growing vertical_ skyscraper farming - scientific american.pdf
TRANSCRIPT
742015 Growing Vertical Skyscraper Farming - Scientific American
httpwwwscientificamericancomarticlegrowing-vertical-skyscraper-farming 18
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Subscribe News amp Features Topics Blogs Videos amp Podcasts Education Citizen Science SA Magazine SA Mind Books SA en espantildeol
Energy amp Sustainability raquo Earth 30 - Energy vs Water raquo Features
This article is from the In-Depth Report Earth 30 Solutions for Sustainable Progress
Growing Vertical SkyscraperFarmingCultivating crops in downtown skyscrapers might save bushels of energy and provide city
dwellers with distinctively fresh food
By Mark Fischetti | Sep 1 2008
Atypical farm burns vast quantities of fossil fuels to plow fields sow seeds reap
harvests and truck products many miles to population centers It spreads heaps of
petroleum-based fertilizers which then run off into streams and watersheds It also
consumes rivers of freshwater and casts pesticides across the countryside Raising
chickens and pigs further insults the earth
4 Email PrintMore from Scientific American
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Video
SAs The Countdown
60-Second Science Podcast
60-Second Earth Podcast
60-Second Health Podcast
60-Second Mind Podcast
60-Second Space Podcast
60-Second Tech Podcast
Science Talk Podcast
742015 Growing Vertical Skyscraper Farming - Scientific American
httpwwwscientificamericancomarticlegrowing-vertical-skyscraper-farming 28
Charlie Neibergall
with unhygienic filth
Why not grow grains vegetables and fruits
right where the expanding crowds of
consumers are in the middle of a city inside
a tall glass building Poultry and pork could
be reared there too A vertical farm would
drastically reduce the fossil-fuel use and
emissions associated with farm machinery
and trucking as well as the spread of
fertilizer and its runoff Crops could grow
and be harvested year-round instead of at
the end of one season multiplying annual
yield by at least four times Urban
agriculture could also convert municipal
wastewater into irrigation water reducing a
cityrsquos refuse problem And consumers would get the freshest food possible without
pesticides
A fanciful notion only a few years ago vertical farming has captured the attention of
large developers that are planning more sustainable cities such as the multinational
firm Arup and municipalities that are looking to reduce environmental damage and
the cost of treating wastewater Although growing crops in downtown skyscrapers may
seem strange Dickson Despommier of Columbia University who has championed the
movement says the practice makes perfect sense ldquoWhen itrsquos 98 degrees and 80
percent humidity outside we humans sit inside a controlled environment that is 72
degrees and 25 percent humidityrdquo he says ldquoWersquove done that for our homes and
offices Why canrsquot we do that for our crops Well we canrdquo
Proponents also say we must If as demographers project the worldrsquos population rises
Follow Us
742015 Growing Vertical Skyscraper Farming - Scientific American
httpwwwscientificamericancomarticlegrowing-vertical-skyscraper-farming 38
from six billion to nine billion by 2050mdashalmost entirely through a net addition to urban
populationsmdashthe planet will need to cultivate a billion more hectares of arable land
roughly the area of Brazil Researchers say that much arable land simply doesnrsquot exist
The science for indoor farming does exist Agronomists have developed crops that
thrive in lightweight engineered soils such as vermiculite or in water (hydroponics)
NASA has devised crops that grow by dangling in air infused with a mist of water
vapor and nutrients (aeroponics) Large greenhouses in several countries notably the
Netherlands are producing substantial yields using these techniques According to
Despommier a 30-story farm that covered a city block could feed 50000 people
year-round
SEE ALSO
Evolution What Siberian Burials Reveal about the Relationship between Humans
and Dogs | Health The Conflicted History of Alcohol in Western Civilization | Mind amp
Brain Nail Biting May Arise from Perfectionism | Space Pluto Lover Alan Stern
Discusses Historic July Flyby [QampA] | Technology Timeline The Amazing
Multimillion-Year History of Processed Food | More Science The Flavor Connection
Skeptics worry that indoor crops would have to be genetically modified to thrive but
Despommier says such alteration is unnecessary ldquoNone of these crops has to be
modified further for life indoors In fact theyrsquoll do much better because we can match
their growth characteristics with temperature and humidity conditions and nutrition
profilesrdquo
Engineering that environment itself is the greater challenge Providing sufficient light
and water is relatively easy Whatrsquos harder is controlling the indoor flow of air and
nutrients efficiently recycling water and devising high-tech incinerators that burn
plant waste to produce energy that augments wind and solar power
Most Popular
Your Facial Bone StructureHas a Big Influence on HowPeople See You
15 Answers to CreationistNonsense
A 100-Year Debate Aboutthe Eardrum Comes to anEnd
Pre-Crastination TheOpposite of Procrastination
What Is the Big SecretSurrounding StingraySurveillance
ADVERTISEMENT
742015 Growing Vertical Skyscraper Farming - Scientific American
httpwwwscientificamericancomarticlegrowing-vertical-skyscraper-farming 48
Operating costs are an issue of course including winter heating and harvesting But
the fertilizer and fuel consumed for traditional farming is expensive too witness the
run-up in food prices this year Governments also pay out billions of dollars annually to
rescue farmers who lose crops to drought and floods such as those that ravaged the
Midwest this past June
Although real estate in cities would seem too pricey for farming Despommierrsquos grad-
uate students surveyed New York City and found many abandoned buildings and lots
where high-rise farms could sprout ldquoAnd they donrsquot all have to be big towersrdquo
Despommier allows ldquoYou can do this on the rooftops of hospitals and schoolsrdquo which
