Jake Cox - OnEarth Magazine, from NRDC

What is Vertical Farming?

Raise your hand if you've heard rumblings about so-called "Vertical Farms" recently. Keep your hands up if the name "Despommier" means anything to you. Now keep your hands up if you can tell me who invented modern hydroponics, and where.

The best big idea to come around since the Internet has been attracting fans all around the world. Governments and entrepreneurs think there is great potential in hydroponic food production in the urban environment, and I am here to address some questions that crop-up in the discussion.

(FYI: Dickson Despommier, Columbia Microbiology Professor, is the Godfather of Vertical Farming; William Frederick Gericke, in the early 1930’s, pioneered hydroponics at the University of California at Berkley.)

To introduce it, Vertical Farming is hydroponic food production in cities in multi-story greenhouses. Hydroponic greenhouses exist all over the world, but none have yet been placed in a ...read full post

Comments (0) | November 10, 2009
Is "Wow Big Idea" a Bad Thing?

In response to the general public's fascination with, and support of, Vertical Farms, some people have recently written rebuttals of the idea. At least two blogs have attacked the economic viability of Vertical Farming, echoing one another in an empty whimper suggestive of unimaginative minds plodding along with a vague conviction that the status quo is ideal.

EcoGeek just posted an article called "Let's Make This Clear: Vertical Farms Don't Make Sense" in which they write that two things need to happen in order for "Vertical Farms to make sense":
You need the ...read full post

Comments (0) | November 10, 2009
Making a Lesson Out of John Beddington

Professor Sir John Beddington is, according to Wikipedia, a scientist. In fact, Professor Sir John Beddington is the highest-ranking scientist in the UK; the job I'm referring to is: "Chief Scientific Advisor to the UK." I recently came across a speech he delivered at a GovNet event in March of this year. GovNet? Apparently they are "UK's leading Public Sector publisher and events organiser," according to themselves. (The particular event was called SDUK 2009.) So, earlier this year, the most influential scientist in the UK addressed an event organized by the leading events organizer, which presumably was attended by people who like going to events where eminent persons take the podium. Point being, this is not some middle school assembly.

The speech, by and large was spot-on. He explained the point which has garnered him much ...read full post

Comments (0) | November 10, 2009