Amazingly Green Bamboo

Pictured is the Arashiyama Bamboo Forest outside of Kyoto, Japan. This beautiful grove is a tribute to bamboo and its place in the rich cultural heritage of the Japanese. The Japanese have made things out of bamboo for centuries over...baskets, cups, chopsticks, arrows, houses, temples, and many other useful items. The bamboo is considered an incomparable material because of its durability. It has higher tensile strength than many steel alloys, and more compressive strength than some concretes. Termites hate it, and some buildings made out of bamboo have survived 9.0 earthquakes. It is also the fastest growing plant on earth, with some species growing as much as 4 feet in a 24 hour period. It can regenerate its full mass in only 6 months after being cut, while a tree would take 30 to 50 years to regenerate. In the 500 year lifespan of a redwood tree, a single bamboo plant could be harvested over 150 times. More than ever, bamboo is being realized as a super renewable resource in the quest for a better environment.

Photo: Ajari