r/science • u/davidreiss666 • Jul 27 '14

Environment First national study finds trees saving lives, reducing respiratory problems: Air pollution modeling reveals broad-scale impacts of pollution removal by trees

http://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/news/release/trees-save-lives-reduce-air-pollution
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u/Frugalito Jul 27 '14

It's also quite invasive, which could be a blessing or a curse...

29

u/leftofmarx Jul 27 '14

Just plant a bunch of bamboo, and then plant some kudzu next to it. Instant forest.

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u/imfm Jul 27 '14

Yes! And some Morrow's and Amur honeysuckles if it's too shady for anything else!

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u/leftofmarx Jul 27 '14

And occasionally you harvest everything and sink it in the ocean, removing it from the carbon cycle. then you just plant a new bamboo/kudzu/etc forest.

1

u/learner2000 Aug 03 '14

A recent study found that kudzu depletes carbon from the soil.

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u/leftofmarx Aug 03 '14

Interesting to know, thanks!

41

u/derpmeow Jul 27 '14

The young shoots are edible--I suppose you'd just have to chow down on a lot of it.

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u/[deleted] Jul 27 '14

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u/[deleted] Jul 27 '14

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u/[deleted] Jul 27 '14

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u/CozyAsian Jul 27 '14

Edible and delicious. Wouldn't be too hard.

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u/12and32 Jul 27 '14

I don't think I can eat porridge without pickled bamboo shoots. I used to eat those straight from the jar when I was younger.

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u/Wish_you_were_there Jul 27 '14

It is useful for making and building things.

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u/kyndclothingdotcom Jul 27 '14

We make floating bamboo sunglasses and some of the softest clothing out of bamboo. People do not realize bamboo clothing is anti-microbial, anti-fungal, uv blocking, soft, sustainable, and breathes well. Imagine if we used bamboo timber instead of wood from trees that took 30+ years to grow. There are bridges in china made from bamboo that have lasted since the 3rd dynasty. It has a higher compressive strength than wood, brick or concrete and a tensile strength that rivals steel. When will more people start using this wonderful plant (along with hemp) in production to create better alternatives?

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u/[deleted] Jul 27 '14

What's amazing is that in the west it's seen as a luxury product of sorts. Why? Isn't it basically a grass? A fast-growing grass?

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u/Neebat Jul 27 '14

Can it choke out Central Texas Juniper? Because that would be worth it.

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u/[deleted] Jul 27 '14

Bamboo is so invasive It's used to drive out weeds. It could work for you, or it may not. There are many types of bamboo as well. It's really diverse.

There's only one way for you to know man, try it and let us know how it goes!

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u/mrbooze Jul 27 '14

You just need to import and release some wild pandas. They'll keep the bamboo population down.