[APWG] NEWS: A New Leaf: Making Paper From Weeds

[Philip Thomas (www.HEAR.org)]

Yes, I DID read the article, but still I contend (see my recent post on 
a similar topic):

"One problem with this approach is that once you create an industry that 
depends on a reliable supply of something like this, there are usually 
huge pressures to keep it 'sustainable'--which defeats the purpose."

I have some trepidation about "The Nile Group" in particular, because I 
have been personally contacted by them when they were interested in 
starting arundo plantations in Hawaii (as they still may be; I don't 
know).  Is this environmentally responsible?  (I'll let you answer that 
for yourself.)

...and one final note:  "The current commercial use of arundo has been 
in the production of reeds for wind instruments. It is a small, limited 
market but shows that arundo can be cultivated without posing problems 
as an invasive plant."  Really?  I'm somehow unable to follow this 
"logic"...

Aloha,
pt


Olivia Kwong wrote:
> http://www.miller-mccune.com/article/729
> 
> A New Leaf: Making Paper From Weeds
> An invasive ecological bad guy may be able to paper over his evil ways and
> absorb some carbon as well.
> By: Lisa Conti  |  October 07, 2008  |  09:00 AM (PDT)
> 
> The giant reed (Arundo donax) is mostly green. It's a weed that looks a lot
> like bamboo.
> 
> Native from the Mediterranean to India, the enormous grass colonizes stream
> beds of the coastal United States. Growing in wetlands, it chokes out
> native plants, threatens animal life, is a fire hazard and poses problems
> to existing infrastructure such as bridges. The Plant Conservation Alliance
> has named it to its "Least Wanted" list.
> 
> See the link above for the full article text.
> 
> 
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> 
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Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk project (HEAR) - http://www.hear.org
P.O. Box 1272
Puunene (Maui), Hawaii  96784  USA

Philip A. Thomas - pt at hear.org

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