Did you know there are over 1000 species of bamboo? Originally from Southeast Asia and Africa, bamboo is quite adaptable and can be found growing in certain regions of the United States. Depending on the country of origin, bamboo can be an excellent source of energy. Bamboo is woody plant that can be characterized as pollution prevention material as well as a renewable source of energy. When carbonized, bamboo material can generate energy. In the United States along with many other countries, we see a push for renewable sources of energy to substitute coal mining. The energy generation from Bamboo is perhaps, the most environmentally friendly. The most important trait of Bamboo is that it is a fast growing plant. Although bamboo is technically a grass and belongs to the poaceae a family of grasses, many of the larger bamboos are very tree-like in appearance. Bamboo grows so fast that it can grow up to 3.5 feet per day and often harvested every four years. This is common for grasses. That’s why you need to cut your lawn every week and cut tree branches every couple of years. Another interesting fact, bamboo can also tolerate extreme conditions. It was actually the first plant to green after the atomic blast in Hiroshima in 1945.
