Since the 1950’s, we have been intoxicated with man made products, especially when used in sports. Graphite golf clubs and graphite-ceramic tennis rackets, plus the ever present plastics have become the backbone of equipment manufacturing. So it is a radical break from this trend when bamboo becomes the material of choice for sportsmen. Today, more [...]
Sports Equipment Made of Stellar Bamboo is a post from: Green Earth News
Since the 1950’s, we have been intoxicated with man made products, especially when used in sports. Graphite golf clubs and graphite-ceramic tennis rackets, plus the ever present plastics have become the backbone of equipment manufacturing. So it is a radical break from this trend when bamboo becomes the material of choice for sportsmen. Today, more manufacturers are making bamboo a key element in the creation of sports equipment.
Bamboo’s flexibility and lightness lends itself well to the custom designs of surfboards. Bamboo is the ideal material for surfboards because the strength of bamboo is stronger than the materials it replaces. These boards are so lightweight that they provide greater aerial potential and deliver higher control and speed. Bamboo boards are very eco-friendly because they are hand shaped from non-toxic materials. All in all, bamboo surfboards deliver.
Keeping with the water theme, bamboo is making a comeback as the primary element in the production of fly fishing rods. Again, tensil strength and flexibility are keys to a quality rod. While it’s not graphite, bamboo is sturdier and less expensive. And fly rods can run a hefty price. Whether the trout know the difference is still uncertain, but the feel and exactness of the bamboo fly rod is not. When your out there doing a little fly fishing, you might want to keep your feet warm with bamboo socks, which are super absorbent.
Back on land, surfboards have been replaced by skateboards, but bamboo still belongs. Since bamboo is ready to harvest after 3-5 years, it makes bamboo a positive raw material for skateboards. Check out Daryl Hannah’s bamboo and hemp skateboard at the left. More and more, boards sport bamboo decks. To keep with the theme of bamboo sports equipment, you might consider sporting bamboo clothes since they work especially well under sweaty conditions.
When you hear “On Deck” you might think of a cruise, but for Dustin Satloff, “On Deck” is all about baseball. And baseball is all about bamboo. A former baseball player, Dustin Satloff currently runs a company that creates bamboo baseball bats called Sat Bats.
The bamboo used for bats is noted for its strength. Fact is, bamboo is stronger than steel. Take a back seat to that Mr. Ash. And why we’re at it, ash takes 40 years or more before it is ready for harvesting while bamboo is ready for cutting after five years.
While the gentlemen’s game turned from bamboo shafts back in the forties, sports never turns away from the past. In the old days, club shafts were made of bamboo. Again these were replaced by high-tech materials.
Today high tech IS bamboo, and putters, skateboards, surfboards, fishing rods, baseball bats, and a growing arrangement of sports equipment are being made of bamboo once again.
Sports Equipment Made of Stellar Bamboo is a post from: Green Earth News
Happy Holidays from Green Earth Bamboo!
Green Earth Bamboo would like to take a moment to wish you all a Happy Holiday Season and New Year! May you be blessed with new beginnings, prosperous adventures and abundance and love in 2010! Let’s all strive to continue to work toward making our Earth a better place for future generations to come. Merry Christmas! Happy Holidays from [...]
Happy Holidays from Green Earth Bamboo! is a post from: Green Earth News
Green Earth Bamboo would like to take a moment to wish you all a Happy Holiday Season and New Year!
May you be blessed with new beginnings, prosperous adventures and abundance and love in 2010!
Let’s all strive to continue to work toward making our Earth a better place for future generations to come.
Merry Christmas!
Happy Holidays from Green Earth Bamboo! is a post from: Green Earth News
5 Ways to Green Your Home with Bamboo
We’ve officially kicked off our new year and if you’re on one side of an argument, a new decade. Many have resolved in the coming year to make their lives a bit greener, but some would say that the only thing more popular than making New Year’s resolutions is not keeping them. However, these goals [...]
5 Ways to Green Your Home with Bamboo is a post from: Green Earth News
We’ve officially kicked off our new year and if you’re on one side of an argument, a new decade. Many have resolved in the coming year to make their lives a bit greener, but some would say that the only thing more popular than making New Year’s resolutions is not keeping them. However, these goals are easier kept if you set small goals for yourself, so here are some more simple ways to help you keep your resolution.