would use the food in their own commissaries ldquoYou can do this along the periphery but
still within city limits You can do this on open stretches of air force bases and airports
and city islandsrdquo
1 2 Next raquo
Rights amp Permissions
This article was originally published with the title Growing Vertical
Buy this digital issue or subscribe to access other articles from the September 2008 publication
Already have an account Sign In
Digital Issue
$795
Add To Cart
Digital Issue + All Access
Subscription$9999
Subscribe
You May Also Like
Latest from SA Blog Network
Can Dogs Finally Keep It Together This 4th of
July
Dog Spies | 14 hours ago
Women and the War 1915
Anecdotes from the Archive | 16 hours ago
Back Algorithmic Knitting on Kickstarter
Roots of Unity | 16 hours ago
Clear and Unanimous Recommendation for
Heathrow Expansion Not Unanimously
Supported
Plugged In | 18 hours ago
Expanding Illusory Perception to Microbes in
the Gut
Illusion Chasers | July 2 2015
News From Our Partners
Liberia Investigates Animal Link after Ebola
Re-Emerges
Sex Divide Seen in Mechanism That Produces
Persistent Pain
Signs of Water Ice Detected on Comet Surface
742015 Growing Vertical Skyscraper Farming - Scientific American
httpwwwscientificamericancomarticlegrowing-vertical-skyscraper-farming 58
Share this Article
Drought Water and
the Rise of California
Extreme Storms Our Ever Changing
Earth
Extreme Physics
Californias 50000 Pot Farms Are Sucking
Rivers Dry
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Science Jobs of the Week
Post-Doctoral Fellow
University of Oslo
Researcher in hydrodynamic sediment transport
modelling (M F)
Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST)
742015 Growing Vertical Skyscraper Farming - Scientific American
httpwwwscientificamericancomarticlegrowing-vertical-skyscraper-farming 68
Recommended For You
1 The Problem with Female Superheroes a week ago scientificamericancomScientificAmericancom Mind amp Brain
2 Your Facial Bone Structure Has a Big Influence on How People See You
2 weeks ago scientificamericancom ScientificAmericancom Everyday Science3
Six Snubbed Women in Science 8 months ago blogsscientificamericancomScientificAmericancom
Comments
Oldest - Newest
October 31 2009 220 PMLong time subscriber
While this approach to farming may be feasible it completely ignores the underlying threat of
overpopulation Just as politicians continue to promise endless growth for the economy few seem
to question endless growth for humanity We have already seen massive degradation of the
natural environment due to overpopulation - when will it be acknowledged as the root cause of
most of our problems eg climate change poverty overfishing of the oceans etc
Report as Abuse | Link to This
October 31 2009 322 PMcjacobs627
Group Leader - Remote sensing and
ecohydrological modelling (M F)
Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST)
More jobs from Naturejobscom raquo
742015 Growing Vertical Skyscraper Farming - Scientific American
httpwwwscientificamericancomarticlegrowing-vertical-skyscraper-farming 78
You must sign in or register as a ScientificAmericancom member to submit a comment
Actually yes Most of the technologies discussed in Vertical Farming are 100 found in the
growing of marijuana wwwchrisjacobscom
Report as Abuse | Link to This
November 7 2009 725 AMscots engineer
Several facts stand in the way of this fantastic idea Crops need light to grow lots of it Even then
most crops turn much less than 10 of that light energy into biomass Even our most efficient
artificial light sources turn less than 50 of the electricity they need into light When you do the
sums it requires 800 times more energy to grow vegetables under artificial lighting than to
transport these vegetables 500 kilometers There are few countries in the world that cannot find
land for vegetable growing in an area of over 200000 square kilometers near their large cities
Nor does the concept rule out the need for some pesticides Unless extreme biosecurity measures
are maintained from the outset fungicides will be required as the spores are airborn and can
travel many miles and still be viable Consumers are rightly cautious of crops which are irrigated
with sewage water and in UK supermarket buyers will not buy from farms where sewage waste has
been recently appliedEnvironmentally controlled growth houses are starting to become popular
for fresh vegetables and fruit to extend the seasons at both ends and give more total yield This is
as it should be but trying to grow large quantities on expensive urban land makes no sense either
economically or environmentally
Report as Abuse | Link to This
December 6 2009 602 PMCharlie White
Now add to this going vertical on each floor and youll have the right numbers for profitability
Valcent Products (wwwvalcentnet ) has been doing this with their VertiCrop system at a proof-
of-concept at a zoo in London and are now ready to pump out half a dozen systems by end of
January Valcent just announced Robert F Kennedy Jr joining their advisory board and were
voted Time Magazine Top 50 Innovations of 2009 Going vertical on each floor will make all the
difference
Report as Abuse | Link to This
742015 Growing Vertical Skyscraper Farming - Scientific American
httpwwwscientificamericancomarticlegrowing-vertical-skyscraper-farming 88
YES Send me a free issue of Scientific
American with no obligation to continue
the subscription If I like it I will be billed
for the one-year subscription
Advertise
Special Ad Sections
SA Custom Media and
Partnerships
Science Jobs
Partner Network
International Editions
Travel
Use of Cookies
About Scientific American
Press Room
Site Map
Terms of Use
Privacy Policy
Contact Us
Subscribe
Renew Your Print Subscription
Print Subscriber Customer
Service
Buy Back Issues
FAQs
copy 2015 Scientific American a Division of Nature America Inc
All Rights Reserved
Subscribe Now
742015 Growing Vertical Skyscraper Farming - Scientific American
httpwwwscientificamericancomarticlegrowing-vertical-skyscraper-farming 28
Charlie Neibergall
with unhygienic filth
Why not grow grains vegetables and fruits
right where the expanding crowds of
consumers are in the middle of a city inside
a tall glass building Poultry and pork could
