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PRELIMINARY IDEAS (PI) Work 2010

Catholic Junior College Project

NAME: U Bhalraam GROUP INDEX NO: CJ NAME OF SUPERVISING TUTOR: Ms Wendy Heng SIGNATURE OF SUPERVISING TUTOR:

HOME TUTORIAL GROUP: 1T27 PROJECT TASK: 2 WORD COUNT: 1050 (w/o references) DATE OF SUBMISSION:

Alternatives is defined as other methods of which a certain task can be better accomplished from the current way of doing it. Problems
- Land available for agriculture plummets as population rises. Food security1 is an

issue. - Very dependent on other countries - More efficient alternatives for traditional farming needs to be found Alternatives for land use for efficient plant growth(PG) can be generally solved by: Increasing Land : Crop Harvest ratio Increasing the rate of harvests Rationale for choice:

Singapores increasing dependence on other countries for sources of food is worrying If food sanctions were placed against Singapore, it is obvious that we would suffer greatly 103Ha is used for farming in Singapore. This land can be put to better use. (e.g. R&D)

Attempted Solutions

Japan is a country undergone urbanization[1]. suffers from land scarcity. Japan is producing vegetables for less than half its population. government is looking into more efficient methods of PG to secure the publics well being if sanctions were set against Japan. Technology was used to increase PG efficiency as it was clearly proven to work in the 1950s during the green revolution[2]
1 Refer to Annex : Why must we have Food Security?

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Indoor growing facilities[3] (ground level) (Annex : Article 1) Air-conditioning to maintain a constant temperature and humidity. Computer controls ensure optimum conditions are maintained for cultivating produce. Advantages - able to maintain temperature - and keep insects away - protects crops from extreme weather - Hydroponics and Aeroponics help increase the density of PG - Resources are conserved

Disadvantages - Still having a high demand for land area - The number of plants able to be grown in one facility cannot support a population - Space of the facility is not fully utilized. - Alot of electricity is required to power LEDs Lessons Learnt - Increasing PG density definitely increases efficiency of harvest - Electricity bills skyrocket when using artificial lighting - By reducing contact with fresh air, plants are less likely to attain diseases Ideas generated - An infrastructure of low land demand can be built but still having the same PG efficiency. - Try exposing the building to sunlight ; building having transparent windows. - To maximize space used, plants can be hung on the ceilings or perhaps having another storey of the building. - The abv. point also leads to the solution to increasing crop harvest.

Underground farming[4] (Annex : Article 3) Tokyos Underground Farm is called Pasona O2. A subterranean farm cultivated beneath a high rise building. Aimed to produce food for population Advantages Excess area is not needed for the construction of this sort of farm. Land can be used for two purposes.

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No soil used, hence saving resources Not affected by weather

Disadvantages The landlord might not be happy that his land is being used for other purposes Artificial lighting is very costly (solved abv.)

Lessons Learnt Land can be used for Maintaining the same high efficiency

Ideas to alleviate/solve problems - Incentives provided to the landlords to spur them to support - The building proposed to be built can be for multiple uses. - Can further save resources by placing electricity generators e.g. solar panels

EVALUATION2
The Japanese government laid out certain criteria before choosing the method that they are going to use in the long run. They are Feasibility Required Indoor Gro wing Undergro und Farming 7 8
Ratio :1.143

Cost 6 8
Ratio : 1.333

Efficiency of 7 9
Ratio : 1.125

Additional Bene 6 6
Ratio :1.000

Consequ en

Total
4.000 (LEAST) 4.601 (TOTAL) 4.232 (TOTAL)

2 4
Ratio :

6
Ratio : 0.857

9
Ratio : 1.500

7
Ratio : 0.875

9
Ratio : 1.500

4
Ratio :

2 Base Evaluation values are an estimate from previous environmental projects such as Mitsubishi's Solar Cell Plant in Japan

