Vertical farming? Sounds crazy, right? Straight out of science fiction. Well, maybe not. According to this New York magazine article a Columbia professor believes it's not only feasible, but also inevitable and our only-best chance to curb global warming.
I first read about this in todays Rocky Mountain News. A writer for RMN must have stumbled across this article and began thinking about the possibilities of vertical farms in Denver. A possibility that, if these farms are proven to be efficient and doable, I see as very real. That led me to the Web site, which is very interesting.
The possibilities excite me, but more than that I think responsible civic leaders in this day and age have a responsibility to research any and all alternatives to farming, waste, pollution, and conservation. The vertical farm is certainly one such alternative. I appreciate that the conservation movement is starting to gain momentum as the threats and effects of global warming become more real and present, but our overall attitude is still too passive. We must be more aggressive in our efforts to create a new consciousness in our culture, and a new, greener world for our kids and grandkids. If these alternatives, like the vertical farm, can in fact meet these needs (farming in the city not only creates less waste and lower prices on produce it could also allow some farmed areas to return to their natural state, be it plain or forest) then I see no point or logic in idly waiting for someone else to try these methods, or waiting for some magic potion that makes it all better. And we don't need to spend tax dollars to do this. Create incentives for the industry to take charge on this, I don't care if the sign above the entrance to the farm says "City of Denver," "ConAgra," or "Starbucks." Corporations can dig into their pockets, as can philanthropists—after all this is a capitalist society, make it a capitalist initiative. Put dollars and sense behind these methods and make it impossible to not attempt.
Put aside thoughts of global warming for a second and just think how we're all environmentalists. There's not a single person alive who doesn't enjoy the beauty of a warm and clear spring day when the trees are in bloom and the grass is green. No one likes seeing a polluted river or a brown sky. And that is why we need to be proactive in our thinking and aggressive in our actions, if not for the future of the world then just for our own pleasure.
Still need more reasons? The majority of those who are intensely overweight in this country reside in the lower half of the income bracket. Why, you ask? Very simple: junk food is cheap, good food is not. Next time you're at the grocery store compare the cost of some junk food (say a bag of Oreos) to something healthy (a pound of apples) and see A) which is cheaper and B) which lasts longer. More than likely you're answer to both questions will be junk food. However, in a vertical farm environment not only is all food grown locally but it's grown year round. Making it much cheaper to produce and distribute, which would mean that suddenly those with tight budgets don't need to sacrifice to eat well. Now, of course, with all things being equal whether or not someone chooses to eat well is not something we can control beyond education. But the more I think about this the more I'm convinced that something like this needs to be done by someone and soon.
So bring on the ConAgra, WhiteWave, and Fresh Express vertical farming skyscrapers! I already got some good plots of infill land picked out.
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