be reared there too A vertical farm would
drastically reduce the fossil-fuel use and
emissions associated with farm machinery
and trucking as well as the spread of
fertilizer and its runoff Crops could grow
and be harvested year-round instead of at
the end of one season multiplying annual
yield by at least four times Urban
agriculture could also convert municipal
wastewater into irrigation water reducing a
cityrsquos refuse problem And consumers would get the freshest food possible without
pesticides
A fanciful notion only a few years ago vertical farming has captured the attention of
large developers that are planning more sustainable cities such as the multinational
firm Arup and municipalities that are looking to reduce environmental damage and
the cost of treating wastewater Although growing crops in downtown skyscrapers may
seem strange Dickson Despommier of Columbia University who has championed the
movement says the practice makes perfect sense ldquoWhen itrsquos 98 degrees and 80
percent humidity outside we humans sit inside a controlled environment that is 72
degrees and 25 percent humidityrdquo he says ldquoWersquove done that for our homes and
offices Why canrsquot we do that for our crops Well we canrdquo
Proponents also say we must If as demographers project the worldrsquos population rises
Follow Us
742015 Growing Vertical Skyscraper Farming - Scientific American
httpwwwscientificamericancomarticlegrowing-vertical-skyscraper-farming 38
from six billion to nine billion by 2050mdashalmost entirely through a net addition to urban
populationsmdashthe planet will need to cultivate a billion more hectares of arable land
roughly the area of Brazil Researchers say that much arable land simply doesnrsquot exist
The science for indoor farming does exist Agronomists have developed crops that
thrive in lightweight engineered soils such as vermiculite or in water (hydroponics)
NASA has devised crops that grow by dangling in air infused with a mist of water
vapor and nutrients (aeroponics) Large greenhouses in several countries notably the
Netherlands are producing substantial yields using these techniques According to
Despommier a 30-story farm that covered a city block could feed 50000 people
year-round
SEE ALSO
Evolution What Siberian Burials Reveal about the Relationship between Humans
and Dogs | Health The Conflicted History of Alcohol in Western Civilization | Mind amp
Brain Nail Biting May Arise from Perfectionism | Space Pluto Lover Alan Stern
Discusses Historic July Flyby [QampA] | Technology Timeline The Amazing
Multimillion-Year History of Processed Food | More Science The Flavor Connection
Skeptics worry that indoor crops would have to be genetically modified to thrive but
Despommier says such alteration is unnecessary ldquoNone of these crops has to be
modified further for life indoors In fact theyrsquoll do much better because we can match
their growth characteristics with temperature and humidity conditions and nutrition
profilesrdquo
Engineering that environment itself is the greater challenge Providing sufficient light
and water is relatively easy Whatrsquos harder is controlling the indoor flow of air and
nutrients efficiently recycling water and devising high-tech incinerators that burn
plant waste to produce energy that augments wind and solar power
Most Popular
Your Facial Bone StructureHas a Big Influence on HowPeople See You
15 Answers to CreationistNonsense
A 100-Year Debate Aboutthe Eardrum Comes to anEnd
Pre-Crastination TheOpposite of Procrastination
What Is the Big SecretSurrounding StingraySurveillance
ADVERTISEMENT
742015 Growing Vertical Skyscraper Farming - Scientific American
httpwwwscientificamericancomarticlegrowing-vertical-skyscraper-farming 48
Operating costs are an issue of course including winter heating and harvesting But
the fertilizer and fuel consumed for traditional farming is expensive too witness the
run-up in food prices this year Governments also pay out billions of dollars annually to
rescue farmers who lose crops to drought and floods such as those that ravaged the
Midwest this past June
Although real estate in cities would seem too pricey for farming Despommierrsquos grad-
uate students surveyed New York City and found many abandoned buildings and lots
where high-rise farms could sprout ldquoAnd they donrsquot all have to be big towersrdquo
Despommier allows ldquoYou can do this on the rooftops of hospitals and schoolsrdquo which
would use the food in their own commissaries ldquoYou can do this along the periphery but
still within city limits You can do this on open stretches of air force bases and airports
and city islandsrdquo
1 2 Next raquo
Rights amp Permissions
This article was originally published with the title Growing Vertical
Buy this digital issue or subscribe to access other articles from the September 2008 publication
Already have an account Sign In
Digital Issue
$795
Add To Cart
Digital Issue + All Access
Subscription$9999
Subscribe
You May Also Like
Latest from SA Blog Network
Can Dogs Finally Keep It Together This 4th of
July
Dog Spies | 14 hours ago
Women and the War 1915
Anecdotes from the Archive | 16 hours ago
Back Algorithmic Knitting on Kickstarter
Roots of Unity | 16 hours ago
Clear and Unanimous Recommendation for
Heathrow Expansion Not Unanimously
Supported
Plugged In | 18 hours ago
Expanding Illusory Perception to Microbes in
the Gut
Illusion Chasers | July 2 2015
News From Our Partners
Liberia Investigates Animal Link after Ebola
Re-Emerges
Sex Divide Seen in Mechanism That Produces
Persistent Pain
Signs of Water Ice Detected on Comet Surface
742015 Growing Vertical Skyscraper Farming - Scientific American
httpwwwscientificamericancomarticlegrowing-vertical-skyscraper-farming 58
Share this Article
Drought Water and
the Rise of California
Extreme Storms Our Ever Changing
Earth
Extreme Physics
Californias 50000 Pot Farms Are Sucking
Rivers Dry
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Science Jobs of the Week
Post-Doctoral Fellow
University of Oslo
Researcher in hydrodynamic sediment transport
modelling (M F)
Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST)
742015 Growing Vertical Skyscraper Farming - Scientific American
