Bamboo has become the darling of the green movement because it's a plentiful resource. Bamboo's root systems typically aren't damaged by harvesting and it re-grows very quickly. But is it really green? Bamboo is native to Asia and a large percentage of the bamboo used in the US is shipped from that region.
Given Marion Nestle's recent comments on production v. transportation when it comes to food, I suspect bamboo is still greener than not.
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You probably have to take into account the specific product as well. I have heard that turning bamboo into fibers for use in things like clothing requires extensive environmentally-damaging chemical treatment. Bamboo furniture is probably fine.
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It varies. Clearing virgin land for bamboo farms? Not so green. The popularity of bamboo right now is leading to some of that. It doesn't make bamboo a bad choice; it just makes it, like everything else, something worth a little research into the manufacturer.
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Here is an excellent blog post regarding the transportation of bamboo and offering statistics to show you just how "green" bamboo really is in comparison to products we are shipping within the U.S. Read about it at Green Earth News, Bamboo is Destroying Our Planet.
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