Bamboo Grove

We’ve heard about bamboo computer monitors, bamboo computer mice, bamboo keyboards, and other computer peripherals crafted from bamboo but Taiwan-based ASUS, maker of all manner of computer components, has announced laptop computers with bamboo veneers. ASUS’ Bamboo Series features laptop computers with artisan-grade Moso bamboo paneling. Part of their Ultra-Slim line of laptop PCs, these bamboo laptops have bamboo veneer on the back of the display, below the keyboard, and even the touch pad is made from bamboo fibers.

It’s been well-documented that when given the choice, most consumers will choose an environmentally-friendly product if it is equal or superior in quality to less ‘green’ alternatives. It would seem that ASUS’ marketing department understands this very well. Not only is the laptop’s case and touch pad made of renewable bamboo, the laptop is also powered by ASUS’ Super Hybrid Engine which consumes less power and extends battery life by anywhere from 35 to 70 percent.

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The poorest nation in the Western hemisphere and one that seems permanently mired in poverty, despair, and having to deal with one catastrophe after another, Haiti is a country whose many woes could be addressed with an ancient plant: Bamboo. Haiti has always been plagued by its location directly in the paths of one tropical storm after another but, regrettably, most of its problems are self-made. Overpopulation, corruption, political instability, environmental degradation, deforestation and subsequent soil erosion, are all among a litany of woes which have caused other nations to provide year after year of financial assistance to no avail.

In Haiti, even a modest rainstorm can trigger huge rock and mudslides which barrel down the steep mountain slopes and bury entire villages because there are few trees left to hold the soil in place. Once heavily forested with millions of trees gracing its mountains, experts from the United Nations estimate that only 1.5 percent of Haiti’s once lush forests remain. Most of Haiti’s trees are not cut down for cropland but for charcoal to fuel cooking fires. And after years of ignoring the problems only to see them worsen, Haiti’s political leaders have a new sense of urgency about addressing the problem. Mud and rockslides from tropical storms last August and September buried two of Haiti’s larger towns, Cabaret and Gonaïves killing hundreds and turning tens of thousands into refugees. Read the rest of this entry »

Along with a host of other computer components and peripherals, people can now use flash drives made of hardened bamboo for easy data storage and portability. Flash drives have been hot promotional giveaways for businesses of all kinds for years now but recently there has been a trend toward ‘green’ items. Bamboo flash drives accomplish both these aims very well as businesses can have their logo imprinted on flash drives made with bamboo cases instead of plastic.

Just like plastic models, bamboo flash drives are available in storage capacities of 64,128, 256, or 512 megabytes as well as 1 and 2 gigabyte sizes with larger capacity models likely available in the near future. Since plastic is a petroleum-based product and bamboo is a renewable material, promotional bamboo flash drives used as promotional giveaways allow companies to set an environmentally-responsible example. Read the rest of this entry »