Wayback Machine 1984: The Future of Agriculture
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.27.08
How Walt Disney saw The Future World of Agriculture: "Robots tend crops that grow on floating platforms around a sea city of the future. Water from the ocean would evaporate, rise to the base of the platforms (leaving the salt behind), and feed the crops." ::Paleofuture
What a great idea. Could it work?
We need to know the truth about new bio and energy technologies RIGHT NOW !!
Why wouldn't it be set out in a grid so that the robots could move in straight lines rather than zig-zagging all the way? I suppose because this looks more futuristic?
Waste of energy, you'd have to extract/deliver the nutrients needed and then ship the food far away. Do away with McMansion's eating up farmland and corporate farms buying out small farmers, buy small, buy local. That is the answer to food problems.
Not a bad idea, and it can happen. If all sectors are looking forward to the future, then why not agriculture as well?
The reason for the hexagons is the same reason beehives use them - when arranging objects in 2-d they offer the most surface area for the least perimeter.
In theory we could build floating ocean cities but in practice it's not cost effective yet.
I assume the food would be eaten in the city in the middle, not shipped away. Although a floating city would have ultimate port accessibility.
Wouldn't that create HARDCORE shadows, and don't algae and such need that sunlight, it's a great idea, but that's a lot of area where there is no light.
"Grow Your own, can Your own"
But then again, I totally loved the article on vertical farms that could lead to food production in big urban centres and also be included in waste water management.
But if they want to use oceans as growbeds, wouldn't it be far more efficient to cultivate kelp or algae? I mean, its like a 3D farm...
"Not a bad idea, and it can happen. If all sectors are looking forward to the future, then why not agriculture as well?"
Because this is not the future of agriculture. The New Alchemy Institute showed in the '80s that hydroponics over a water basin did not increase the yields in agriculture. In other words, the yields would be the same on the ground, and unless we all end up living over the oceans and suffering the precipitations and the yearly tornadoes, it's not going to happen. You would also have to build a structure built in a material able to withstand the rust for at least 10 years in salt water and that would be easily repairable.
Still, such a technology of automated machines might be used in agriculture with time.
Given the price of land these days I wouldn't be surprised if there's a small trend towards living/farming/etc on the sea. My brother is considering buying a yacht & berth which together are way cheaper than a house in the city he lives and has the advantage that he can sail around when he feels like it. Also seaside apartments are selling in the millions right next door. As for floating farms - well, marine farms (eg growing shellfish) are a growing business already.
I'd quite like a submarine house actually. A few metres deep so that it isn't being battered by the waves. Moored to the bottom but able to surface and be moved if needed. I am a dreamer though... :-)
What about the salt in the water? When there is a storm or something some salt water is going to splash into those things and ruin what is growing there, wont it?
cool picture