Last week, we stayed in the kitchen but this week, we look at the rest of the house to see what items are easily replaced by bamboo products to promote a healthier household.
Bamboo Hangers
We can never have enough hangers in the house but consider that of the 8 – 10 billion plastic hangers used yearly in the United States only 15% are recycled. This is mainly due to the face that most plastic hangers are made from 5 – 7 different types of plastics, making it difficult to separate them and recycle them at local plants. Choose a biodegradable bamboo hanger to use in your house. B*Green Bamboo Hangers offers beautiful finishes in several different styles, including kid-sized hangers.
Bamboo Sheets
we extolled the virtues of bamboo sheets in our sleep deprived post. If you haven’t taken advantage of the thermal-regulating, odor-resistant and incredibly soft bamboo sheets, now is the time to make the switch. Your entire bedroom can be accented with the beauty of bamboo, from the blinds or curtain rods to bamboo vases and nightstands, bamboo duvet covers and bedspreads to your entire bed resting on beautiful bamboo flooring.
Bamboo Blinds
The majority of blinds in homes and offices are vinyl blinds which contain harmful phthalates. Exposure to phthalates has been shown to cause reproductive problems, asthma and potential liver and kidney damage. Reduce your risk of exposure by choosing bamboo blinds. Along with being environmentally-friendly, they are also durable and aesthetically pleasing.
Bamboo Curtain Rods|
Once again focusing on the windows of your homes, take advantage of the sturdiness of the bamboo plant to secure curtains, drapes and blinds. If you have a bamboo garden, you can even make your own curtain rods.
Bamboo Toilet Seat
You read that correctly. Plastic toilet seats are one of the most difficult objects to find recycling plants for, so make the choice to replace your toilet seat with a durable, surprisingly smooth bamboo toilet seat. And what better place is there to take advantage of the anti-microbial properties of the bamboo plant?
In 2010, we hope that your year is made a little greener by taking these steps to replace these household items with their bamboo counterparts.
5 Ways to Green Your Home with Bamboo is a post from: Green Earth News
Bamboo Shoots and Szechwan Beef
For anyone who thought that bamboo was merely a garnish, or a salad at best, here is a hearty recipe that takes advantage of the sweet flavor of bamboo shoots as a compliment to the spiciness of the hot red chiles. Each month we will provide you with a hot new bamboo recipe! If you have [...]
Bamboo Shoots and Szechwan Beef is a post from: Green Earth News
For anyone who thought that bamboo was merely a garnish, or a salad at best, here is a hearty recipe that takes advantage of the sweet flavor of bamboo shoots as a compliment to the spiciness of the hot red chiles.
Each month we will provide you with a hot new bamboo recipe! If you have any special recipes you would like to share, we would love to hear them. And, feel free to email us a photo of your dish!
For main dish:
8 medium-sized dried shiitake mushrooms (each about 2 inches in diameter)
1 pound lean top round steak
1 tbsp. salad oil
16 small dried hot red chiles
3 large carrots cut into about 3-inch long julienne strips
4 cups bite-size pieces cauliflower
1 pound parboiled sliced bamboo shoots
2 cans (about 8 oz. each) sliced water chestnuts, drained
Fresh Cilantro leaves
For sauce:
3 tbsp. soy sauce
1 ½ tbsp dry sherry
1 tbsp sugar
¾ tsp. cornstarch
Cover mushrooms with warm water and soak for 30 minutes, then drain. Cut off and discard stems; squeeze caps dry, thinly slice, and set aside. Cut steak with the grain into 1 ½ inch wide strips; then cut each strip across the grain into 1/8 in thick slanting slices. Set aside. Heat oil in a wok or 12-14 inch frying pan over medium high heat. Add chiles and cook, stirring, until chiles just begin to char. Remove chiles from pan; set aside. Add meat to pan and stir-fry until browned (1 ½ to 2 minutes); remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add carrots, cauliflower, and mushrooms; stir-fry for 1 minute, then cover and cook until carrots and cauliflower are tender-crisp to bite (about 3 minutes). Add bamboo shoots and water chestnuts and stir-fry for 1 more minute. Return meat and chiles to wok. To make the sauce, add 3 tbsp. soy sauce, 1 ½ tbsp dry sherry, 1 tbsp sugar, and ¾ teaspoon cornstarch. Stir until sauce boils and thickens. Garnish with cilantro.
