Automotive Washington

Automotive Washington

Automotive Washington

Hemp has been cultivated for its many uses for the past 12,000 years. Both George Washington and Thomas Jefferson grew hemp on their farms, mostly for the beneficial products provided by its fibers and seeds.

Though one of the most versatile and fastest growing plants in the world, hemp has long endured image problems. It belongs to the cannabis family which also contains the plants which became the recreational and therapeutic drug marijuana. Yet a closer look at hemp reveals that it may provide a large piece of the puzzle in solving our current and future energy and ecological dilemmas.

America Runs on Oil in More Ways than One

The car culture in America has been going strong since the end of World War II and despite financial woes and gas prices north of three dollars per gallon, shows no signs of declining. Crude oil for gasoline represents just one of the ways oil permeates nearly every facet of our lives. Most synthetic clothing fibers are derived from petroleum, for example. Disposable diapers, combs, cosmetics, trash bags and food preservatives form part of a list pages long of everyday products derived from oil. This is why electric cars solve only part of the oil-overconsumption problem.