Hemp as a bio-fuel
We are convinced that there will never not be a use for the super-fiber known as Hemp,
For it has, yet again, exceeded expectations by showing that there are in fact no limitations to this wonder plant.
Hemp is the key element in rendering fossil fuels obsolete.
The world has been long overdue for a crude oil replacement, there is practically nothing left with the all the constant fracking, extracting and drilling over the years.
Hemp doesn’t care because it can grow in less fertile soil and will be ready for manipulation in no less than 3-months after planting. “Perhaps one of the biggest advantages of hemp as a biofuel is the potential for using every part of the plant.” Once oil is pressed from the seeds, the remaining hulls and seed matter can be compressed into ‘cakes’ for nutritious animal feed. “Trim from harvesting and leaves that fall off during growth return to the soil, along with the roots, replenishing it for the next crop. The bast fibres and hurds are used for fiber, paper and building materials, to name but a few products.” (Seeds, 2019)
One of the fundamental uses for the super-fiber is that it can absorb and recycle C02 and feed it back to the earth.
“Hemp, or the industrial version of cannabis sativa, can be used for bio-remediation, a process to restore soil from toxic pollution.” Essentially, as a phytoremediator - hemp is able to pull the toxins out of the soil like a sponge.
This plant was the world’s first official vacuum cleaner and people only realised in 2012 that hemp can clean up a broad range of toxins in the soil including metals, pesticides and crude oil.
.“Farmers in other parts of the world use hemp to restore their fields, hemp was even used to remove radioactive agents from the ground following the radioactive disaster at Chernobyl.” (Etter, 2018)
Photo by Remedy kazmira-llc.com
Some of the smartest people on earth have found a way to turn the now ‘tarnished’ hemp fiber into an eco-friendly replacement for petrol.
“The cannabis plant is the gift that keeps on giving. Researchers have made hemp into two types of biofuel: biodiesel and ethanol.” (Pickering, 2019) we know what you’re thinking...how the heck does weed run my car? Its actually a simple process, Biodiesel is produced by the pressing of hemp seeds to extract their oils and fats, more steps are implemented to insure the functionality of the hemp biofuel for your vehicle. “If processed correctly, biodiesel can be put into any diesel-powered automobiles. It can be stored and transported like diesel, so there isn’t a need to create a new system for transportation. It even replaces the smell of traditional diesel with the smell of hemp.”
Ethanol, on the other hand, is traditionally produced from corn and barley, and is an additive to gasoline which is used to power your bakkies and 4x4’s. Hemp can be MADE into ethanol, also known as, Hempanol, through multiple steps of fermentation and it has its advantages. “Not using food crops as a fuel source allows more efficiency in food production, and hemp can be grown in lower quality conditions unlike corn or wheat. Hemp-derived ethanol also shares the advantages of transportation and usability as biodiesel.” (Pickering, 2019)
As we all know by now, hemp’s versatility is actually extraordinary - from hemp paper to hemp beer - in Cape Town we’re just waiting for Cosy Corner full-house hemp gatsby and we’ll officially be in eco-heaven.
Although hemp is not the answer to all the world’s problems; it won’t be able to solve the energy crisis, but it will absolutely assist in combatting the practice of destroying the environment in order to create fossil fuels.
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“The cannabis plant is the gift that keeps on giving. Researchers have made hemp into two types of biofuel: biodiesel and ethanol.”