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 easiest 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 on 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 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 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.
This article first appeared in December 2012, most recently updated in March 2024. For more in-depth knowledge about the ecological virtues of bamboo, check out some of these articles.
- Bamboo for ecology
- Sourcing sustainable bamboo
- Bamboo and reforestation: Tips & tricks
- Climate change, malaria and bamboo: Miracles in Malawi
- Bamboo in Kenya: Greening the hills of Africa
FEATURE IMAGE: A flourishing grove of timber bamboo in Portugal. Photo by Fred Hornaday.
