Hemp a diverse and vital eco-product - Children, Animals & The Environment

I just finished Robert Hunter's informative book 2030: Confronting Thermageddon in Our Lifetime. The book is about global warming and the catastrophic consequences our dependence on fossil fuels, combined with our environmentally destructive ways, is having on the planet. The message is clear: we must stop our harmful ways and begin to live "greener" lifestyles--and we must do so now!

One easy way to lessen our impact on Mother Earth is to use products that have less of an impact on the environment. Several years ago I heard many positive things about hemp; everything from comfortable, durable clothes to paper is made from this incredible plant. I decided to learn more about hemp and to test some of the products made from it.

Hemp -- A Brief History

Hemp has been in use for more than 10,000 years and was the first crop cultivated for textile production. Clothing, paper, rope and sails have been only a few of the many products made from this incredible plant since approximately 8000 BC. In the USA, both Presidents Washington and Jefferson grew hemp. Benjamin Franklin owned a mill that produced hemp paper, while Henry Ford made both a car body and car fuel from hemp. For more than 200 years, hemp was an important crop for American farmers. Unfortunately, in 1937 Congress put a prohibitive tax on hemp production (Marijuana Tax Act) that effectively destroyed the hemp industry. Hemp is currently grown in many countries including China, Russia, and France. In Canada, hemp was banned in 1938, but was allowed to be grown commercially in recent years.

Hemp and Its Uses

Hemp is an annual herbaceous plant that grows from 3 to 16 feet in height. The hemp plant has a very strong natural fiber. Industrial hemp contains less than 1% of THC (delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol), the psychoactive component of marijuana.

The list of items made from hemp is endless. Some of the common uses include food, paper, textiles, and construction materials. Hemp is an excellent plant for these items and more because it is good for the environment, can be grown in many areas suitable for other plants, and because it has a high yield. Some of the positive attributes of hemp are:

* It can be grown without pesticides and herbicides.

* It can be cultivated in as few as 100 days.

* It requires fewer toxic chemicals and dyes compared to other fibers.

* Hemp seeds are very nutritious and contain essential amino and fatty acids.

* It is naturally resistant to mildew, mold and UV rays.

* It can be successfully grown in arid areas and regions with short growing seasons.

* It preserves nutrients in the soil.

* Clothing made from hemp is durable and long lasting.

* Hemp paper is naturally acid-free, can last for hundreds of years, and is made with less energy and fewer pollutants than paper made from trees.

Hemp, the Environment, and the Future

Global warming is here. The big question is just how devastating the environmental impact on the planet will be. We must lessen our use of, and dependence on, products that destroy the earth. Reducing, and eventually eliminating, our need for fossil fuels must happen--and soon. We must also drastically reduce our use of chemicals. These lofty and vital goals are attainable, and a good start would be for countries, governments, and consumers to start embracing products made from hemp. If this happens, a major step will have been taken to start restoring the health of the planet.

Hemp Products Reviewed

While I had heard many good things about clothing and other products made from this plant, I wanted to check the quality of these products myself. While I expected that most of the items made from hemp would be of good quality, I was surprised that all of those I tried were exceptional. The following are short reviews of hemp products I've tried recently, and the names of online stores where they can be obtained. Take your time visiting these sites. Not only do they offer high quality products that are good for the environment, but they also provide considerable information about this important plant.

* These stores are located in Canada; the rest are in the USA.

Pangea Vegan Products

www.veganstore.com

Tel: (800) 340-1200

Email: info@veganstore.com

Pangea Vegan Products offers an excellent selection of hemp items. We tried three hemp items from this online store--a belt, a wallet and a briefcase.

I've never liked belts until I tried the hemp webbing belt (natural color with a black buckle). This attractive, lightweight belt is comfortable, durable, and goes well with jeans. While most wallets are heavy and bulky, the hemp tri-fold wallet that I tried was compact, light, and comfortable. My wife Lynn has been using the Artisan Hemp Briefcase for work. This soft-sided, attractive briefcase holds considerable "stuff" in its numerous pockets. Measuring 15 x 12 x 5 inches, the briefcase features a cushion grip, and it can be worn as a backpack simply by adjusting the strap. The fact that pet hair doesn't adhere to it is another popular feature in our household! Lynn is delighted with this quality "eco-briefcase."

Hemp Sisters Inc.

www.hemp-sisters.com

Tel: (814) 443-2738

Emailed: tmtinc@shol.com

Hemp clothing, shoes, bags, soaps, and a large selection of hats are just some of the reasons why a visit to Hemp Sisters Inc. is a good idea. Our children, Gleannan, 7, and Liam, 3, were excited to use the Batik Hemp Barrel Style Backpack and a hemp book bag. Both of these items are very useful for carrying things back and forth to school. Gleannan really likes the attractive book bag, which has a comfortable shoulder strap and lots of room to store books in two spacious compartments. The hemp backpack is a great way to carry several items, and features an external zipper pocket, adjustable straps, and a drawstring top. When we visit relatives and don't return home until late at night, we use the backpack to take Liam's and Gleannan's pajamas along with some toys and other necessities.

* Spirit Stream Trading Company

www.spiritstream.com

Tel: (866) 577-4748

Email: info@spiritstream.com

Spirit Stream Trading Company is a Canadian online hemp store, which features hemp clothing, accessories, and body care products. I was impressed with their reusable hemp coffee filter made of 55% hemp and 45% cotton. This easy-to-use, easy-to-clean filter will help the environment, as less paper and bleach are used in comparison to making those white, disposable coffee filters. Gleannan likes her 100% hemp pencil case (from Nepal). Children will make good use of these soft cases for school, or to store their crayons, pencils, markers, etc. at home. Lynn is impressed with the Spirit Hoodie. This soft, comfortable, and warm sweatshirt is made from 55% hemp and 45% cotton. According to their website, "This will become your most cherished sweatshirt." Lynn thinks they might be right!

