by
Paul
BenhaimYou can wear hemp cloth, you can write on hemp paper,
run your car on hemp oil and you can eat the seeds of this
versatile plant. Our ancestors survived many a cold winter wind,
mainly due to the EFAs (Essentials Fatty Acids) in the seed which
boosted their immune systems. EFAs have a very short shelf life,
and many modern day diets are deficient in these life-giving fats
as we shall find out. Eating hemp seeds can eliminate problems
created by convenience foods and modern living.
Hemp’s
Many
Uses
for
the
21st
century
Today there are a variety of industrial uses that are being
exploited, including the use of hemp in the building industry. Hemp
makes excellent building material, and there are various
applications for its use in insulation and structure of buildings.
There are two types of hemp products used as a building material:
Low Tech: using rough fibre or the whole plant for pressed
boards, partly in combination with other raw materials like wood,
clay, lime or glue.
High Tech: using fine fibre for insulating mats, extra fine
fibre for fibre glass substitution in in combination with concrete or
clay; hemp shavings for floor and roof insulation and extra
strength for clay blocks. As the building market starts to look for
more eco-friendly materials, hemp seems the best choice for this
application because of its many benefits. It is chemical free and
regionally grown without the use of herbicides and pesticides.
Hemp is strong, flexible and durable, but most important are its
water resistant properties. The basis of modern building systems
is to choose a material for the walls that allows the steam (water)
to move through them without causing damp. This is very
important and for this you need a water-resistant insulation
material. There is no doubt that hemp is the best choice for this
application. More information and contacts are available through
the HFIA web site.