NC - 03: The science behind hemp as carbon sink
One hectare of industrial hemp absorbs 22 tonnes of CO2.
When growing 2 crops per year, absorption is doubled.
Hemp’s rapid growth (grows to 4 metres in 100 days) makes it one of the fastest CO2-to-biomass conversion tools available, more efficient than agro-forestry.
The following carbon uptake estimates are calculated by the examining the carbon content of the molecules that make up the fibres of the hemp stem.
Industrial hemp stem has in its chemical structure, carbon content, and therefore absorbe CO2.
It follows that every tonne of industrial hemp stems contains 0.445 tonnes of carbon absorbed from the atmosphere (44.46% of stem dry weight).
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NEGATIVE CARBON
NC - 01: CO2 EMISSIONS - GLOBAL PROBLEM
The phenomenon known as ‘global warming’ occurs when energy released by the Earth’s crust is reflected and retained by certain atmospheric gases, preventing the progressive cooling of the Earth. Included in such gases are carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide and methane, which are released primarily by industry, agriculture, farming and the burning of fossil fuels.
The rate of industrial development on Earth means that the concentration of these gases has risen by 30% since the last century curtailing Mother Nature’s attempts to restore the natural balance of concentrations of these atmospheric gases.
Of these gases mentioned above, CO2 is of particular significance, because of its effect on the Earth’s climate and its permanence – it is a gas that remains active in the atmosphere for a long time.
Plants have the ability to capture atmospheric CO2, and through the process of photosynthesis, metabolise it to produce sugars and other compounds that are necessary for the plant’s normal development.
NC - 02: HEMP AS CARBON SINK - LOCAL SOLUTION
All systems and processes that extract and then store a gas or gases from the atmosphere are called sinks. Using their primary function, photosynthesis, plants act as carbon drainage systems. By this means, plants absorb CO2, via the process of photosynthesis and extract carbon from the atmosphere and convert it into biomass.
Socio-Political Research
