http://www.fastcompany.com/node/1332334/print

By: Deidre Wengen

phillyBurbs.com

Lighting is one of the most important elements in a room and so many people underestimate it. Having some really cool accent fixtures can really complete a look. However, the expenses associated with certain decorative lamps are too much for a lot of people to afford.

If you want to get a really high-end and creative look without spending a ton of money then I suggest taking matters into your own hands. It's amazing what you can do with some materials from the craft store.

When I saw this tutorial for creating hemp pendant lights over on CraftyNest.com, I was shocked. It looks so DO-able! Basically you need a couple of bouncy balls, some tacky craft glue, spools of hemp and pendant lighting sets (which can often be found at hardware stores).

The tutorial has step-by-step instructions, but it mainly consists of gluing the string to the ball and allowing it to set and harden and then popping the ball inside. This will leave you with an amazing sphere which you then insert a light through to create a beautiful hanging fixture.

Seriously, this project is brilliant. Also, check out CraftyNest.com for some other great projects.

http://www.phillyburbs.com/information/guide_post/article/312/2009/may/22/diy-hemp-pendant-lamps.html

Ed Mass, President and Founder of Yes It's Organic, says he's seeing a growing interest from customers looking for organic, eco friendly gifts for Dads. "Customers are writing to express gratitude and satisfaction with our huge inventory of eco friendly and organic items that make perfect gifts for Dads and other family members," says Mass, "Our 100% Eco Friendly Hemp Denim Jeans are selling particularly well."

Yes It's Organic is an online store featuring only organic and eco friendly products, including apparel, furniture and home accessories to enhance any green lifestyle. Mass created Yes It's Organic not only to make organic and eco friendly products available, but to educate consumers about the importance of considering these everyday items and their potential environmental and health impacts.

So, what makes Hemp Jeans so eco friendly? According to the North American Industrial Hemp Council, hemp fibers are stronger, more absorbent and more mildew-resistant than cotton. Naturally resistant to most pests and out-competing weeds, it typically doesn't require pesticides or herbicides to grow.

One of hemp's greatest properties is that it's naturally bacteria resistant. That means it resists bacteria that creates odors. Hemp clothes can be worn many days without developing odors. This has the added benefit of reducing washing and water consumption. Reducing washing also means clothes last longer due to less wear from washing.

How does hemp clothing promote healthy lifestyles or fair for people with sensitive skin, allergies or multiple chemical sensitivities (mcs)? Mass says, "They are great choices! Hemp, as well as bamboo and organic cotton, are non-irritating to the skin due to the absence of the chemicals used in many conventionally produced clothing." Also, there's no fear of skin absorbing cancer causing toxins while wearing clothes since the farming and manufacturing processes are also eco friendly.

When asked about how consumers can be certain their purchases are really supporting healthy lifestyles and a healthy planet, Ed Mass responded, "We only carry organic and eco friendly items, we've done the green screening so others don't have to, ensuring our products meet high standards of environmental sensitivity and also beneficial health properties." Yes It's Organic's sustainability policies and definitions can be found in the Certifications Expectations section of the store.

Mass has made it his mission, through Yes It's Organic, to encourage awareness about organic and eco friendly everyday items. He has written several articles discussing the benefits of choosing organic over non organic, the positive properties of non traditional fibers like sustainable bamboo and hemp, and several other topics related to the textile industry.

Yes It's Organic is satisfying the demand for eco friendly gifts, too. The store has seen a significant jump in customers and visitors to the storethrough May and expects to see more during the rush before the big Dad Holiday. Mass reports that Hemp Jeans and the Men's Organic Cotton Yoga Strength Pant are among the top sellers this season. Mass also anticipates a growing interest in the newer additions of hemp, bamboo and organic cotton styles for men.

Yes It's Organic

http://www.fibre2fashion.com/news/textile-news/newsdetails.aspx?news_id=72753

Following in the footsteps of the Adnams brewery building which was constructed of hemp and lime blocks, the UK's first warehouse building made using preformed wall panels made out of hemp has now been completed.

The £3.7m warehouse for the Wine Society in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, has been designed by architect Vincent & Gorbing and has exterior walls built of Tradical Hemcrete, which is a mixture of hemp stalk and modified lime. It is a development of the previously used cast insitu hemp-lime walling, and blocks, that lock carbon dioxide within the wall construction. The Hemcrete is made using hemp fibre - shiv - grown in the UK, and being a plant material it takes up and locks in CO2 from the atmosphere as it grows. The use of lime to bind it rather than cement also avoids the use of the CO2 heavy and energy intensive cement manufacturing process.

Mark Chandler, architect and director of Vincent & Gorbing, said: “The design responds to the requirement for minimal heating and cooling equipment with the resultant reduction in energy consumption.”

The cladding offers good insulation properties, explains Chandler, and helps maintain a stable internal air temperature throughout the summer and winter. essential for storing wine which needs a constant temperature.

The 8.5m2 panels, which are 300mm thick, are mounted on the building's steel truss frame, while a 40mm-thick composite aluminium panel is used to provide weather protection on the external face. Daylight is allowed in by the use of a translucent, insulating fibreglass material, and together with the highly insulated roofing system, it provides an insulated internal space that exceeds Building Regulations requirements.

http://www.greenbuildingpress.co.uk/article.php?category_id=1&article_id=202

After nearly 10 years of research and development
in industrial hemp, Stonehedge Bio- Resources Inc. of Sterling is ready
to lead the way in commercializing hemp in North America.

Building on a business case developed through the Eastern Lake
Ontario Regional Innovation Network (ELORIN), Stonehedge is now set to
establish a bioprocessing facility in Eastern Ontario to serve North
American markets. Some of the products and co-products are aimed at the
automotive, energy, agriculture, construction material, and pulp and
paper markets. This fibre separation facility (decortication plant) is
expected to provide new farm income for about 200 farmers, putting more
than 12,000 acres into cultivation, said John Baker, president and
founder of Stonehedge.

They secured $2 million in funding from Great Britain and met
with the British Consulate on Wednesday, Northumberland County chief
administrative officer Bill Pyatt told County council Wednesday
afternoon.

"Hopefully they'll be able to obtain provincial and federal
dollars as well," Mr. Pyatt said. "This industry will supply all of
North America."

Starting this spring, Stonehedge expects to build a new
bio-refining facility in Eastern Ontario that will employ up to 27
people by 2011. The company expects to produce more than $17 million
per year in renewable hemp fibre, wood-like chips, and pellets, as well
as matting and seed products.

"Ontario is proud to support innovative companies that are
turning good ideas into good jobs," Research and Innovation Minister
John Wilkinson said. "Today's investment is a clear sign that our
entrepreneurs and researchers are on the right track to developing and
marketing globally competitive green technologies that will create good
jobs for Ontario families.

"Eastern Ontario has carved out a new economic sector that will
support our communities in the 21st century," Northumberland-Quinte
West MPP Lou Rinaldi said. "From research to high-technology
bioprocessing to farming, we're very excited at the possibilities this
project has to offer."

http://www.northumberlandtoday.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1400766