Is Bamboo Floors the Greenest Option?

People commonly think bamboo is the greenest choice for flooring. Bamboo is actually a grass, not a tree. So it can be replaced in nature very fast.

Oak forest can take 120 Years to replace while bamboo takes about 3 years. Plus all bamboo floors come from China. One thing to consider when building GREEN is where does it come from. LEED looks at the effect of transport and the manufacturing process.

So... How far is it from China to Minnesota??? Takes a little fuel to get it there.

Next... What is the quality of manufacturing in China??? I am not preaching on chinese process, but there is definitly question on the pollution control they have versus USA.

Did I just ruin your treehugging idea of Bamboo? That isn't my goal. I am still mixed on what I think is right. 95% of the original forests have been cut down in the world. That is a scary thought. The ability to grow bamboo in 3 years is great.

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2005/09/bamboo_flooring.php