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SAN DIEGO – January 30, 2011 Cali Bamboo, One of the great things about living in Pacifica is the view. With steep hills on all sides, wide tracts of natural reserves, and the Pacific Ocean, we are witness to an abundance of natural beauty. For many of us, this spectacle drives our desire for the perfect accompaniment to a vista: the deck.
It’s ironic that, in our enjoyment of the natural beauty around us, we use materials that often destroy the habitat of the world’s most majestic forests, however. Redwood, mahogany, ipe and western red cedar are all woods that hold up well to the elements, but at a high environmental cost.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, global deforestation rates, while slowing down, are still consuming 5.2 million hectares of forest annually, and losses of primary forests in the last decade have totaled 40 million hectares. Even choosing wood that has been certified by the Forest Stewardship Council contributes to deforestation, as it is often difficult to confirm the harvest of every tree, particularly in other countries.
So, how do we enjoy a guilt-free deck? Never fear, there are many material options to choose from.
Bamboo – Unlike trees which must be felled to harvest their timber, bamboo plants can be harvested repeatedly, leaving the “clump” to regenerate new shoots at an alarming growth rate. Technically a grass, bamboo has a surprising number of uses including decking in a wide variety of colors and cut patterns.
While bamboo holds a lot of promise as a sustainable product, there are some challenges it must overcome to be a more “green” alternative. The process of converting the soft bamboo fibers into a dense decking material is energy intensive, increasing the carbon footprint of their manufacturing. Secondly, most bamboo is harvested in countries with little or no environmental regulation, and most bamboo is grown using pesticides. For additional information about bamboo decking, I recommend Cali Bamboo, a company specializing in bamboo building products that gives 1% of its profits to environmental organizations.
Read the full article online here.
About Cali Bamboo, LLC.
San Diego-based Cali Bamboo manufactures green building products for residential and commercial projects made primarily from bamboo; one of the world’s most durable, sustainable and renewable materials. Founded in 2004 by Jeff Goldberg and Tanner Haigwood, the company is fast becoming one of the shining examples of how individuals, businesses and communities can implement stylish architectural and interior designs without impacting the environment. Cali Bamboo’s wide range of bamboo offerings includes fencing, flooring, decking, plywood and more. For more information, visit www.CaliBamboo.com
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