Tech Times - Future Greenhouses - By Regardt Voges

Futuristic skyscraper greenhouses
July 03, 2007 Edition 1

Regardt Voges

Imagine a 20-storey glass covered skyscraper in the heart of the city, not filled with offices and business executives, but rather filled with beds of fruits and vegetables.

And instead of designer office furniture, it has designer irrigation systems. A building that doesn't drain our weak energy grid, but rather produces its own clean electricity and even purifies our waste water.

A building that could feed thousands and be completely self-sustainable.

It seems like a utopian dream, but according to Dr Dickson Despommier, professor of microbiology at Columbia University, it is a very viable alternative to traditional farming.

Taking into account that the Earth's population is growing at a very rapid rate and that more farmland is needed every day to feed everyone, the future of traditional farming is anything but clear.

Earth's population is expected to reach 9 billion people in 50 years and there just won't be enough land left for farming. That's why Despommier and his team started looking at new kinds of farms.

Their idea started with a traditional greenhouse, but soon grew into a skyscraper made of titanium oxide-plated glass, giant solar panels, hydroponic irrigation systems and an abundant variety of crops.

A vertical farm can be placed in an urban centre, cutting the need for excessive transport and allowing farmland to be returned to natural forests.

Abandoning the use of fossil fuels and leaving no carbon footprint, the potential advantages of a vertical farm quickly become obvious.

There can be year-round organic crop production in the controlled environment.

Waste water from the city can be used and purified into drinking water.

Agricultural run-off and the use of toxic pesticides will be eliminated. And there will be a constant supply of delicious, fresh produce.

Social benefits of vertical farming include the creation of a sustainable urban environment, which encourages good health for those who live there, and provides an abundant supply of clean air and drinking water.

New employment opportunities will arise and, because of high land costs, vertical farms are most likely to be built in poorer parts of the city, where they will also be most beneficial.

Unfortunately, the vertical farm as Despommier sees it is still just an idea, albeit a very feasible one. We can only look forward to the day when all cities will be self-sustainable and nature can reclaim the farmland we borrowed.

See www.verticalfarm.com for more information on this innovative approach to agriculture. - bigeyeddeer@ yahoo.co.uk