Bamboo blinds efficient, eco-friendly

When Shanghai Expo organizers launched the Low Carbon Expo Tour on June 5, they revealed a slue of eco-friendly homes on the public. Most unique, however may have been the Madrid Case Pavilion - a house made entirely of bamboo.

According to People's Daily Online, the green home has window bamboo shades, which cool the house in the summer and help the house retain heat in the winter, while having no affect on lighting or ventilation.

A similar house exists in China and was built by USC professor Yan Xiao, who told PhysOrg.com that construction was not as difficult as some might imagine.

"Construction was much easier than conventional reinforced concrete structures or masonry structures in China," Xiao told the news source. "the whole house took a crew of eight workers in an estimated equivalent construction period of three months."

In addition to the advantages in climate control, experts advocate using bamboo shades because of their minimal impact on the environment.

Bamboo shades can either be recycled or left to decompose without causing pollution.