Serves: 6
A delicious recipe by Mid Atlantic Bamboo
See other great recipes and kitchen talk under our Bamboo Flavors section.
Bamboo Shoots and Szechwan Beef is a post from: Green Earth News
Kitchenware Goes Eco-Friendly with Bamboo – 5 Great Ideas
With an increasing focus on the environment and the very timely World Climate Conference, 2010 is the year that many are choosing to go green with their New Years’ resolutions. It can be as simple as switching to reusable bags for shopping to cancelling catalog subscriptions that fill up our mailboxes. In that spirit, Green [...]
Kitchenware Goes Eco-Friendly with Bamboo – 5 Great Ideas is a post from: Green Earth News
With an increasing focus on the environment and the very timely World Climate Conference, 2010 is the year that many are choosing to go green with their New Years’ resolutions. It can be as simple as switching to reusable bags for shopping to cancelling catalog subscriptions that fill up our mailboxes. In that spirit, Green Earth News would like to suggest 10 household products that can be replaced with bamboo to make a house more sustainable and environmentally-friendly.
Let’s start with the kitchen! Everyone tries their hardest to be healthier in the kitchen from choosing whole, organic foods to preparing healthy, low-calorie meals. Why not take that one step further and consider replacing any of the following five items with the bamboo product suggestions.
Bamboo Cutting Boards
These boards touch our food at its rawest and throughout preparation so it makes sense that we would want them as clean and organic as possible. Is it safe to have your raw food that close to laminates when preparing it? What happens if you nick the board? For those concerns, here is a reassuring option that can replace your current cutting board. Bamboo Cutting Boards are made from 100% bamboo, use no artificial dyes (the dark bamboo is made by simply heating the wood which naturally caramelizes the sugars found in bamboo) and the bamboo wood used is actually 16% stronger than maple, the material most commonly used in cutting boards.
Bamboo Dishware
While most people won’t switch china sets that often in life, keep in mind that most dishes are made from non-biodegradable plastics or porcelain. If using paper plates, 2010 is definitely the year to make a resolution to break that habit. The use of biodegradable plates can reduce compost landfill mass by as much as 30% and also contribute to a rapid depletion of forests as they are made from primarily virgin fiber wood. Instead, choose the highly renewable and sustainable bamboo plant for your dishware. The Bambu Collection offers Veneerware, a 100% organic bamboo plate that is intended for single use and biodegrades in 4-6 months after disposal. They also offer Lacquerware, a food-safe and durable bamboo line of dishes and bowls. Custom colors and finishes are available so you can keep your kitchen unique yet sustainable. Bamboo hand towels go hand and hand with bamboo dishware and are super absorbent and feel extra soft on your hands.
Bamboo Utensils
Complement your new set of bamboo dishes with bamboo utensils. It’s comforting to know that the object connecting food to mouth is made with earth-friendly bamboo and finished with wood-safe oils. And because the bamboo is heat and stain resistant, these utensils won’t soak up or convey flavors. An added bonus is that the utensils won’t scratch your cookware!
Bamboo Countertops
While 2009 showed a kitchen renovation trend leaning towards granite countertops, make eco-friendly 2010 the year of the bamboo countertop. Bamboo is a durable wood for a surface area prone to taking a beating and because the bamboo plant can be re-harvested every four years without needing to be re-planted, it’s a wise choice for such a large project in your house. This Bamboo Countertop option provides even more durability by incorporating a progressive engineering technique featuring opposing grain end caps to reduce warping and stabilizing the boards for years of use.
Bamboo Vases and Bowls
Bamboo is more than functional and there are a wide variety of options you can choose from to enhance and beautify your sustainable kitchen. If you prefer fresh flowers in your kitchen, choose a bamboo vase made from compressed bamboo strips woven together. Or, if you like the look of fresh fruit on display, use this beautiful bamboo pedestal bowl to complete your kitchen décor.
Visit Green Earth News next week to see the next five household items that can be replaced with bamboo to ensure a greener future!
Kitchenware Goes Eco-Friendly with Bamboo – 5 Great Ideas is a post from: Green Earth News
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