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Decision Based on information above, Japan decided to go on and invest in Indoor growing facilities. The Pasona O2 Underground Farm is still being used for farming but dominantly as a training ground for newly groomed agricultural officers currently and a site to educate people on the advantages of High Tech Farming. Another Similar Problem Singapore has not much resources.[5] Singapore has not much land.[5] Needs food security If countries sanction against Singapore People will suffer So, must be prepared and self-reliant Singapore is in almost the same plight as Japan. Currently implemented Procedure Horticulture Fig. 5

Local farms produce mainly leafy vegetables and bean-sprouts. Methods of cultivation (fig. 5) Cultivation under protective netting is widely practiced. Amounting to $14 million in value, are wholly consumed by the domestic market. Advantages - Helps in Food security - Source of revenue

Disadvantages - Not enough being produced to support the population - Takes up a lot of precious land essential to Singapore3 Suggested Measure - VERTICAL FARMING - Altered version of the idea of vertical farming4. - 3 10 storey fully transparent buildings made of glass is to be erected next to the IRs and 1 in Central Singapore5 - Roof slightly bigger, Solar panels placed at the top. - These towers are filled with cash crops - (tomatoes, potatoes, vegetables, fruits, etc.) - Can also purify used water by evotranspiration
3 The total land area is a mere 710.2km2 http://www.singstat.gov.sg/stats/keyind.html#demoind 4 Refer to Annex : Vertical Farming 5 Preferably Toa Payoh

Fig. 6

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Advantages
- Most efficient PG to Area used ratio. - SOLAR energy is used for PG and not electrical energy - Since its going to be the first in the world, Many tourists would be attracted to the IRs as well. - Creating more revenue for the government. - Able to support the whole population6 (food) Disadvantages - Might use much power even though some are produced by the solar panels. - The expensive investment might discourage the authorities.

Why hasn't been attempted before


This is because other countries have more to lose than us. We have the smallest land area among all the developed countries. Nobody has tried this method yet because they can detour the problem. We dont. We have almost no resources at all. Manageability of Project This project is moderately feasible as it requires several approvals from the several government sectors. Ministry of Environment as well as Land and Transport Authority. This project is very manageable as in involves the building of one structure only, maintained by a few people. The information required is easily accessible. Internet journals, Magazines, Newspapers, Surveys, Interviews, National Library Board Archives. References
C ie l S C anto r ia, C SC . (20 0 9 , June 17 ). What is Ver tical far ming and ho w can it pro vide alte r native fo o d so ur ce s? . Re tr ie ve d fr o m http ://w w w . br igh thu b.co m/e nv ir o nme nt/s cie nce e nvir o nme ntal/ar t icle s/3 9 0 3 6 .aspx

C o x, Jake . " W hat is Ver tical Far ming? ." What is Ve r tical Far ming? 1 0 No v 20 09 : n. pag. We b. 1 3 Apr 20 10 . < http: //w w w .o ne ar th .o r g/no de /1 5 8 7 > .

Haiduk , Y H. (20 08 , Se pte mbe r 0 8 ). Hydr o po nic far m + -. R e tr ie ve d fr o m http :// so cial lyr e spo nsib le de sign .blo gs po t.co m /2 0 0 8 /09 /hydr o po nic - far m.html