httpwwwscientificamericancomarticlegrowing-vertical-skyscraper-farming 68
Recommended For You
1 The Problem with Female Superheroes a week ago scientificamericancomScientificAmericancom Mind amp Brain
2 Your Facial Bone Structure Has a Big Influence on How People See You
2 weeks ago scientificamericancom ScientificAmericancom Everyday Science3
Six Snubbed Women in Science 8 months ago blogsscientificamericancomScientificAmericancom
Comments
Oldest - Newest
October 31 2009 220 PMLong time subscriber
While this approach to farming may be feasible it completely ignores the underlying threat of
overpopulation Just as politicians continue to promise endless growth for the economy few seem
to question endless growth for humanity We have already seen massive degradation of the
natural environment due to overpopulation - when will it be acknowledged as the root cause of
most of our problems eg climate change poverty overfishing of the oceans etc
Report as Abuse | Link to This
October 31 2009 322 PMcjacobs627
Group Leader - Remote sensing and
ecohydrological modelling (M F)
Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST)
More jobs from Naturejobscom raquo
742015 Growing Vertical Skyscraper Farming - Scientific American
httpwwwscientificamericancomarticlegrowing-vertical-skyscraper-farming 78
You must sign in or register as a ScientificAmericancom member to submit a comment
Actually yes Most of the technologies discussed in Vertical Farming are 100 found in the
growing of marijuana wwwchrisjacobscom
Report as Abuse | Link to This
November 7 2009 725 AMscots engineer
Several facts stand in the way of this fantastic idea Crops need light to grow lots of it Even then
most crops turn much less than 10 of that light energy into biomass Even our most efficient
artificial light sources turn less than 50 of the electricity they need into light When you do the
sums it requires 800 times more energy to grow vegetables under artificial lighting than to
transport these vegetables 500 kilometers There are few countries in the world that cannot find
land for vegetable growing in an area of over 200000 square kilometers near their large cities
Nor does the concept rule out the need for some pesticides Unless extreme biosecurity measures
are maintained from the outset fungicides will be required as the spores are airborn and can
travel many miles and still be viable Consumers are rightly cautious of crops which are irrigated
with sewage water and in UK supermarket buyers will not buy from farms where sewage waste has
been recently appliedEnvironmentally controlled growth houses are starting to become popular
for fresh vegetables and fruit to extend the seasons at both ends and give more total yield This is
as it should be but trying to grow large quantities on expensive urban land makes no sense either
economically or environmentally
Report as Abuse | Link to This
December 6 2009 602 PMCharlie White
Now add to this going vertical on each floor and youll have the right numbers for profitability
Valcent Products (wwwvalcentnet ) has been doing this with their VertiCrop system at a proof-
of-concept at a zoo in London and are now ready to pump out half a dozen systems by end of
January Valcent just announced Robert F Kennedy Jr joining their advisory board and were
voted Time Magazine Top 50 Innovations of 2009 Going vertical on each floor will make all the
difference
Report as Abuse | Link to This
742015 Growing Vertical Skyscraper Farming - Scientific American
httpwwwscientificamericancomarticlegrowing-vertical-skyscraper-farming 88
YES Send me a free issue of Scientific
American with no obligation to continue
the subscription If I like it I will be billed
for the one-year subscription
Advertise
Special Ad Sections
SA Custom Media and
Partnerships
Science Jobs
Partner Network
International Editions
Travel
Use of Cookies
About Scientific American
Press Room
Site Map
Terms of Use
Privacy Policy
Contact Us
Subscribe
Renew Your Print Subscription
Print Subscriber Customer
Service
Buy Back Issues
FAQs
copy 2015 Scientific American a Division of Nature America Inc
All Rights Reserved
Subscribe Now
742015 Growing Vertical Skyscraper Farming - Scientific American
httpwwwscientificamericancomarticlegrowing-vertical-skyscraper-farming 38
from six billion to nine billion by 2050mdashalmost entirely through a net addition to urban
populationsmdashthe planet will need to cultivate a billion more hectares of arable land
roughly the area of Brazil Researchers say that much arable land simply doesnrsquot exist
The science for indoor farming does exist Agronomists have developed crops that
thrive in lightweight engineered soils such as vermiculite or in water (hydroponics)
NASA has devised crops that grow by dangling in air infused with a mist of water
vapor and nutrients (aeroponics) Large greenhouses in several countries notably the
Netherlands are producing substantial yields using these techniques According to
Despommier a 30-story farm that covered a city block could feed 50000 people
year-round
SEE ALSO
Evolution What Siberian Burials Reveal about the Relationship between Humans
and Dogs | Health The Conflicted History of Alcohol in Western Civilization | Mind amp
Brain Nail Biting May Arise from Perfectionism | Space Pluto Lover Alan Stern
Discusses Historic July Flyby [QampA] | Technology Timeline The Amazing
Multimillion-Year History of Processed Food | More Science The Flavor Connection
Skeptics worry that indoor crops would have to be genetically modified to thrive but
Despommier says such alteration is unnecessary ldquoNone of these crops has to be
modified further for life indoors In fact theyrsquoll do much better because we can match
their growth characteristics with temperature and humidity conditions and nutrition
profilesrdquo
Engineering that environment itself is the greater challenge Providing sufficient light
and water is relatively easy Whatrsquos harder is controlling the indoor flow of air and
nutrients efficiently recycling water and devising high-tech incinerators that burn
plant waste to produce energy that augments wind and solar power
Most Popular
Your Facial Bone StructureHas a Big Influence on HowPeople See You
15 Answers to CreationistNonsense
