UK - Hemp Homes To Be Built In Government Drive

[Jim Finnel]

A prototype three-bedroom house, funded by the taxpayer, will go on show today. The home is part of a government drive to build more housing with a smaller carbon footprint.

The "renewable house" features walls made from Hemcrete - a mix of hamp and lime - and was built thanks to a £200,000 grant from the Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC).

The National Non-Food Crops Centre (NNFCC), which built the home, said building it used half the energy that building a traditional brick home would use.

It claims energy bills for the home owners would be as low as £150 a year, and predicts building on thousands of houses could begin soon.

Dr John Williams, head of materials at the NNFCC, told The Guardian: "The forecasts are that we could roll this out very quickly if someone places an order for 25,000 homes.

"Increasing numbers of farmers are growing hemp because it fits in with their current growing cycles between April and September and it is a good break crop for wheat.

"If just 1 per cent of the UK's agricultural land was used to grow hemp, it would be enough to build 180,000 homes per year."

The hemp house provides a cheaper alternative to traditional brick and mortar housing, with a build cost of £75,000 excluding groundworks.

The hemp absorbs carbon dioxide when it is growing and the NNFCC estimates that 110kg (242.5lb) of carbon dioxide is removed from the atmosphere, the equivalent of a return flight from Plymouth to Manchester, for every square metre of wall.


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Source: Telegraph
Author: Ben Leach
Copyright: 2009 Telegraph Media Group Limited
Contact: Contact us - Telegraph
Website: Hemp homes to be built in government drive - Telegraph

 

[skycowboy]

Yee Haw ! USA get on board with THIS ! I'm tired of doin construction work, I wanna be a FARMER like my family was, but WAY more fun than cotton farmin'

 

[michaelkaer]

That is the type of plant they are building in Eastern Ontario, a Hempcrete plant. I can't wait for it to be up and running for a while and then take a photoshoot trip over there. It would be a great place for schoolkids to come and see what is being done with Hemp. Then they will ask a silly question like "Why can't we grow some hemp in the backyard"? I will have to answer by saying the government thinks it is too dangerous for you to be independant and be able to grow your own house, food, medicine,paper and clothes. That means they would have little or no control over you and the government are afraid of being out of control.

 

[Hippiemomma54]

This country is missing out on so much by not exploring the possibilities of hemp and growing it. Other countries are making the money by selling Hemp stuff to us. I think this and the article about the Hemp car are awesome.

 

[michaelkaer]

Canada is making out like a bandit when it is getting price for a gallon of organic Hemp Oil up to $180.00. Another ol that is very good for you and is expensive is olive oil. You can get a gallon of it for $20-$30,more or less, depending on where you buy it. I am assuming Hemp oil should naturally be about the same as extra virgin olive oil, maybe a little bit more, just because it is so good. $180.00 is just insane. Thank you Obama for the multi- million dollar bonus you have just handed us, up here in Canada.