What is Digg?37 Comments
- MrInfallible, on 07/07/2009, -1/+12You didn't read the article. Hemp might be better than steal for mechanical strength but you still need to add the silicon dioxide, for which the rice husks are an intended replacement to reduce C02 emmissions normally associated with concrete production. Don't hijack comments with political agenda unless you read the article first.
- 1smartguy, on 07/07/2009, -2/+11It seems billions of people are eating rice and corn and living to ever increasing ages.
- papashawn, on 07/07/2009, -0/+7"Rice is great for when you're hungry and want 4,000 of something."
-Mitch Hedberg - inactive, on 07/07/2009, -0/+7And it improves the soil while removing acid rain inducing NO2 and fixes it for growing food rather than producing methane as a byproduct. But don't tell politicians that, its far too practical for them to comprehend.
- inactive, on 07/07/2009, -0/+5You could have a very rice house!
- inactive, on 07/07/2009, -1/+5Environmentalism is a sham. If these people actually cared about the earth, they wouild be supporting legalization of hemp and protesting congress to build new nuclear power plants. It is actually the "anti-industrial" movement which desires to reduce humans back to the standard of living we had before the industrial revolution because we "pollute" our precious planet too much.
- massmang, on 07/07/2009, -6/+10Hemp is better suited for this, the fibers are stronger, it grows just about anywhere, and grows much faster then rice.
http://www.construction-technologies.com/lyfordg/H ... - BAM22, on 07/07/2009, -0/+4Rice-a-Roni the environmentally safe treat!
- 3tcp, on 07/07/2009, -0/+3That widget on the side of ths story was really distracting
- DankBuddz, on 07/07/2009, -0/+3Yeah, its clear that corn is responsible for our extended lifespan...
- MrColdheart, on 07/07/2009, -0/+3Now they just have to find a way to make roads without crude oil.
- Ferretman, on 07/07/2009, -1/+3Definitely a mixed bag since rice production (using current common methods) may actually increase CO2 emissions (http://beta.irri.org/news/index.php/200805313954/i ...
- SummerofGeorge, on 07/07/2009, -0/+2@OP: what the ***** are you talking about?
- discord660111, on 07/07/2009, -0/+2If you are wondering about the whole thread...I was making a joke about "corn allergies". People read stuff however they want to anyway. I actually think that people are just find eating corn and rice!!!
- Rudegar, on 07/07/2009, -0/+2oh nom nom nom
- magus_melchior, on 07/07/2009, -0/+2Well, there is pellagra, which is what happens when one tries to eat untreated field corn for a while: dermatitis, diarrhea, dementia, death.
But other than that, discord660111 would have to explain well over 70% of the world's population thriving on rice and corn-based diets. I think there are more people with gluten allergies than there are people with corn/rice allergies... - Taiyoryu, on 07/07/2009, -0/+2Except for the fact that straw-bale construction is labor intensive in comparison to using concrete. Straw-bale construction certainly has its advantages and applications, but don't expect skyscrapers to be built using such a method anytime soon since it's more or less akin to brick laying.
- cristinantonia, on 07/07/2009, -1/+3You're right, "badenglishihave", humans emit about 1/15 of CO2 compared to nature. But what you failed to state or don't realize is that nature has it set up so that what it naturally emits, it naturally absorbs back again through plants on land and in the ocean.
Ever since the industrial revolution we, as a race, have been increasing the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere faster than nature (or ourselves) can find a way to get rid of it again.
Even though comparatively, it's a "slight" increase, it's still continually increasing, and these days more quickly than even a decade ago. And while we're increasing CO2 emissions, we're also destroying the plants and trees that help to reduce it.
So you propose that these "numb-skull... eco-friendly" people that are trying to change that should stop? You're proposing that we just mindlessly continue on with our daily lives wondering why it's getting hotter and hotter every year and not figuring out what to do about it? I'm glad some of these people actually have the will power and the technology to decrease the overall amount of CO2 in the atmosphere. What better way to do so than starting with our own? They're not wasting their lives over something pointless, they're actually helping to prevent (or at least slow down) the destruction of our future. - bluesman3535, on 07/07/2009, -0/+2Mixing concrete properly seems to be a lost art form. For example: the east coast bristles with outdated military concrete bunkers over 100 years old, just starting to crumble. At the same time concrete highways built 15 years ago are already deteriorated. Granted there is truck traffic, but isn't concrete strong enough to handle that type of weight?