A 100-Year Debate Aboutthe Eardrum Comes to anEnd
Pre-Crastination TheOpposite of Procrastination
What Is the Big SecretSurrounding StingraySurveillance
ADVERTISEMENT
742015 Growing Vertical Skyscraper Farming - Scientific American
httpwwwscientificamericancomarticlegrowing-vertical-skyscraper-farming 48
Operating costs are an issue of course including winter heating and harvesting But
the fertilizer and fuel consumed for traditional farming is expensive too witness the
run-up in food prices this year Governments also pay out billions of dollars annually to
rescue farmers who lose crops to drought and floods such as those that ravaged the
Midwest this past June
Although real estate in cities would seem too pricey for farming Despommierrsquos grad-
uate students surveyed New York City and found many abandoned buildings and lots
where high-rise farms could sprout ldquoAnd they donrsquot all have to be big towersrdquo
Despommier allows ldquoYou can do this on the rooftops of hospitals and schoolsrdquo which
would use the food in their own commissaries ldquoYou can do this along the periphery but
still within city limits You can do this on open stretches of air force bases and airports
and city islandsrdquo
1 2 Next raquo
Rights amp Permissions
This article was originally published with the title Growing Vertical
Buy this digital issue or subscribe to access other articles from the September 2008 publication
Already have an account Sign In
Digital Issue
$795
Add To Cart
Digital Issue + All Access
Subscription$9999
Subscribe
You May Also Like
Latest from SA Blog Network
Can Dogs Finally Keep It Together This 4th of
July
Dog Spies | 14 hours ago
Women and the War 1915
Anecdotes from the Archive | 16 hours ago
Back Algorithmic Knitting on Kickstarter
Roots of Unity | 16 hours ago
Clear and Unanimous Recommendation for
Heathrow Expansion Not Unanimously
Supported
Plugged In | 18 hours ago
Expanding Illusory Perception to Microbes in
the Gut
Illusion Chasers | July 2 2015
News From Our Partners
Liberia Investigates Animal Link after Ebola
Re-Emerges
Sex Divide Seen in Mechanism That Produces
Persistent Pain
Signs of Water Ice Detected on Comet Surface
742015 Growing Vertical Skyscraper Farming - Scientific American
httpwwwscientificamericancomarticlegrowing-vertical-skyscraper-farming 58
Share this Article
Drought Water and
the Rise of California
Extreme Storms Our Ever Changing
Earth
Extreme Physics
Californias 50000 Pot Farms Are Sucking
Rivers Dry
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Science Jobs of the Week
Post-Doctoral Fellow
University of Oslo
Researcher in hydrodynamic sediment transport
modelling (M F)
Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST)
742015 Growing Vertical Skyscraper Farming - Scientific American
httpwwwscientificamericancomarticlegrowing-vertical-skyscraper-farming 68
Recommended For You
1 The Problem with Female Superheroes a week ago scientificamericancomScientificAmericancom Mind amp Brain
2 Your Facial Bone Structure Has a Big Influence on How People See You
2 weeks ago scientificamericancom ScientificAmericancom Everyday Science3
Six Snubbed Women in Science 8 months ago blogsscientificamericancomScientificAmericancom
Comments
Oldest - Newest
October 31 2009 220 PMLong time subscriber
While this approach to farming may be feasible it completely ignores the underlying threat of
overpopulation Just as politicians continue to promise endless growth for the economy few seem
to question endless growth for humanity We have already seen massive degradation of the
natural environment due to overpopulation - when will it be acknowledged as the root cause of
most of our problems eg climate change poverty overfishing of the oceans etc
Report as Abuse | Link to This
October 31 2009 322 PMcjacobs627
Group Leader - Remote sensing and
ecohydrological modelling (M F)
Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST)
More jobs from Naturejobscom raquo
742015 Growing Vertical Skyscraper Farming - Scientific American
httpwwwscientificamericancomarticlegrowing-vertical-skyscraper-farming 78
You must sign in or register as a ScientificAmericancom member to submit a comment
Actually yes Most of the technologies discussed in Vertical Farming are 100 found in the
growing of marijuana wwwchrisjacobscom
Report as Abuse | Link to This
November 7 2009 725 AMscots engineer
Several facts stand in the way of this fantastic idea Crops need light to grow lots of it Even then
most crops turn much less than 10 of that light energy into biomass Even our most efficient
artificial light sources turn less than 50 of the electricity they need into light When you do the
sums it requires 800 times more energy to grow vegetables under artificial lighting than to
transport these vegetables 500 kilometers There are few countries in the world that cannot find
land for vegetable growing in an area of over 200000 square kilometers near their large cities
Nor does the concept rule out the need for some pesticides Unless extreme biosecurity measures
are maintained from the outset fungicides will be required as the spores are airborn and can
travel many miles and still be viable Consumers are rightly cautious of crops which are irrigated
with sewage water and in UK supermarket buyers will not buy from farms where sewage waste has
been recently appliedEnvironmentally controlled growth houses are starting to become popular
for fresh vegetables and fruit to extend the seasons at both ends and give more total yield This is
as it should be but trying to grow large quantities on expensive urban land makes no sense either
economically or environmentally
Report as Abuse | Link to This
December 6 2009 602 PMCharlie White
Now add to this going vertical on each floor and youll have the right numbers for profitability
Valcent Products (wwwvalcentnet ) has been doing this with their VertiCrop system at a proof-
of-concept at a zoo in London and are now ready to pump out half a dozen systems by end of
January Valcent just announced Robert F Kennedy Jr joining their advisory board and were
voted Time Magazine Top 50 Innovations of 2009 Going vertical on each floor will make all the
difference
Report as Abuse | Link to This
