Hemp: A Case of Mistaken Identity

I'm gonna level with you, folks: up until recently I was completely ignorant about hemp and equated the "legalize pot" movement with the pro-hemp movement. Yes, the plants are related and yes they do look similar, but trying to get high off hemp is like trying to get drunk on non-alcoholic beer*. Some strains don't even contain THC. And it's not like they look alike either, hemp plants look more like bamboo, which is why I will never grow them in my backyard ;-) We think of paper as coming from trees but early papermaking was made with hemp. And you certainly heard this before: the Declaration of Independence was drafted on hemp paper and it's still around (hemp paper is naturally acid-free). So what happened? In 1937, Congress enacted an anti-Marijuana legislation, bundling the entire Cannabis Sativa group as one, which made it impossible for farmers to grow hemp crops. However, importing hemp is legal and farmers are missing out on the money they could be making instead of paying other countries for it. Hemp is a truly amazing crop: It is beneficial to the environment as it yields four times as much paper as trees*. It is the longest and strongest plant textile fiber, and it's amazingly resistant to bugs and insects so less toxic pesticides are needed. It does well in poor quality soil, it doesn't require much water and has a fast growing cycle. Oh, my!

Choosing a Printer: A Super Short Grocery List

Most people think that an "eco" printer only goes as far as providing recycled paper and, at the most, recycling their own paper. However, there are many other steps that a printer can and should be doing, and you should inquire as well:

1. Do you have a waste-management program in place, such as recycling ink, solvents, dampening solutions and rags?
2. Do you aim to reduce or eliminate the VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) emissions for inks, coatings, cleaning solutions, and glues? How low are they?
3. Do you print direct to plate or do you still use film?
4. Do you use environmentally safer options for cleaning the presses, such as citrus-based cleaners instead of petroleum-based cleaners?
5. Do you use primarily FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified papers?

Call around and make a list! Not every Printer is suited for every job.

Design Spotlight: Terrain Magazine 2007

I just finished the latest issue of the Ecology Center Terrain magazine, which contains some thought-provoking articles on soy, ethanol, msg, and carbon offsets, among others. The main article seemed to be demonizing soy but the story mainly tried to explain that processed soy foods, just like *any* processed foods, have issues associated with it. The problem is not the food itself , the problem is the isolation of nutrients such as isoflavonoids and making them out to be miraculous instead of consuming foods in their whole state (or at least minimally processed). The cover was printed in full color this time, sheet fed, and the interior was still one color, printed on a web press on a fabulous (90 brightness) recycled paper and using soy-based inks.

On Assignment: Musicians For Change

Designarchy is working on a truly exciting project right now: a Bioneer's project called "Musicians For Change". It is aimed at distributing information of the Bioneers' ideas, ie. sustainability, to music audiences and providing educational resources to the public, and in particular, "them kidz". We are still developing the logo and will also develop a brochure and a sticker. If you don't know who the Bioneers are, they host the most beloved and talked about conference of the year in Marin County (right off the Golden Gate bridge) in all topics related to sustainability. Their website is www.bioneers.org

Tip of the Month: Update That Mailing List

I'm not the biggest fan of direct mail, but if I can offer one tip is this: make sure your list is targeted to the right audience, that it's current and that you request address corrections in order to avoid mail returns. If working with a fulfillment house, be sure to request ink-jet imprinting as opposed to stickers (which is usually cheaper anyway).