ECOfreak: Bamboo-zled by Flooring Choices

By Desiree Parker Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Yet again, I’ve run into an eco-dilemma born of naiveté.

We’re choosing flooring for our house, and I suggested we look at bamboo – it only takes a few years for bamboo to mature, it’s a grass and doesn’t need to be replanted when cut, and doesn’t need pesticides to grow well (as you might know if you’ve ever tried to get rid of the stuff in your backyard). Hardwood floors, on the other hand, make me think of clear-cut forests and other industrial-age horrors.

Just as I was getting ready to pat myself on the back for doing something eco friendly, I read this article on msn.com http://realestate.msn.com/article.aspx?cp-documentid=13108038 that stopped me in my tracks.

The point to using bamboo is to use material that grows in a natural ecosystem that can readily replenish itself and can be maintained with minimal human interference. Now that demand for bamboo is through the roof, people have come to realize that the practice of getting the grass from forest to floor may not be as green as we think it is.

The Forest Stewardship Council http://www.fscus.org/, which certifies sustainability of wood products, doesn’t yet rate bamboo. Because it’s so popular all of a sudden, and easy to grow, there are concerns that areas in South America are clear-cutting forests to plant bamboo for our trendy green building needs. This absolutely cancels out any good using bamboo might do if you’re destroying biodiversity and natural habitats to plant this invasive species of weed.

Also, there are concerns about pesticide use on these crops, which are toxic for the environment and people nearby.

Another problem is that bamboo is generally bound with a formaldehyde-based adhesive. Formaldehyde is toxic and becomes gaseous at room temperature, which means you’ll be breathing in the vapors all day and night (this is the same issue I have with carpet, which uses an adhesive that also releases toxic gasses).

Finally, let me point out the obvious: Bamboo is shipped from far away, which means lots of greenhouse gasses are produced to ship it to the States.

Sigh. This is the same problem we seem to run into time and again with seemingly great eco ideas. Remember ethanol (which is still used as a gasoline additive today)? Hurray, we thought, this is a great way to stop our dependence on fossil fuels, plus it’s renewable and burns a little cleaner than traditional gasoline.

We forgot, or never stopped to consider, what happens when millions of people start wanting something: Industry will do whatever it takes to provide what we want, even if it means turning a good thing bad.
With ethanol, when demand went up farmers started growing corn for fuel instead of food, and people in poorer countries started starving. Not to mention, growing crops for fuel takes valuable resources like land and water, and pollutes waterways with chemicals.

I’m beginning to believe that lots of our eco-friendly, well-intentioned plans might very well fall into this same trap.

I think the ultimate reason for this is that there are just too many people using the world’s limited resources. If we all want to do the green thing and use bamboo, how else can we all get it other than to plant thousands of more acres? If we all want alternative fuel sources, we have to find ways to get enough for the growing population. If we all want free-range livestock, where will they all live? And if we want organic produce, what land will we use to grow it on?

I remember when I was in college I took a sociology class called “Human Problems.” In this class, the professor told us a story of an island on which some folks has imported a few deer so they could see the pretty creatures trotting around in their backyard. Years later, a few deer had turned into hundreds, and they were everywhere. They ate all the plants, dirtied the water with their waste, trampled gardens and crowded out other wildlife. And then one day, there were so many of them and so few resources they all died.

Each time I start to think about the problems our overpopulation is causing on the planet, I think of that story about the island of too many deer. And then I just want to throw my hands up and say, “I give up.”

But, back to bamboo floors: Part of me wants to say, I give up. The more likely outcome is that I’ll ask the supplier we choose where they get their bamboo, how it’s grown and if we can get it formaldehyde-free. And I’ll try not to think too hard about what the implications of high demand will be on sustainable living – because really, high demand (and overpopulation) is the opposite of sustainable.

The more positive lesson here, though, is ask yourself these questions before you buy a product you think is eco-friendly, and do a little research beforehand so you know you’re making the best decision possible.

Maybe we’ll just go with dirt floors.

Website for the week and tip for the week
Thought I’d combine these this week to talk about a summer favorite of mine for delicious dinners, seafood. We’ve all heard about how bad certain types of fishing can be on wild populations, so check out the Environmental Defense Fund’s site on choosing the right seafood. They give you best, okay, and worst seafood choices when you’re in the grocery store or out for dinner, which is very handy especially if you’re like me and can narrow your choice down to two items – this list will likely get you from two down to one!