742015 Growing Vertical Skyscraper Farming - Scientific American
httpwwwscientificamericancomarticlegrowing-vertical-skyscraper-farming 88
YES Send me a free issue of Scientific
American with no obligation to continue
the subscription If I like it I will be billed
for the one-year subscription
Advertise
Special Ad Sections
SA Custom Media and
Partnerships
Science Jobs
Partner Network
International Editions
Travel
Use of Cookies
About Scientific American
Press Room
Site Map
Terms of Use
Privacy Policy
Contact Us
Subscribe
Renew Your Print Subscription
Print Subscriber Customer
Service
Buy Back Issues
FAQs
copy 2015 Scientific American a Division of Nature America Inc
All Rights Reserved
Subscribe Now
742015 Growing Vertical Skyscraper Farming - Scientific American
httpwwwscientificamericancomarticlegrowing-vertical-skyscraper-farming 48
Operating costs are an issue of course including winter heating and harvesting But
the fertilizer and fuel consumed for traditional farming is expensive too witness the
run-up in food prices this year Governments also pay out billions of dollars annually to
rescue farmers who lose crops to drought and floods such as those that ravaged the
Midwest this past June
Although real estate in cities would seem too pricey for farming Despommierrsquos grad-
uate students surveyed New York City and found many abandoned buildings and lots
where high-rise farms could sprout ldquoAnd they donrsquot all have to be big towersrdquo
Despommier allows ldquoYou can do this on the rooftops of hospitals and schoolsrdquo which
would use the food in their own commissaries ldquoYou can do this along the periphery but
still within city limits You can do this on open stretches of air force bases and airports
and city islandsrdquo
1 2 Next raquo
Rights amp Permissions
This article was originally published with the title Growing Vertical
Buy this digital issue or subscribe to access other articles from the September 2008 publication
Already have an account Sign In
Digital Issue
$795
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742015 Growing Vertical Skyscraper Farming - Scientific American
httpwwwscientificamericancomarticlegrowing-vertical-skyscraper-farming 58
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Post-Doctoral Fellow
University of Oslo
Researcher in hydrodynamic sediment transport
modelling (M F)
Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST)
742015 Growing Vertical Skyscraper Farming - Scientific American
httpwwwscientificamericancomarticlegrowing-vertical-skyscraper-farming 68
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Comments
Oldest - Newest
October 31 2009 220 PMLong time subscriber
While this approach to farming may be feasible it completely ignores the underlying threat of
overpopulation Just as politicians continue to promise endless growth for the economy few seem
to question endless growth for humanity We have already seen massive degradation of the
natural environment due to overpopulation - when will it be acknowledged as the root cause of
most of our problems eg climate change poverty overfishing of the oceans etc
Report as Abuse | Link to This
October 31 2009 322 PMcjacobs627
Group Leader - Remote sensing and
ecohydrological modelling (M F)
Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST)
More jobs from Naturejobscom raquo
742015 Growing Vertical Skyscraper Farming - Scientific American
httpwwwscientificamericancomarticlegrowing-vertical-skyscraper-farming 78
You must sign in or register as a ScientificAmericancom member to submit a comment
Actually yes Most of the technologies discussed in Vertical Farming are 100 found in the
growing of marijuana wwwchrisjacobscom
Report as Abuse | Link to This
November 7 2009 725 AMscots engineer
Several facts stand in the way of this fantastic idea Crops need light to grow lots of it Even then
most crops turn much less than 10 of that light energy into biomass Even our most efficient
artificial light sources turn less than 50 of the electricity they need into light When you do the
sums it requires 800 times more energy to grow vegetables under artificial lighting than to
transport these vegetables 500 kilometers There are few countries in the world that cannot find
land for vegetable growing in an area of over 200000 square kilometers near their large cities
Nor does the concept rule out the need for some pesticides Unless extreme biosecurity measures
are maintained from the outset fungicides will be required as the spores are airborn and can
travel many miles and still be viable Consumers are rightly cautious of crops which are irrigated
with sewage water and in UK supermarket buyers will not buy from farms where sewage waste has
been recently appliedEnvironmentally controlled growth houses are starting to become popular
for fresh vegetables and fruit to extend the seasons at both ends and give more total yield This is
as it should be but trying to grow large quantities on expensive urban land makes no sense either
economically or environmentally
Report as Abuse | Link to This
December 6 2009 602 PMCharlie White
Now add to this going vertical on each floor and youll have the right numbers for profitability
Valcent Products (wwwvalcentnet ) has been doing this with their VertiCrop system at a proof-
of-concept at a zoo in London and are now ready to pump out half a dozen systems by end of
January Valcent just announced Robert F Kennedy Jr joining their advisory board and were
voted Time Magazine Top 50 Innovations of 2009 Going vertical on each floor will make all the
difference
Report as Abuse | Link to This
742015 Growing Vertical Skyscraper Farming - Scientific American
httpwwwscientificamericancomarticlegrowing-vertical-skyscraper-farming 88
YES Send me a free issue of Scientific
American with no obligation to continue
the subscription If I like it I will be billed
for the one-year subscription
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copy 2015 Scientific American a Division of Nature America Inc
All Rights Reserved
Subscribe Now
742015 Growing Vertical Skyscraper Farming - Scientific American
httpwwwscientificamericancomarticlegrowing-vertical-skyscraper-farming 58
Share this Article
Drought Water and
