Bioplastics: Hemp v. corn

Shouldn't hemp be given a chance

Hemp is an excellent candidate for bioplastics, a growing field with huge upside potential. Yet, America's corny culture seems pent on not just making corn our top animal feedstock and source of biofuels, but also the major source of bioplastics. Unfortunately, corn is not a very environmentally friendly.

Back in the early days of Ford, hemp had already been fashioned into bioplastics by Henry himself, and hemp shows vast potential for this application. Most important, hemp is more green than corn, and is easier to produce organically, although it is not entirely pest resistant as some have claimed.

Hemp might not save the world, but it does have significant potential, probably far more potential than corn. Shouldn't America at least give hemp a shot? Let's legalize hemp farming.

Hemp bricks keep this building cool

Adnams Brewery distribution center

Brits might know of the Adnams Brewery, but they probably don't know that the Adnams distribution center was built from hemp bricks made from locally-grown hemp lime and chalk. The hemp bricks are energy-efficient to manufacture and they also help regulate the internal temperature of the building.

Adnams invested in machinery to produce a large quantity of hemp bricks, but it was worth it as the bricks keep the building cool enough that air conditioning is never needed.

Hemp insulation and horse bedding

Isonat insulation

'Isonat is a hemp and recycled cotton product made from hemp grown without the use of herbicides and pesticides. Extracted in an entirely mechanical, chemical free and waste free process, this hemp fiber is used as a top quality insulation and horse bedding.

As an efficient and acoustically-effective insulation, Isonat is sustainable, clean and healthy. You can handle it without gloves, or a mask and it is easy to install in walls or ceilings.

And, when you're done with it, you can simply compost it as it's biodegradable.

Hemp has great automotive potential

Even Henry Ford loved hemp

Here is Henry Ford taking a hammer to a plastic trunk door that was reinforced with resin stiffened with soybean and hemp.

According to the paper, published via Purdue University, Hemp: A New Crop with New Uses for North America, hemp is a natural for the automotive industry because of "considerable advantages for use in conveyance: low density and weight reduction, favorable benefits (compared to glass fibers), no off-gassing of toxic compounds, and price advantages.

Hemp. It's not just about food. It's not just about clothes. It's not just about beauty products. Hemp offers amazing industrial applications. Recently, Ford has renewed its use of hemp, and other automakers, such as Mercedes, also use hemp for automobiles.

So, why is hemp illegal? Let's legalize hemp farming.

M's Patrol hemp shoes

Eco-friendly Hemp Shoes

I have two pairs of these M's Patrol shoes from Patagonia, the Alpaca Brown and the Blue. When I first bought these hemp shoes, I wasn't sure if I was going to like them, but I kind of liked the way the looked. More important, I loved the fact that they utilized a significant amount of hemp.

They do feel a bit different when you wear them, and I noticed that as soon as I tried them on, it feels almost as if M's Patrol hemp shoes need to be a bit wider on the bottom.

Anyway, I wore them for about a month, taking them on several long walks, and I was surprised that these green, eco-friendly shoes neither led to foot or back pain. Thus, I picked up another pair in a different color.

I love these green shoes from Patagonia. M's Patrol Hemp shoes might take getting a little used to, but its worth the effort if you care to purchase green, eco-friendly footwear.

Price $85.00

(Click here for more information)

M's Shemp Hemp / Organic Cotton Shirt

Eco-friendly Hemp/Organic Cotton Shirts

I like to buy hemp clothes whenever I need a new piece of clothing. Since I'm down to basically t-shirts for the summer, I picked up one of these very green short-sleeved shirts as soon as I saw it.

On the same day, I bought a similar shirt, the Hemphasis hemp shirt. Since the Hemphasis is made of 100 percent hemp, it's not the perfect short-sleeved shirt for hot summer days. The hemp/organic cotton Shemp shirt, on the other hand, is a perfect summer shirt.

This Shemp hemp/organic cotton shirt might have a funny name, but its a great green shirt even for the hot Southern California summers I journey through every year.

Price $70.00

(Click here for more information)

Bring the salsa, hemp tortilla chips!

Hemp Tortilla Chips by Trader Joes

Healthy tortilla chips? Say it isn't so! Well, hemp makes these tortilla chips a great, healthy snack. While these hemp tortilla chips go well with salsa, I almost prefer them more as a cracker substitute. In fact, they go great with hummus!

Kudos to Trader Joes for supporting hemp products!

Mercedes C-Class autos use hemp

Did you know?

Did you know that many European automakers have been using numerous natural fibers, such as hemp, for years in their cars?

Hemp is about a lot more than just green clothing.

Hemp Plus Granola by Nature's Path

Hemp Plus Granola by Nature's Path

I love Hemp Plus Granola by Nature's Path, and I eat it regularly. It's a great snack, but I love mixing it with a handful of nuts and berries and covering it with soy milk - it doesn't get much healthier than that.

Since I don't eat much meat, hemp is a great way to get protein in my diet. The hemp seeds in hemp plus can contain up to 35 percent protein, in addition to all nine essential amino acids. Plus, hemp is high in omega-3 fatty acids and a bunch of minerals, phytosterols and phospholipids.

Try some Hemp Plus Granola today.