| When I was a young boy I knew of only one use | | | | to mature, which means bamboo provides more |
| for bamboo-to make great cane poles for fishing. | | | | building material in the same period of time. And |
| Bamboo has the wonderful property of being | | | | the fast growth means a more rapid uptake of |
| flexible yet strong. The cane pole would bend | | | | carbon dioxide and release of oxygen, with |
| when a fish was on the line, providing resistance | | | | benefits to the environment. |
| as I was trying to bring in a keeper without | | | | Another amazing green advantage of bamboo is |
| having the line break. And the pole would never | | | | that it does not need to be replanted, like a |
| break. I have some great memories of the many | | | | hardwood tree. After being cut, bamboo will |
| bluegill and crappie I caught while fishing with my | | | | re-grow, on its own, in the same place. Being a |
| father and grandfather as a kid, and of the | | | | self-regenerating plant is a major benefit. |
| fantastic fish dinners we enjoyed together as a | | | | Although bamboo is classified as a grass rather |
| family afterward. | | | | than a wood, it surprisingly strong and durable, |
| Today, bamboo still makes a great fishing pole, as | | | | and it wears very well as a flooring material. |
| many kids can attest. But another surprisingly | | | | When used to produce flooring, bamboo is |
| useful application has emerged that is | | | | stacked in layers and glued together to produce |
| environmentally-friendly and contributes to a | | | | sections like any other floor tile or board. Thus, it |
| greener lifestyle. | | | | can be used in construction like other engineered |
| Bamboo has recently received a lot of attention | | | | woods, and it can be stained or finished like any |
| as a green building material, particularly for flooring, | | | | other wood, producing a beautiful appearance as |
| and here is why. | | | | well. |
| Bamboo grows very quickly, making it a rapidly | | | | Consider using bamboo as a floor covering |
| renewable material. Compared to trees, which can | | | | material the next time you are remodeling your |
| take 50 to 100 years to grow to sufficient size, | | | | home (or building new). The cost is similar to that |
| bamboo can be harvested every five or six | | | | for other wood flooring, and you will have the |
| years. There are 10 to 20 cycles of bamboo | | | | knowledge that your beautiful new flooring came |
| harvests in the time it takes for a hardwood tree | | | | at a lower environmental cost. |