About alberto de leon(Health & Nutrition)vox-66     http://www.naturalnews.com/023839.html    ..............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................Hemp is also a viable feedstock for plastics production. Indeed Ford famously produced a prototype car made out of hemp & soy plastic in the early 1940s. Though it never went into production, with undue influence from chemical giant DuPont playing at least a part, as the photo above, of Henry Ford taking an axe to the car to prove its durability, shows hemp plastic can be strong stuff. More recently hemp has been made into shower curtain liners, CD & DVD cases, and all sorts of other products.  .....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................         One of the most intriguing uses for hemp is in cleaning up soil contamination. In the late 1990s industrial hemp was tested at the site of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster in Ukraine to help heal the soil. Because of its fast rate of growing each season, up to 250-400 plants per square meter each up to 15 feet tall, hemp shows good potential in cleaning up land contaminated with fly ash, sewage sludge, or other heavy metals--though hemp's use in phytoremediation( the use of plants and trees to remove or neutralize contaminants, as in polluted soil or water).on any scale is in its infancy.   ..........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

The Many Environmental and Health Benefits of Hemp Tuesday, August 12, 2008 by: Sheryl Walters

76 (NaturalNews) It seems as though hemp is not only an answer to our global health problems, both for people who don't have enough to eat and for people in the western world who are malnourished from eating the wrong foods, but also an answer to our environmental crisis. The healing properties of hemp Hemp seeds are perhaps the purest, most nutritionally dense food on our planet. They are rich in vitamins and minerals, and are also the only edible seeds with gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), which is an essential fatty acid. In fact, its essential fatty acid ratio is absolutely perfect for our bodies. Many people think that it is impossible to be a vegan because protein comes from animal products such as meat and cheese. In actual fact, hemp seeds are a highly nutritious source of protein that is easily digested by the body in its natural raw state. Some of the benefits of regularly including this potent and delicious super food in your diet are: * Heart Health and Lowered Blood Pressure - High blood pressure is a sign that the heart is being overworked from having to constantly force blood through sluggish blood vessels. Clinical studies indicate that hemp products reduce inflammation and improve circulation, which means that the blood can flow and take the pressure off the heart. * Better Digestion – The fiber and fats work wonders for our bowels. * Losing Weight Naturally - Hemp will fill you up so you don't feel hungry and crave foods that put on the pounds. Getting enough essential fats and other nutrients that are provided by hemp is one of the best ways to stay slim and healthy. * More Energy - In our world we need all we can get! * Healthy Cholesterol Levels - The natural fats and nutrients in hemp help us to maintain balanced cholesterol levels. * Harmonious Blood Sugars levels - One of the most important ways to defy age and prevent disease is to maintain even blood sugar. Hemp has a Wide Range of Environmentally Friendly Uses Hemp offers a way to live in harmony with the environment and ecosystems we depend on. Hemp is the world's oldest and most versatile crop. In fact there are more than 25,000 known uses for it. Hemp has the potential to replace all major non-renewable raw materials. Hemp fibre is stronger and more versatile than any other plant derived fibre, including cotton and wood. Hemp could also potentially replace petroleum products including plastics. Deforestation is occurring at around 3% per year, and hemp is a far superior resource since it can be grown to maturity in 100 days. Hemp paper is far stronger and durable than paper made from trees. Hemp is used in the world's major currency banknotes because it is so strong and water resistant. It is also a sustainable replacement for concrete. Hemp can grow anywhere and doesn't require pesticides, herbicides or fungicides. Evidence suggests that it can lift heavy metals from polluted soil. It also adds nutrients to soil by tapping into sub-soil nutrients other plants cannot access. Hemp biomass fuel produces no sulphur and can be effectively used as a relatively clean power source due to its 95% fuel to feed ratio. At the end of the day, we need to recognise that protecting our environment and our health go hand in hand.     ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... Perfect Plant? 