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Why Guayule is good for the environment and your wallet

Green is good. That is the daily message we receive from the media. The focus that we, as consumers, maintain should be on green cars, green buildings, green plastic and now even green rubber. With products made from a desert plant called guayule, (such as latex gloves especially) this is proving easier and easier to do.

Most rubber is derived from hevea, a product of the para rubber tree. Para rubber trees, native to Brazil, were transplanted to Southeast Asia where they have been carefully bred to increase hevea production. Today, most rubber comes from this region of the world, with the balance synthetically produced from petroleum. While it's true that most rubber is inherently organic, it's not necessarily "green"-at least not as green as guayule.

Beginning with proximity, the benefits of using rubber derived from environmentally-friendly plant guayule are simple to see. Whereas hevea must be grown overseas in tropical climates, the other natural source of latex rubber, guayule, can be grown in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. The cost to the environment is lower than importing hevea-based rubber from overseas because of reduced fuel usage, since guayule is grown so close to home.

A second green benefit presented is guayule's location. Unlike the common hevea rubber produced from para rubber trees grown in tropical areas, guayule is a tremendously hearty plant. To keep its health it does not require any chemical pesticides because it's naturally resistant. To remain healthy para rubber trees require chemical pesticides because they are tremendously susceptible to leaf blight. Guayule's natural pest resistance is significant since chemical pesticides have been associated with various health and environmental risks.

A third green attribute of guayule is that it can be used as an ethanol feedstock. Unlike corn, which is commonly used to make ethanol, guayule is not a food source and therefore does not impact the world's food source in availability or price. In some situations the demand for corn to produce ethanol has impacted the food supply in the market. But that's not an issue with guayule since it's not a food source.

Finally, guayule is an excellent source of hypoallergenic natural rubber latex. Hevea latex allergies are a serious issue-it's estimated that 10 percent of the U.S. population has a latex allergy. Currently, most hypoallergenic latex is derived from petroleum-based synthetic rubber. Obviously, a natural source of hypoallergenic rubber is fundamentally superior to rubber synthesized from petroleum.

Because of import restrictions, leaf blight decimation, and common latex allergies among health care providers guayule gained popularity throughout the 20th century. Although more rubber can be produced from a single para rubber tree than a guayule plant, the overall greenness, locale, energy-producing potential and hypoallergenic qualities of the guayule plant is unbeatable.

How do green-conscious consumers support this product is the question now. Yulex Corporation along with local farmers in the southwestern U.S. and northern Mexico are working to produce the crop and manufacture latex products from it. A sure way to invest in the success of the environment and the affordability of guayule produced rubber products, is finding ways to support these entities.

By: Jason Lancaster.

Author Jason Lancaster is a devotee of up-and-coming biotechnology agriculture. You can learn more about guayule at GuayuleBlog.com.

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