Bamboo to Save the World | Pablo van der Lugt | TEDxErasmusUniversityRotterdam

There will be two big benefits. First: carbon capture. As I told you before: one hectare of

bamboo

is equivalent to a thousand tons of carbon dioxide. Thus, 350 million hectares of

bamboo

are equivalent to 350 million kilotons of carbon dioxide absorbed. That sounds like a lot, doesn't it? But it doesn't tell us anything. But if I tell you that global CO2 emissions - each year - are 35 million kilotons, that means that by achieving the Bonn Challenge using bamboo, we can offset ten years of CO2 emissions, which gives us time to make a real transition towards a green energy economy. .

And there is an advantage. Because I also told you that every year one hectare of bamboo will produce 20 cubic meters of high-quality construction materials. Imagine if we planted 350 million hectares. Every year, once again, we will receive 7 billion cubic meters of high-quality construction materials: enough to build 350 million social housing units not just once but every year on a renewable basis, enough to populate an entire continent like South America. South. Huge amounts of carbon sequestration, huge variety of building materials. You see the potential, right? Now, a few minutes ago, if I had told you that weed would save the

world

, you would have laughed at me.

But what do you say now? Thank you all. (applause)