Curbing global climate change is going to be a massive undertaking for the human race, and we are going to need all of  the tools at our disposal. One mighty weapon in capturing carbon and removing it from the atmosphere is (you guessed it) bamboo. It turns out planting bamboo is one of the easies and most enjoyable ways to capture carbon and replenish the oxygen in the atmosphere.

Earlier this month, a delegation from EcoPlanet Bamboo was asked to speak at the UN’s Framework Convention on Climate Change in Doha, Qatar. They presented their platform on the  sixth day of the conference, dubbed “Forest Day”. The special designation was meant to ensure that the health of the world’s plant life was high in the list of topics for the world’s politicians. This year’s theme was “Living Landscapes: Solutions for a Sustainable World”, which was intended to bring together experts in the field to discuss the impacts of forests on agriculture and society.

Scientists have found that a full quarter of all greenhouse gas emissions are due to deforestation. Through reforestation and and rehabilitation of degraded ecosystems, EcoPlanet Bamboo aims to create living carbon sinks. One of their Central American Guadua bamboo plantations alone will sequester 816,000 tons over the next 20 years. In addition to clearing clearing the air, their FSC certified bamboo will provide alternatives to old growth timber and traditional textiles, helping to slow the rate of clear-cutting and negative land use.

Learn more about bamboo and how to combat climate change

If you’re interested in planting bamboo here on the Central Coast, please check out Paso Bamboo Nursery for the best selection of drought tolerant bamboo species, ideal for growing on the Central Coast.

For more in-depth knowledge on the ecological virtues of bamboo, check out some of these articles.