the Rise of California
Extreme Storms Our Ever Changing
Earth
Extreme Physics
Californias 50000 Pot Farms Are Sucking
Rivers Dry
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Science Jobs of the Week
Post-Doctoral Fellow
University of Oslo
Researcher in hydrodynamic sediment transport
modelling (M F)
Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST)
742015 Growing Vertical Skyscraper Farming - Scientific American
httpwwwscientificamericancomarticlegrowing-vertical-skyscraper-farming 68
Recommended For You
1 The Problem with Female Superheroes a week ago scientificamericancomScientificAmericancom Mind amp Brain
2 Your Facial Bone Structure Has a Big Influence on How People See You
2 weeks ago scientificamericancom ScientificAmericancom Everyday Science3
Six Snubbed Women in Science 8 months ago blogsscientificamericancomScientificAmericancom
Comments
Oldest - Newest
October 31 2009 220 PMLong time subscriber
While this approach to farming may be feasible it completely ignores the underlying threat of
overpopulation Just as politicians continue to promise endless growth for the economy few seem
to question endless growth for humanity We have already seen massive degradation of the
natural environment due to overpopulation - when will it be acknowledged as the root cause of
most of our problems eg climate change poverty overfishing of the oceans etc
Report as Abuse | Link to This
October 31 2009 322 PMcjacobs627
Group Leader - Remote sensing and
ecohydrological modelling (M F)
Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST)
More jobs from Naturejobscom raquo
742015 Growing Vertical Skyscraper Farming - Scientific American
httpwwwscientificamericancomarticlegrowing-vertical-skyscraper-farming 78
You must sign in or register as a ScientificAmericancom member to submit a comment
Actually yes Most of the technologies discussed in Vertical Farming are 100 found in the
growing of marijuana wwwchrisjacobscom
Report as Abuse | Link to This
November 7 2009 725 AMscots engineer
Several facts stand in the way of this fantastic idea Crops need light to grow lots of it Even then
most crops turn much less than 10 of that light energy into biomass Even our most efficient
artificial light sources turn less than 50 of the electricity they need into light When you do the
sums it requires 800 times more energy to grow vegetables under artificial lighting than to
transport these vegetables 500 kilometers There are few countries in the world that cannot find
land for vegetable growing in an area of over 200000 square kilometers near their large cities
Nor does the concept rule out the need for some pesticides Unless extreme biosecurity measures
are maintained from the outset fungicides will be required as the spores are airborn and can
travel many miles and still be viable Consumers are rightly cautious of crops which are irrigated
with sewage water and in UK supermarket buyers will not buy from farms where sewage waste has
been recently appliedEnvironmentally controlled growth houses are starting to become popular
for fresh vegetables and fruit to extend the seasons at both ends and give more total yield This is
as it should be but trying to grow large quantities on expensive urban land makes no sense either
economically or environmentally
Report as Abuse | Link to This
December 6 2009 602 PMCharlie White
Now add to this going vertical on each floor and youll have the right numbers for profitability
Valcent Products (wwwvalcentnet ) has been doing this with their VertiCrop system at a proof-
of-concept at a zoo in London and are now ready to pump out half a dozen systems by end of
January Valcent just announced Robert F Kennedy Jr joining their advisory board and were
voted Time Magazine Top 50 Innovations of 2009 Going vertical on each floor will make all the
difference
Report as Abuse | Link to This
742015 Growing Vertical Skyscraper Farming - Scientific American
httpwwwscientificamericancomarticlegrowing-vertical-skyscraper-farming 88
YES Send me a free issue of Scientific
American with no obligation to continue
the subscription If I like it I will be billed
for the one-year subscription
Advertise
Special Ad Sections
SA Custom Media and
Partnerships
Science Jobs
Partner Network
International Editions
Travel
Use of Cookies
About Scientific American
Press Room
Site Map
Terms of Use
Privacy Policy
Contact Us
Subscribe
Renew Your Print Subscription
Print Subscriber Customer
Service
Buy Back Issues
FAQs
copy 2015 Scientific American a Division of Nature America Inc
All Rights Reserved
Subscribe Now
742015 Growing Vertical Skyscraper Farming - Scientific American
httpwwwscientificamericancomarticlegrowing-vertical-skyscraper-farming 68
Recommended For You
1 The Problem with Female Superheroes a week ago scientificamericancomScientificAmericancom Mind amp Brain
2 Your Facial Bone Structure Has a Big Influence on How People See You
2 weeks ago scientificamericancom ScientificAmericancom Everyday Science3
Six Snubbed Women in Science 8 months ago blogsscientificamericancomScientificAmericancom
Comments
Oldest - Newest
October 31 2009 220 PMLong time subscriber
While this approach to farming may be feasible it completely ignores the underlying threat of
overpopulation Just as politicians continue to promise endless growth for the economy few seem
to question endless growth for humanity We have already seen massive degradation of the
natural environment due to overpopulation - when will it be acknowledged as the root cause of
most of our problems eg climate change poverty overfishing of the oceans etc
Report as Abuse | Link to This
October 31 2009 322 PMcjacobs627
Group Leader - Remote sensing and
ecohydrological modelling (M F)
Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST)
More jobs from Naturejobscom raquo
742015 Growing Vertical Skyscraper Farming - Scientific American
httpwwwscientificamericancomarticlegrowing-vertical-skyscraper-farming 78
You must sign in or register as a ScientificAmericancom member to submit a comment
Actually yes Most of the technologies discussed in Vertical Farming are 100 found in the
growing of marijuana wwwchrisjacobscom
Report as Abuse | Link to This
November 7 2009 725 AMscots engineer
