Reply #96: Think through your statements [View All]

[Ezlivin]

How about improving farming methods? That might enable the country to "feed itself sustainably."

The so-called "Green Revolution" began in 1945 and greatly increased crop yields and productivity. However, these gains were made with the use of petroleum; the eight-fold increase in an acre's yield can be attributed almost entirely to the use of pesticides (petrol based), synthetic fertilizers (petrol based) and herbicides (petrol based). Without petroleum inputs yields drop drastically. If you study the condition of much of our topsoils you'll find that it is a burned-out soil that requires synthetic fertilizers to grow food. As petroleum becomes increasingly scarce our farm productivity will drop.

If everyone put a garden on their rooftop, that would do it, eh?

And what of the towers filled with people in every metropolis? There's not enough roofs to support gardening there. And you have to supply each garden with water and nutrients (organic or synthetic), not to mention that the garden has to have ample light. Here in Texas we have lots of zero-lot line McMansions that have virtually no yard, no useable roof and cast a maze of shadows. Additionally you will have to train all of these newbies in how to garden as it is not something taught in today's schools.

Maybe clone beef, and give over the grazing pastures to vegetables?

Actually, your idea of giving over the grazing pastures to vegetables is an excellent idea. We devote far too much valuable farm land to the raising of grains simply to feed to livestock. Unfortunately our technology is not yet at the point where we can clone livestock at a large enough scale to prove economically viable. Who wants to pay $100 for a steak?

Find a way to make hydroponic gardening, year round, indoors, viable and affordable?

Hydroponics certainly work and have aided countries like Israel and Saudi Arabia make use of scarce water resources. These, however, are outdoor hydroponic facilities, not indoors. If you attempt to move that indoors you have to supply artificial light. As an example look at the many indoor grow rooms that are uncovered and busted by authorities. They are very expensive and complicated to set up. If outdoor gardening is a challenge, running an indoor hydroponic set-up is a huge challenge (adjust pH levels, measuring total dissolved solids, flushing, etc.).

Technology is not a panacea, unfortunately.