HEMP COULD BE USED TO CLEAN OUR AIR

To the Editor,

One thing the Tories would never mention in any environmental
legislation is industrial hemp.

Hemp produces more ethanol per acre than any other crop, and does so
without the expensive and damaging chemicals used to grow corn or soy
for fuel. Hemp, unlike these other crops, can grow on even marginal land.

Hemp can also produce polymers which could replace oil-derived
plastics for car bodies and thousands of other products. This would
further reduce our dependence on crude oil and reduce the pollution
that we put into the air, soil, and water.

Hemp produces fibres, which would reduce our reliance on foreign
cotton and synthetic fibres. The cloth lasts longer, doesn't need the
bleaches and chemicals of other textiles, and is biodegradable.

Hemp also produces more protein per acre than any other crop, making
it a cheap, healthy alternative to many human-food and animal-feed
crops. This would help thousands of struggling farmers.

Finally, hemp gobbles CO2 like crazy, which would further help us eat
up some of our own emissions, and emissions from the U.S.

But then, using hemp to meet our energy needs and reduce pollution
might "send the wrong message to youth" about marijuana, so it looks
like we are stuck with crude oil and dirty air.

Russell Barth

Ottawa