* Hempola Valley Farms

www.hempola.com

Tel: (800) 240-9215

Email: hempola@hempola.com

Not only are hemp seeds very nutritious, they are also a good source of essential fatty acids. Hempola Valley Farms offers a variety of hemp items including salad dressings, flour, pancake and brownie mixes, soaps, massage oils, and lip balm. They even have Hemp Wood, a finishing oil for wood applications. We tried several products from Hempola Valley Farms. The hemp flour, which is so rich it needs to be blended with other flours, makes nutritious breads. Their fine quality soaps, available in three styles, contain cold-pressed hemp seed oil. I tried their Hempola Herbalicious Vinaigrette Dressing, and it instantly became my favorite salad dressing! I'm looking forward to trying other hemp products from this company.

Hemp House Paia

www.hemphousemaui.com

Tel: (800) 716-3552

Email: hempmaui@yahoo.com

Looking for a Hawaiian-style shirt? One of my most comfortable shirts is the Aloha Shirt I received from Hemp House Paia. Made of 55% hemp and 45% cotton (and pre-shrunk), this shirt gets even more comfortable the more I wear it. As the phrase on their site goes, "Hemp 'WEARS IN,' it doesn't wear OUT!" I'm looking forward to wearing this quality shirt for many years. Other hemp items available at this site include pet products, soap, lotion, shampoo, and sunscreen.

Artisan Gear

www.artisangear.com

Tel: (802) 388-6856

Email: companystore@artisangear.com

Artisan Gear offers several quality hemp bags and accessories. We tried out The Market Bag Tote and The Field Bag. The Market Bag Tote is, as the name suggests, a good bag to take when you want to pick up a few things at the market or convenience store. Every time you use this bag in place of plastic or paper bags, you are helping the environment. The Market Bag Tote is strong, comfortable to carry, and made of 100% hemp. You can carry many items in this spacious bag, which measures 13 x 15 x 5 inches. It would also make a great diaper bag. The Field Bag we tested was the perfect size to store our cell phone (including the cords, manual etc.). This 6 x 9 x 2 inch, 100% hemp bag features two zippered compartments, a key keeper, back sleeve pocket, and adjustable shoulder strap.

Planet Dog

www.planetdog.com

Tel: (800) 381-1516

Email: customerservice@planetdog.com

Anyone looking for a quality, environmentally-friendly collar and leash for their canine companions will want to check out the hemp leashes and collars at Planet Dog. These collars and leashes are strong, soft, 100% hemp, and available in several colors. They're also available in rolled hemp. Collar sizes range from 18 to 28 inches.

Greg Barber Company

www.gregbarberco.com

Tel: (800) 840-4555 ext. 113

Email: info@gregbarberco.com

One of the best ways to protect forests is to reduce your use of new paper made from trees. I write articles on the unused sides of scrap paper (including junk mail) and even make "shopping" and "to do" lists on envelopes received in the mail. Another way to help save trees and the environment is to use tree-free paper. Greg Barber Company sells several kinds of tree-free paper, including a hemp paper called Continuum Hemp. This high quality paper is made from 50% hemp fiber and 50% recovered cotton rag. They also have a tree-free paper called Weeds, which contains 15% hemp. Other tree-free papers offered by Greg Barber Company include paper made from recovered cotton denim, old money, and kenaf (a plant cousin to cotton and okra).

Way Out Wax

www.wayoutwax.com

Tel: (888) 727-1903

Email: info@wayoutwax.com

I was pleased to learn that the benefits of hemp extend to candles. Way Out Wax uses hemp seed oil for some of their candles. According to their website, hemp seed oil ". . . enhances burn time and burn quality." The Original Hemp Candle comes in a variety of shapes and sizes. The pillar candles contain beeswax, so vegans will want to use their container candles, which contain no animal products. Their Hemp Citronella Candles come in variously sized travel tins. The candles are a blend of soy wax, hemp seed oil, and oil of citronella--an alternative to the citronella tubs used to keep bugs away. Way Out Wax candles use wicks made of cotton, paper, or hemp, and their waxes are 100% biodegradable and nontoxic. The candles that we used burned beautifully, and we look forward to using other candles by Way Out Wax.

Earth-Friendly Market: Ylana 's Network for Self-Empowerment and Sustainable, Non- Toxic Living

www.ylana.com

Tel: (866) 952-6271

Email: ylanas@earthlink.net

This company sells hemp clothing, carpets, stationary, and accessories. Their attractive Cafe Journals are great for writing down inspirational thoughts or letters to friends. These 5 x 7 inch journals are wire bound and contain 70 sheets of Hemp Heritage paper. Gleannan enjoys drawing on her Hemp Heritage Sketch pad. The high quality paper (acid-free, archival) and wire-bound pad allowed her to easily draw and send her masterpieces to her grandparents. We also have a 100% hemp woven bath mat, which has an adhesive. This mat will be useful in our ceramic-tiled washroom. The floor is easy-to-clean, but it's slippery when wet.

--N. Glenn Perrett, his wife Lynn, and their children, Gleannan and Liam, live a vegan lifestyle northwest of Toronto, Ontario. Glenn has a degree in Environmental Studies from the University of Waterloo. You can visit their web site at: www.amorak.net

COPYRIGHT 2003 Vegetarian Baby and Child
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