Several facts stand in the way of this fantastic idea Crops need light to grow lots of it Even then
most crops turn much less than 10 of that light energy into biomass Even our most efficient
artificial light sources turn less than 50 of the electricity they need into light When you do the
sums it requires 800 times more energy to grow vegetables under artificial lighting than to
transport these vegetables 500 kilometers There are few countries in the world that cannot find
land for vegetable growing in an area of over 200000 square kilometers near their large cities
Nor does the concept rule out the need for some pesticides Unless extreme biosecurity measures
are maintained from the outset fungicides will be required as the spores are airborn and can
travel many miles and still be viable Consumers are rightly cautious of crops which are irrigated
with sewage water and in UK supermarket buyers will not buy from farms where sewage waste has
been recently appliedEnvironmentally controlled growth houses are starting to become popular
for fresh vegetables and fruit to extend the seasons at both ends and give more total yield This is
as it should be but trying to grow large quantities on expensive urban land makes no sense either
economically or environmentally
Report as Abuse | Link to This
December 6 2009 602 PMCharlie White
Now add to this going vertical on each floor and youll have the right numbers for profitability
Valcent Products (wwwvalcentnet ) has been doing this with their VertiCrop system at a proof-
of-concept at a zoo in London and are now ready to pump out half a dozen systems by end of
January Valcent just announced Robert F Kennedy Jr joining their advisory board and were
voted Time Magazine Top 50 Innovations of 2009 Going vertical on each floor will make all the
difference
Report as Abuse | Link to This
742015 Growing Vertical Skyscraper Farming - Scientific American
httpwwwscientificamericancomarticlegrowing-vertical-skyscraper-farming 88
YES Send me a free issue of Scientific
American with no obligation to continue
the subscription If I like it I will be billed
for the one-year subscription
Advertise
Special Ad Sections
SA Custom Media and
Partnerships
Science Jobs
Partner Network
International Editions
Travel
Use of Cookies
About Scientific American
Press Room
Site Map
Terms of Use
Privacy Policy
Contact Us
Subscribe
Renew Your Print Subscription
Print Subscriber Customer
Service
Buy Back Issues
FAQs
copy 2015 Scientific American a Division of Nature America Inc
All Rights Reserved
Subscribe Now
742015 Growing Vertical Skyscraper Farming - Scientific American
httpwwwscientificamericancomarticlegrowing-vertical-skyscraper-farming 78
You must sign in or register as a ScientificAmericancom member to submit a comment
Actually yes Most of the technologies discussed in Vertical Farming are 100 found in the
growing of marijuana wwwchrisjacobscom
Report as Abuse | Link to This
November 7 2009 725 AMscots engineer
Several facts stand in the way of this fantastic idea Crops need light to grow lots of it Even then
most crops turn much less than 10 of that light energy into biomass Even our most efficient
artificial light sources turn less than 50 of the electricity they need into light When you do the
sums it requires 800 times more energy to grow vegetables under artificial lighting than to
transport these vegetables 500 kilometers There are few countries in the world that cannot find
land for vegetable growing in an area of over 200000 square kilometers near their large cities
Nor does the concept rule out the need for some pesticides Unless extreme biosecurity measures
are maintained from the outset fungicides will be required as the spores are airborn and can
travel many miles and still be viable Consumers are rightly cautious of crops which are irrigated
with sewage water and in UK supermarket buyers will not buy from farms where sewage waste has
been recently appliedEnvironmentally controlled growth houses are starting to become popular
for fresh vegetables and fruit to extend the seasons at both ends and give more total yield This is
as it should be but trying to grow large quantities on expensive urban land makes no sense either
economically or environmentally
Report as Abuse | Link to This
December 6 2009 602 PMCharlie White
Now add to this going vertical on each floor and youll have the right numbers for profitability
Valcent Products (wwwvalcentnet ) has been doing this with their VertiCrop system at a proof-
of-concept at a zoo in London and are now ready to pump out half a dozen systems by end of
January Valcent just announced Robert F Kennedy Jr joining their advisory board and were
voted Time Magazine Top 50 Innovations of 2009 Going vertical on each floor will make all the
difference
Report as Abuse | Link to This
742015 Growing Vertical Skyscraper Farming - Scientific American
httpwwwscientificamericancomarticlegrowing-vertical-skyscraper-farming 88
YES Send me a free issue of Scientific
American with no obligation to continue
the subscription If I like it I will be billed
for the one-year subscription
Advertise
Special Ad Sections
SA Custom Media and
Partnerships
Science Jobs
Partner Network
International Editions
Travel
Use of Cookies
About Scientific American
Press Room
Site Map
Terms of Use
Privacy Policy
Contact Us
Subscribe
Renew Your Print Subscription
Print Subscriber Customer
Service
Buy Back Issues
FAQs
copy 2015 Scientific American a Division of Nature America Inc
All Rights Reserved
Subscribe Now
742015 Growing Vertical Skyscraper Farming - Scientific American
httpwwwscientificamericancomarticlegrowing-vertical-skyscraper-farming 88
YES Send me a free issue of Scientific
American with no obligation to continue
the subscription If I like it I will be billed
for the one-year subscription
Advertise
Special Ad Sections
SA Custom Media and
Partnerships
Science Jobs
Partner Network
International Editions
Travel
Use of Cookies
About Scientific American
Press Room
Site Map
Terms of Use
Privacy Policy
Contact Us
Subscribe
Renew Your Print Subscription
Print Subscriber Customer
Service
Buy Back Issues
FAQs
copy 2015 Scientific American a Division of Nature America Inc
All Rights Reserved
Subscribe Now