As a by-product of an industry that exists all over the world--the stalks that remain after grain has been harvested--straw also helpfully soaks up carbon from the atmosphere and locks it in, so long as it is not allowed to decompose. For the building industry, which currently depends on materials with very high embedded energy costs - concrete and brick are expensive in carbon terms both to make and to transport, straw could therefore offer a welcome solution to housing’s greenhouse gas
