Coalition.

Fly less
Air travel produces large amounts of emissions so reducing how much you fly by even one or two trips a year can reduce your emissions significantly. You can also offset your air travel carbon emissions by investingin renewable energy projects.

Encourage your school or business to reduce emissions
You can extend your positive influence on global warming well beyond your home by actively encouraging other to take action.

Join the virtual march
The Stop Global Warming Virtual March is a non-political effort to bring people concerned about global warming together in one place. Add your voice to the hundreds of thousands of other people urging action on this issue.

Encourage the switch to renewable energy
Successfully combating global warming requires a national transition to renewable energy sources such as solar, wind and biomass. These technologies are ready to be deployed more widely but there are regulatory barriers impeding them. U.S. citizens, take action to break down those barriers with Vote Solar.

Protect and conserve forest worldwide
Forests play a critial role in global warming: they store carbon. When forests are burned or cut down, their stored carbon is release into the atmosphere - deforestation now accounts for about 20% of carbon dioxide emissions each year. Conservation International has more information on saving forests from global warming.

Consider the impact of your investments
If you invest your money, you should consider the impact that your investments and savings will have on global warming. Check out SocialInvest and Ceres to can learn more about how to ensure your money is being invested in companies, products and projects that address issues related to climate change.

Make your city cool
Cities and states around the country have taken action to stop global warming by passing innovative transportation and energy saving legislation. If you’re in the U.S., join the cool cities list.

Tell Congress to act
The McCain Lieberman Climate Stewardship and Innovation Act would set a firm limit on carbon dioxide emissions and then use free market incentives to lower costs, promote efficiency and spur innovation. Tell your representative to support it.

Make sure your voice is heard!
Americans must have a stronger commitment from their government in order to stop global warming and implement solutions and such a commitment won’t come without a dramatic increase in citizen lobbying for new laws with teeth. Get the facts about U.S. politicians and candidates at Project Vote Smart and The League of Conservation Voters. Make sure your voice is heard by voting!

Share this list!
Send this page via e-mail to your friends! Spread this list worldwide and help people doing their part: the more people you will manage to enlighten, the greater YOUR help to save the planet will be (but please take action on first person too)!

Source: GlobalwarmingFacts

Nigeria will lose all of its remaining forests in the next 12 years if the rate of deforestation remains unchecked, an environmental expert warned Thursday.

“Considering the rate at which trees are chopped down without any regeneration efforts all of Nigeria’s forests will disappear by 2020,” Kabiru Yammama said.

A still from the Documentary: Trees Of Plenty

Yammama, who heads up the National Forest Conservation Council (NFCCN), a body that acts as a consultant to the Nigerian government, said all forests in northern Nigeria have been depleted and deforestation is moving southwards.

“The north has lost virtually all its forests. Our 1999 survey showed that the rate of deforestation in northern Nigeria alone stood at 400,000 hectares per annum,” he said.

Nigeria uses 40.5 million tonnes of firewood every year, he said, adding: “Imagine the depredation wrought on the vegetation in the last decade.”

According to the most recent NFCCN report, released in 2007, 35 percent of arable land in 11 northern states has been swallowed by desert.

This has affected the livelihood of over 55 million people, more than the combined population of Mali, Burkina Fasso, Senegal and Mauritania.

Nigeria has the seventh-largest gas reserves in the world but has so far failed to harness them to produce affordable cooking gas, meaning the bulk of the population still relies on wood or charcoal for cooking.

“Now that the forests in the north are gone, attention has shifted to southern Nigeria where trees are burnt for charcoal. This is more destructive than tree chopping because it is more rapid and kills all the flora and wildlife,” Yammama further warned.

“If this trend continues unchecked Nigeria will join the league of Ethiopia which has lost all its forests,” he said.

He cited desertification, rain shortages and drought as some of the consequences of deforestation that northern Nigeria is facing.

Earlier this month Nigeria’s meteorological agency warned that the rainy season is getting shorter, particularly in the north, where it has dropped to 120 days from 150 days 30 years ago.

Rain fell for even less than 120 days in the last crop season which adversely affected yields and sent food prices up.

Source: The Times Of India