The Living Skyscraper by Blake Kurasek

As I got older, I watched the farms and orchards disappear, replaced with cookie cutter communities. Houses that all looked the same and were close enough to scratch your neighbors back while they were in the shower cluttered the horizon and slowly took over the entire area. By the time I moved out of town at 18, there were no more farmers in the area, the suspenders were gone and the soccer moms had moved in.

Now 30, I have seen more and more farms disappear as land is annexed to squeeze in more people. Where I currently reside, there are still many farms in the surrounding areas, and as I drive the back roads to work, I cringe at the though of the roof-tops that will consume the beautiful land over the next 20 years.  So what are we going to do when all the farms are gone? Where will we grow our food? What will happen to the green in the concrete jungle?

Enter The Vertical Farm Project from Columbia University. The idea came about in 1999 when an environmental sciences professor mentioned the idea to his students. In 2001, they actually began researching and outlining the idea, and it has continued to grow since then (Pun intended!).

According to Dickson Despommier, the professor of environmental sciences and microbology that started this ball rolling, vertical farming could provide many benefits around the world. Aside from adding additional green space in overpopulated urban areas, the avoidance of deviated weather conditions such as flood

s or droughts would be a major asset. Growing crops indoors in well maintained conditions will assist in optimal growth rates year round. One acre of vertical farm could produce the same amount of 15 acres of soil-based farmland.

Unfortunately, these farms are still in the proof of concept phase as they figure out ways to reduce the costs of creating the massive structures. If costs are brought down, maybe we could see some of these farms created in highly populated urban areas by 2020! Keep our fingers crossed. Some additional advantages:

Advantages of Vertical Farming

• Year-round crop production
• Eliminates agricultural runoff
• Significantly reduces use of fossil fuels (farm machines and transport of crops)
• Makes use of abandoned or unused properties
• No weather related crop failures
• Offers the possibility of sustainability for urban centers
• Converts black and gray water to drinking water
• Adds energy back to the grid via methane generation
• Creates new urban employment opportunities
• Reduces the risk of infection from agents transmitted at the agricultural interface
• Returns farmland to nature, helping to restore ecosystem functions and services
• Controls vermin by using restaurant waste for methane generation

It seems like every time we turn around something is getting cut from the budget somewhere, and it’s usually something important. Local politicians seem to support ‘city sprawl’ by annexing more and more land for more and more low-cost (And by low-cost, I mean quality) communities that will be overvalued and overpriced. They raise our property taxes to get more money for the city, then then spend it on things that are unnecessary and don’t really do much for the community. We waste and waste and waste, and wonder why we’re in a deficit.

Then I start to look around. I look at the opportunities to save money, left right and center, and I wonder why such simple things are being ignored by the government and big business. Do they not care about the environment? Do they not care about the bills that are being paid by the taxpayers? Do they just not care period?

Take a look downtown at night, in any major metropolis. Have you ever wondered who could possibly be working that late at night? I mean, 95% of all the buildings are lit up like it was Christmas, yet they are vacant… Some would say it’s for security. OK, Security of what? Who’s going to see somebody robbing the 32nd floor of that skyscraper? “Well, the security guard when he does his rounds”. Fair enough, but couldn’t he just turn on the lights when he does his rounds on that floor, then turn them off again when he leaves? Is that really so difficult for somebody that spends 80% of his time watching TV or playing games while he waits for his next round (Disclosure: I was formerly a security guard, and no, it would not have been difficult for me to do)?

How about all the street lights? Sure, they are great in core when it’s busy, but what about after the ‘evening rushes’, in the middle of the night. Couldn’t they turn every second one off? It would still provide more than enough light, especially on the highways that see very little traffic at that time of night. Would that be so hard? I can already hear people whining about this ‘It’s only a few extra watts, what does it matter’. Take those few extra watts and multiply that by the billions and billions of streetlights in North America. That would be a LOT of electricity saved, and our environment would thank us.

These, of course, are some basic money saving ideas for sustainability that a city could implement, and I am sure the list goes on and on. Until we get people in office that actually care enough to step outside the box and see what other options we have, our cities will continue push themselves further in debt and try to pass that on to it’s residents. Isn’t it about time, especially during difficult economic times, that our cities and big business chipped in on getting greener and saving money? What ideas do YOU have that could reduce costs? Post in the comments.

With Freecycle, you have 2 options, give and receive. You can post an item for somebody to take, or post something you are looking for. That’s it. Moderators have been known to be almost militant at times when people don’t follow these strict rules. But what about the people that want to do more with their stuff? They Can BorrowMe!

Similar to the Freecycle network, BorrowMe.com allows users to post items they want, or have to give away, but with many more options and control.

So if you’re upset with Freecycle and and are looking for alternatives, come check out BorrowMe.com and take it for a spin!

Turns out, the dream is not that far from reality.

Simon and his family at their woodland home in Wales.

Photographer and fine artist Simon Dale had a dream for a low impact woodland home that was not only family friendly, but eco-friendly as well. With their decision to be full time parents to their children, purchasing a mass-produced monstrosity with an over-inflated mortgage was out of the questions.

With some past experiences and a lot of self-belief, the family embarked on an incredible journey of sustainable living. They camped under canvas tarps during the construction of their house with no facilities and no electricity, a feat that some would call crazy. Crazy or not, you can’t deny the beauty and sustainable nature of this magnificent home.

They started by digging into the hillside and created a foundation and retaining wall from dry stone (Recovered from the hole). The initial framing was erected using small trees and logs. The roof and walls were assembled with bales of hay and shaped via chainsaw and covered in lime plaster (Which also kept the rodents at bay). The floor was a series of palates covered with hay and planks. They used the dirt and mud they dug from the ground to seal the roof (Along with some plastic), patch holes and level where required.

Some key points on design and construction:

• Dug into hillside for low visual impact and shelter
• Stone and mud from diggings used for retaining walls, foundations etc.
• Frame of oak thinnings (spare wood) from surrounding woodland
• Reciprocal roof rafters are structurally and aesthaetically fantastic and very easy to do
• Straw bales in floor, walls and roof for super-insulation and easy building
• Plastic sheet and mud/turf roof for low impact and ease
• Lime plaster on walls is breathable and low energy to manufacture (compared to cement)
• Reclaimed (scrap) wood for floors and fittings
• Anything you could possibly want is in a rubbish pile somewhere (windows, burner, plumbing, wiring…)
• Woodburner for heating – renewable and locally plentiful
• Flue goes through big stone/plaster lump to retain and slowly release heat
• Fridge is cooled by air coming underground through foundations
• Skylight in roof lets in natural feeling light
• Solar panels for lighting, music and computing
• Water by gravity from nearby spring
• Compost toilet
• Roof water collects in pond for garden etc.

The end result is an awe inspiring home that is completely sustainable, and a beauty to look at. There are many more photos, plans and overviews on their website for your viewing pleasure. If you have any interest in eco-friendly homes, then this is a must see! Congratulations to the Dale family for taking the initiative and building a work of art to live in, fantastic work.