Trace Material Podcast: Season 1
The Green Path
In Episode 4, we turn to Winona LaDuke. Winona is a two-time Vice Presidential nominee, an internationally renowned environmentalist…and a hemp farmer.
With Winona’s help, we’re backing up a little bit to look at the context of the American hemp boom. We know hemp has the potential to change our world, but what is it exactly about our world that needs to change? Part of what Winona thinks needs to change is our dependence on fossil fuels. Peter Hille, President the Mountain Association for Community and Economic Development would agree. He explains how extractive economies have ravaged Eastern Kentucky and lays out what a just transition for Appalachia will look like.
Join us to hear about the road that our society has already walked - the scorched path, and the road that is opening up to us - the green path.
Subscribe on your platform of choice to be notified about new episode releases. If you like what you hear, give us a five-star rating!
This episode features excerpts from Winona LaDuke’s keynote address at our 2019 symposium, Design Frontiers: Material Health. You can watch her full address below.
Click here for full episode transcript.
Trace Material is a project of Parsons Healthy Materials Lab at the New School. It is produced by Ava Robinson, Alie Kilts, Burgess Brown and the HML team. Thank you to Winona LaDuke and Peter Hille for lending their voices, thoughts and experiences to this episode. And special thanks to Friends of Healthier Materials who help make this possible. Our theme music is “Rainbow Road” by Cardioid. Additional music from Blue Dot Sessions.
The Green Path
5 products
About Our Collections
The goal of our collections is to help promote transparency in the material ingredients of building products by fostering knowledge and awareness of products and materials for which life-cycle information is available, and that have environmentally, economically, and socially preferable life-cycle impacts.
Keep an eye out for the following symbols:
A Healthier Affordable Building Product
Products with the designation of "Healthier & Affordable" were specified and installed in at least one of our Case Studies of healthier affordable housing.
Available at the Donghia healthier Materials Library
The Donghia healthier Materials Library library is open to Parsons student and faculty. Learn more about access and opening hours here.
Low Embodied Carbon
“Embodied Carbon” is the total amount of carbon emitted during the process of making a material. *HML refers to a manufacturer's EPD to determine whether a product's A1-A3 carbon emissions falls within HML's threshold for Low Embodied Carbon.
New Product
This product has been added to the collection within the past six months.
Product in Development
Products with this designation identify they are currently scaling or only available in markets outside of the building industry. they could be experimental or in use in capsule collections.
Available in the EU
Products with this designation are currently available only in the European Union and identified as being an exemplary healthy option in the respective product group.
Ingredient Disclosures
There are several ways of evaluating a material’s health that we include with product information. Disclosures are reports by manufacturers about product ingredients, impacts, or other attributes.
Key Disclosures include:
Health Product Declaration (HPD)
A voluntary technical specification for reporting information on product contents and associated health information, intended to be the health-analogue to Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs).
Declare Label
Declare is a transparency platform and product database that answers three questions:
1. Where does a product come from?
2. What is it made of?
3. Where does it go at the end of its life?
Environmental Product Declaration (EPD)
A standardized format for communicating the environmental effects associated with a product’s raw materials extraction, energy use, chemical makeup, waste generation, and emissions to air, soil, and water.
Safety Data Sheet (SDS)
A reporting format that provides basic information about a material’s chemical ingredients, the potential safety hazards to installers, and recommended practices for installation.
USDA Certified Biobased Product Label
Managed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the goal of the BioPreferred Program is to increase the purchase and use of biobased products.
