Growing our own building materials can help make us carbon neutral
Building materials could and should be grown on a farm, in order to help save the environment, according to a new report by the National Farmers Union. The NFU report details a number of ways that farmers can help cut carbon emissions as part of the desire for the farming sector to be carbon neutral by 2040 - a decade ahead of the UK as a whole. Emissions from the agricultural sector are falling – there has been a 16 per cent reduction since 1990, but the report says only “modest progress has been made since 2011". And one way to improve that rate is to manufacture building materials out of naturally occurring materials, such as hemp. Hempcrete uses hemp hurds, the wooden waste removed during processing plants for food, mixed with lime. The material is similar to concrete and because it is made from plants, growing the plant captures carbon from the atmosphere, helping to absorb emissions.
By increasing the amount of carbon storage by planting more, and saving emissions from the otherwise carbon-heavy construction process, Hempcrete can be a win-double, according to the NFU. NFU president Minette Batters said: "Representing British farming, we recognise our unique position as both a source and a store for greenhouse gas emissions and, importantly, how we can build on our work so far to deliver climate-neutral farming in the next 20 years. “We aspire to be producing the most climate-friendly food in the world. The carbon footprint of British red meat is only 40 per cent of the world average. “And we can go further, whether that is through improving our productivity, using our own land to take up and store carbon, planting hedgerows and trees to capture even more, and boosting our renewable energy output” l
NFU President Minette Batters CREDIT NFU
Pull yourself together - have you brought your charity jigsawyet?
Buy one today & help these three great charities: Sue Ryder, Nelson Trust and Pied Piper Appeal. Yours for just £20 . Call 01452 308781 or email beth@moosemarketingandpr.co.uk
September 2019 | www. punchline-gloucester .com | 107
Made with FlippingBook Ebook Creator