Drought Solution: Build Higher
9 June 2009 In areas with a high population density, such as Cairo, Egypt; extreme temperatures, like the UAE; or acute water shortages, such as Jordan, the construction of vertical farms or “sky farms” could provide a solution. Dickson Despommier, a professor at Columbia University, New York, US, has long been involved in a vertical agriculture project in which a 30-story glass-faced building could feed 50,000 people year round.
According to Despommier, these sky farms would keep inside temperatures 22 to 24 degrees Celsius year round with controlled humidity, with recycled waste water used to irrigate crops. They would also almost eliminate greenhouse gases and weather-related crop failures; what types of inputs will be needed in this type of controlled environment, however, are yet to be determined.
For more information, visit www.chrisjacobs.com.
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