Other
| Manufacturer | Product | Ingredient Disclosures |
|---|---|---|
| NYTextileLab | 2/10’s 80/20 wool and hemp blend, Ivory |
2/10’s 80/20 wool and hemp blend, IvoryAvailable At the Donghia Materials LibraryNew York Textile Lab designs yarns and textiles with an economically diverse and sustainable supply chain at the forefront of their mind. The fibers used are grown on climate beneficial soil within the North Eastern Region. This Hemp Wool Yarn is developed by the Textile Lab and produced with partnering manufacturers in the USA. CategoryTextile, HempManufacturerNYTextileLab
Material composition*70% fine wool sourced from Oregon, 30% domestic hemp from Nebraska. *as reported by the manufacturer CERTIFICATIONS & DISCLOSURES
Health Product Declaration (HPD)
Declare Label
Environmental Product Declaration (EPD)
Safety Data Sheet (SDS)
USDA Certified Biobased Product Label
Other
Last UpdatedJuly 11, 2023 |
| The Real Milk Paint | Hemp Oil |
Hemp OilAvailable At the Donghia Materials LibraryHemp oil is a healthier finish and works particularly well on wood. The Real Milk Paint’s Hemp Oil is free of additives, preservatives, solvents, and VOCs. It is thinner than tung oil, making it easier to apply without the addition of a solvent. However, hemp oil is less durable and waterproof than tung oil. Hemp oil is food safe and works especially well on lightly used items. CategorySealer/ Surface, Oil_HempManufacturerThe Real Milk Paint
Material composition*Industrial Hemp Oil 100% *as reported by the manufacturer AVAILABLE SIZINGAvailable in 1 oz, 8 oz, 16 oz, 32 oz, and 1 gallon bottles CERTIFICATIONS & DISCLOSURES
Health Product Declaration (HPD)
Declare Label
Environmental Product Declaration (EPD)
Safety Data Sheet (SDS)
USDA Certified Biobased Product Label
Other
Last UpdatedAugust 02, 2023 |
| IsoHemp | Hempcrete Block |
Hempcrete BlockAvailable At the Donghia Materials LibraryIsoHemp’s hempcrete blocks are a non-load-bearing masonry product. These natural, healthy blocks are designed to be used for insulating envelopes, partition walls, and counter-partitions. Made only from hemp and lime, hempcrete’s ability to diffuse accumulated heat makes it a fantastic thermal regulator. This product also regulates humidity due to its permeability and is naturally very fire-resistant, making toxic flame retardants obsolete. Not only are IsoHemp hempcrete blocks good for human health, they also have a positive environmental impact. Their manufacture requires very little energy, and they act as a carbon sink, actively absorbing CO2 from the air. CategoryInsulation / Fibrous, Cellulosic, Granular, HempLimeManufacturerIsoHemp
Material composition*Hemp (particle size of 2 to 20 mm) 80%, Hydraulic Lime 11%, Air Lime 9% *as reported by the manufacturer AVAILABLE SIZING30 cm x 60 cm, available in 6, 9, 12, 15, 20, and 30 cm thicknesses CERTIFICATIONS & DISCLOSURES
Health Product Declaration (HPD)
Declare Label
Environmental Product Declaration (EPD)
Safety Data Sheet (SDS)
USDA Certified Biobased Product Label
Other
Additional DocumentsLast UpdatedMay 09, 2024 |
| Just Bio Fiber | Hempcrete Blocks |
Hempcrete BlocksJust Bio Fiber's hempcrete blocks are a breathable, durable, non-toxic alternative to typical structural wall assemblies. Made primarily from hemp and lime, these blocks are Declare Red List Free as well as naturally fire resistant. Wall systems built with these blocks regulate temperature and humidity while retaining heat. They also do not require a vapor barrier and are resistant to mold, insects, rodents, and mildew. CategoryInsulation / Fibrous, Cellulosic, Granular, HempLimeManufacturerJust Bio Fiber
Material composition*Hemp Hurd 30-50%, Calcium Hydroxide 20-40%, Calcium Carbonate 10-30%, Calcium Magnesium Tetrahydroxide 10-30%, Kaolin 1-10%, Fibrous Glass 1-10%, Silica Sand 1%, Styrene 1% *as reported by the manufacturer AVAILABLE SIZING21.3" x 10.7" x 8" CERTIFICATIONS & DISCLOSURES
Health Product Declaration (HPD)
Declare Label
Environmental Product Declaration (EPD)
Safety Data Sheet (SDS)
USDA Certified Biobased Product Label
Other
Declare | Red List Free
Last UpdatedMay 09, 2024 |
| American Lime Technology | Tradical Hemcrete |
Tradical HemcreteAvailable At the Donghia Materials LibraryTradical® Hemcrete® is a highly sustainable hemp-lime product line designed to create insulating walls in new structures or to retrofit existing floors, roofs, and walls with thermally efficient, breathable insulating layers. CategoryInsulation / Fibrous, Cellulosic, Granular, HempLimeManufacturerAmerican Lime Technology
Material composition*Hemp, Lime (Calcium Hydroxide), Hydraulic Lime Binder, Calcium Carbonate, Calcium Silicates, Silica, Oxides of Magnesium, Aluminum, and Iron *as reported by the manufacturer CERTIFICATIONS & DISCLOSURES
Health Product Declaration (HPD)
Declare Label
Environmental Product Declaration (EPD)
Safety Data Sheet (SDS)
USDA Certified Biobased Product Label
Other
Last UpdatedMay 09, 2024 |
Join Our Academic Network
Get Access to our carefully researched and curated academic resources, including model syllabi and webinars. An email from an academic institution or a .edu email address is required. If your academic institution does not use .edu email addresses but you would like to join the network, please contact healthymaterialslab@newschool.edu.
Already have an account? Log in