7 Great Uses For Industrial Hemp Mat McDermott Business / Environmental Policy April 20, 2010 Not to overly play into the stereotype of the TreeHugger moniker, but today is 4/20 so a quick review of all the great uses for industrial hemp--you know, that non-psychoactive relative of marijuana that for myriad reasons is more or less illegal* to cultivate in the United States but not work with and sell--seemed appropriate. From clothing, to food, to fuel, to a whole host of consumer and building products, not to mention helping in cleaning up soil pollution, it's only slightly hyperbole to call hemp a wonder crop: photo: Janet via flickr. 1. Clothing Hemp's been used for textiles since time immemorial--samples of hemp fabric in China date back to 8,000 BC--though it has certainly had a renaissance of late. Shedding the slightly rough and tough image it once had hemp has broken into the realms of high fashion, has been mixed with silk for lingerie, as well as being applied to more obvious applications where it's durability is used to best advantage: Providing material for shoes, jeans, and other tough sport clothing. photo: Sarah McD via flickr. 2. Food & Beverages About one third of hemp seed's weight comes from hemp oil, which is both edible but highly nutritious, containing essential fatty acids. The whole seed is about 25% protein, and is a a good source of calcium and iron, as well as having more omega-3 than walnuts--all of which point to hemp's potential for food and as a dietary supplement. But hemp also can be put to good use in iced tea and brewed into beer, fermented into wine, and distilled into other alcoholic beverages. Oh, and there's hemp milk too. 3. Paper Hemp has been used for paper for at least 2,000 years, even though today hemp paper accounts for about only 0.05% of world paper production. Even though hemp is a far more quickly renewable and sustainable source of pulp for paper, because of the small number and relatively old age of processing equipment for hemp paper, hemp pulp ends up being several times more expensive than wood pulp. 4. Building Supplies Of all the uses for hemp, even if you only have a cursory knowledge of the subject you're probably away of hemp fabric, clothing and paper, but here's one that's an eye-opener: Hemp provides all sorts of good building materials. You can make it into insulation as companies in the Netherlands and Ireland doing. It can be used to make engineered building products like fiberboard and pressboard, and even be used to make 'hempcrete', a stronger, lighter, and more environmentally friendly version of concrete. 5. Plastics Hemp is also a viable feedstock for plastics production. Indeed Ford famously produced a prototype car made out of hemp & soy plastic in the early 1940s. Though it never went into production, with undue influence from chemical giant DuPont playing at least a part, as the photo above, of Henry Ford taking an axe to the car to prove its durability, shows hemp plastic can be strong stuff. More recently hemp has been made into shower curtain liners, CD & DVD cases, and all sorts of other products. 6. Fuel Yes, you can make biofuel from hemp! Like pretty much any vegetable oil you can take hemp oil and process it into biodiesel. You still have all the concerns about conversion of land that could be used for food production into land used to fuel vehicles, but the biodiesel process is certainly solid. As cellulosic ethanol technology becomes more commercial viable--something seemingly just over the horizon for a couple of years now--there's no reason why you couldn't utilize hemp stalks or other leftovers as a feedstock. Considering all that, it stands to reason that hemp could also be utilized to make liquid fuels that are chemically identical to petroleum-based gasoline or diesel as well. But since the US doesn't want anyone cultivating hemp, the potential of hemp for fuel remains untapped. photo: Martin Abegglen via flickr. 7. Chemical Cleanup One of the most intriguing uses for hemp is in cleaning up soil contamination. In the late 1990s industrial hemp was tested at the site of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster in Ukraine to help heal the soil. Because of its fast rate of growing each season, up to 250-400 plants per square meter each up to 15 feet tall, hemp shows good potential in cleaning up land contaminated with fly ash, sewage sludge, or other heavy metals--though hemp's use in phytoremediation( the use of plants and trees to remove or neutralize contaminants, as in polluted soil or water).on any scale is in its infancy. * On to that asterisk above: As Vote Hemp points out, it's technically not illegal to grow industrial hemp in the United States, it's just that you need a permit from the DEA and they're not eager to give them out. Growing hemp is kind of like driving, you can't drive without a license and you can't grow hemp without a permit. The difference is that it is almost impossible to get a permit from DEA to grow hemp. Want to know more? Movies About Hemp: Hemp Revolution Emperor of Hemp: The Jack Herer Story (who just died on April 15th...) Hempsters: Plant the Seed Hemp For Victory & Reefer Madness HempUSA Movie List Like this? Follow me on Twitter and Facebook. Tags: Bioplastics | Green Building | Hemp .........................................................................................................................................................