As previously mentioned in the "Great green textiles..." article, hemp is a very sustainable crop. Farming hemp could have a great impact on our rural environments by reducing pesticide and fertilizer pollutants and irrigation caused desertification. There are several states in the U.S. that have already legalized the farming of industrial hemp, including Vermont and Oregon, but it is still considered an illegal crop by the federal government, and the DEA has the power to plow under any hemp crops grown in the U.S..
To find out more on the subject, here are some resources for the average person who may be interested in hemp as a sustainable textile or wood-pulp paper substitute, as well as links to hemp activists and educators. All of the following links are provided strictly for the purpose of education about Hemp as a sustainable crop for paper substitution, textile, or industrial use only.
Online retailers:
http://www.greensage.com/xcart/home.php?cat=165
GreenSage.com is a great resource for finding sustainable products for your home as well as commercial applications.
http://www.ecoartworks.com/stationery/paperpacks.html
Eco Art Works sells Hemp Watercolor Paper products.
http://www.soul-flower.com/greenpage.htm
The Soul-flower company sells Eco-friendly products as well as hemp and organic cotton textiles.
http://www.clotheslineorganics.com
Clothes Line Organics sells hemp and organic cotton clothing for babies, children, and adults.
Advocacy groups:
http://naihc.org/ : (The North American Industrial Hemp Council)
These are a few shops in or near the Greater Lehigh Valley area that carry hemp products:
Clothesline Organics-
101 E. 3rd Street Bethlehem, PA (Phone: 610-691-0111)
Naturally Yours The Organic Shop
Eco Friendly Shop for Low Impact Living- 103 Broadway Jim Thorpe, PA (Phone: 570-325-8209)
*(If you are a retailer or manufacturer of hemp or other sustainable fabrics located in the Greater Lehigh Valley or Carbon County, please leave a comment on this article with your contact information and it may be added to future links.)
Comments
Sadly, it is the cotton and paper lobby in this country that prevents growing of hemp from being legal in this country. These industries would loose market share if hemp were legal to grow, since hemp requires much less chemicals and is therefore cheaper to produce (as stated in the article).
Absolute shame, it is. It's a good bet that at least some farmers could use a cheaper crop that does not harm the ecosystem they farm in. The nation would certainly benefit if mainstream agriculture took part in the hemp trade, if only to reduce water pollution and the drain on groundwater supplies.
Can Hemp Save The Planet? Or At Least Reinvigorate The American Economy.........
This is the second most read article right now on Sustainable Life Media--
Jam packed full of useful information and facts on Hemp.
Google: Can Hemp Save the planet
And the number one search will be this article--sorry--was unable to post a link--
Enjoy
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