SKIRMISHER

Vertical Farming, which has been discussed for years, would involve building high rise multi level “Farmscrapers” where farmers would employ sustainable farming practices in a controlled environment. Dickson Despommier, professor of Environmental Health Sciences at Columbia, and one of the true pioneers of this idea, thinks this could ultimately ease the world’s food, water, and energy crises. Despommier argues that the technology to build vertical farms currently exists and that it could be an economical and sustainable solution to a number of problems.By bringing the farms indoors you create a self contained system that is not affected and does not affect the outside environment. It allows for greater control of the growing environment and the crops are protected from harmful weather. Less harmful chemicals, if any, are needed and the ones that are used are contained in the system and not leached out into the surrounding ecosystem. In urban areas you can they can actually harvest local gray water for use in the “Farmscraper”. That combined with rainwater harvesting will greatly reduce the need for ground water.

link

{Photo: a high-rise “Farmscraper”}

{Intriguing: Crystal Island, the world’s biggest building — if it ever gets built}

Stumble it!