- massmang, on 07/07/2009, -0/+2It's expensive because it is currently being used on a small scale.
I wouldn't expect people to replace their rice crops with hemp.
Hemp can be grown anywhere, rice can not.
I don't know how much rice is grown in the US, but it isn't going to be enough to keep up with production if this ricecrete were large scale.
Countries like China, and India no doubt will have the market cornered on that. I think the US sends enough money their way as it is.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HiIiR3Jeuo8 - discord660111, on 07/07/2009, -4/+6It seems that you can do everything with rice and corn, except eat it without contracting some bizarre auto-immune response.
- falconear, on 07/07/2009, -0/+2Why did I know there would be people on here bitching about this? Even if you don't believe in human caused climate change (in which case you're a blind idiot, but I digress..) what's so damned terrible about having another alternative for building materials? Don't you "rape the Earth for all she's worth" types believe we should take every advantage we can?
- gnixon70, on 07/07/2009, -0/+2Haha, I knew they were developing rice cakes for something other then eating.
- 1smartguy, on 07/07/2009, -0/+1I'm under no illusion that corn is a complete food, but neither is rice or wheat. Corn isn't completely empty calories, and believe it or not, carbohydrates are an essential nutrient.
- llbbl, on 07/07/2009, -2/+3Straw-bale construction seems like a better alternative for the US than the rice concrete method described in the article.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Straw-bale_constructi ... - OuijaCat, on 07/07/2009, -0/+1...and a house fire would no longer be such a terrible thing ;-)
- MrInfallible, on 07/07/2009, -1/+2Hempcrete is fine but it is 3x time more expensive that normal concrete, and that is the key factor. It is also less dense and weaker. It's not intended to be a replacement for tradional concrete. Take the merits of article for what they are, people are not going to stop rice cultivalion for hemp, and people will use cheaper materials, if you can get those material to be carbon neutral then that will have far more impact than a few hempcrete houses.
- inactive, on 07/07/2009, -0/+1ooowwww whats with the logic...
Screw you guys, I'm going home..... - discord660111, on 07/07/2009, -0/+1I was just joking you guys. It was not a very sensitive joke, since some people really do get sick. I have my own ailments though. I can't cry for every gassy, corn sensitive guy in the world.
- pgoetz, on 07/07/2009, -0/+1Just so no one is confused by this joke: industrial hemp contains only negligible amounts of THC -- not enough to get high on even if your (hemp fiber-based) house burned down.
- marygeralyn, on 07/08/2009, -0/+1At least you're not claiming the Earth is only 6000 years old...
- dwhitbeck, on 07/08/2009, -0/+1Rice hulls have been used in the production of ceramic cutting tools for some years.
- goddardc, on 07/08/2009, -0/+0foundations made out of concrete = win
foundations made out of straw = lose - Presbyterian, on 07/07/2009, -1/+1I assume by "billions" you mean the rice cultivation in China?.
- DWatch, on 07/07/2009, -3/+2Well, in all the hundreds of millions of years of earth being around (actually billions of years, but I don't want to split hairs).... there has never been 6+ billion humans trying to survive and eek out an existence at the same time. Even if the impact of a few billion humans couldn't kill the planet, that doesn't mean we can't alter it's ecosystem.
Yea, technically the earth will be FINE, but the inhabitants might not survive. - massmang, on 07/07/2009, -4/+2I did read the article.
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/house-and- ...
The concrete blocks used in a typical home result in the emission of 40 tonnes of CO2, equivalent to seven years' worth of emissions from the house.
Adnams' decision to use Hemcrete blocks resulted in a net negative 150 tonnes of CO2. - badenglishihave, on 07/07/2009, -10/+5Screw this article. I'm sick of hearing about all this "greenhouse emissions" and "carbon footprint" BS.
THE ENVIRONMENT IS FINE. THE EARTH HAS BEEN AROUND FOR HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF YEARS AND THE IMPACT WE (PATHETIC HUMANS) HAVE ON THE ENVIRONMENT IS NEXT TO ZILCH.
All these numb-skulls act so self-important with their "green" habits and "eco-friendly" technology. You know what? That crap really annoys me and the truth is humans make a *minimal* impact on the environment. Don't believe me? Google how much of the atmosphere's CO2 humans contribute through man-made devices.
Just shut your traps, you environmentalist nutjobs. STOP. Just stop.
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