Is bamboo environmentally friendly? Are forests cut down?

The cutting is the most important environmental argument and that is what makes bamboo so unique. Every year the parent bamboo plant makes several new stems that grow to maturity in a few months. Each stem needs 5 years to gain the necessary hardness. In a mature bamboo plantation the 5 year old stems can be harvested every year, without decreasing the size of the forest. You can find more information on this site under Bamboo.