What’s so special about bamboo anyway?
Cousin S. recently asked what was so special about bamboo. I could simply say that I like the way it looks, but there’s so much more than that. A quick Google search will lead you to a treasure trove of information—more than you ever wanted to know, I guarantee you! I don’t want to duplicate what other people have already said more eloquently and convincingly than I could, but here are some of the major aspects that I find particularly intriguing, ranging from the objective to the purely subjective. Environmental benefits Bamboo releases 35% more oxygen into the air than a tree of similar size. Bamboo is very efficient at removing CO 2 from the air (a process called “carbon sequestration”); some species remove as much as 50,000 pounds per acre per year. Some scientists say that bamboo as a carbon sink can aid in reducing global warming. Because of its dense network of rhizomes and roots, bamboo is ideally suited for erosion control , preventing runoff damage to fragile areas and ...