6 It is calculated that a 30 storey vertical farm can support 8 Million people.

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Project Work 2010 R e ko r d, Elaine . " Pe ppe r Far me r Using Gr ee nho use T echno lo gy." Pe ppe r Far me r Using Gr ee nho use T echno lo gy (2 00 9 ): n. pag. We b. 1 3 Apr 2 01 0 . < http: //w w w . jis .go v. jm/a gr icul tur e /ht ml /2 0 09 0 31 0 t11 00 0 0 0 50 0_ 18 8 03 _ jis_ pe ppe r _ far me r _ using_ gr e e nho use_ te chno lo gy_ to _ pr o duce _ sc o tch_ bo nne t_ se e dlings.a sp> . Agr i- fo o d & ve ter inar y autho r ity o f singapo r e . (2 0 10 , Apr il 1 3 ). R e tr ie ve d fr o m http ://w w w .a va.go v .sg /AV A/T e mpla te s/AV A- Ge ner icC o nte ntT e mplate .as px? N R MO DE= Publishe d& N R N O DEG UID= % 7 b4 1 50 3 FA5 - 7B 04 -4 63 6 -9 B0 9 1 D49 DFA5 0 64 8 %7 d& NR O R IG IN AL UR L= % 2 fAgr icultur e F ishe r ie sSe cto r % 2 fFar mingInS inga po r e %2 fAgr o T e chPar ks%2 f& N RC AC HEHIN T = G ue st# 1

Odum, EP. (1997). Ecology: the bridge between science and society. Sinauer Assoc. P 330.
G r ids o r ganiz e think ing . (n.d .) . R e tr ie ve d fr o m http ://w w w . fno .o r g/o ct9 7 /gr id s.h tml

Ur ban unde r gr o und. (n.d. ). Re tr ie ve d fr o m http ://w w w . tr e e hugge r .co m/fi le s/2 0 0 5 /06 /ur ban_ unde r gr o u.ph p

Ve r tical far m star t up. (n.d. ). Re tr ie ve d fr o m http :// jan gw o r ld.co m/o mn ige ns /? p= 6 9 3

Unde r gr o und far ms be ne ath to k yo . (n.d. ). Re tr ie ve d fr o m http :// blo g .jap und it .co m/ar chi ve s/2 0 0 8 /02 /1 7 /79 04 /

Fo o d se cur ity . (n.d. ). Re tr ie ve d fr o m http ://o ak land fo o dsyste m. pbw o r ks.co m/f /O FS A_ Fo o dSe cur ity .pd f

Japan . (n.d .) . R e tr ie ve d fr o m http ://e n .w ik ipe dia .o r g/w ik i/ Japan# Eco no my G lo bal pr o ble ms and issue s . (n.d .) . R e tr ie ve d fr o m http :// ge o gr aphy.a bo ut. co m/o d/ glo ba lpr o ble msan dissue s/ a/gr e e nr e vo lutio n. ht m

Subterranean farms of Tokyo. (2008, February 12). Retrieved from http://pruned.blogspot.com/2008/02/subterranean-farms-of-tokyo.html

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ANNEX
ARTICLE 1 Food Security Why is it Important? Food Security means access by all people at all times to enough food for an active, healthy life. Food security includes at a minimum: 1) ready availability of nutritionally adequate and safe foods, and 2) an assured ability to acquire acceptable foods in socially acceptable ways.118 In 2004, the 11.9 percent of American households (13.5 million U.S. households) were food insecure. At some time during the year, these households were uncertain of having, or unable to acquire, enough food to meet the needs of all their members because they had insufficient money or other resources. According to the results of a Census Bureau survey as well as several studies, those at greatest risk of being hungry or food insecure live in households that are: headed by a single woman; African Americans, Hispanics,andNativeAmericans;orwithincomesbelowthepovertyline.119 Forfamiliesin poverty, food is often the first thing cut out of budgets when faced with high rent, utility bills, and medical expenses. California, along with seven other states, has food insecurity and hunger rates that are significantly higher than the national average.120 According the California Food Policy Advocates, 29 percent of Alameda County residents are touched by hungerandfoodinsecurity.121 Unfortunately,thisdatawasnotcollectedatthecitylevel, though what follows is in an attempt to analyze contributing factors of food insecurity in Oakland. http://oaklandfoodsystem.pbworks.com/f/OFSA_FoodSecurity.pdf

Article 2 As of 2009, Japan is the second largest economy in the world, after the United States, at around US$5 trillion in terms of nominal GDP and third after the United States and China in terms of purchasing power parity. Japan's public debt is 192 percent of its annual gross domestic product, Banking, insurance, real estate, retailing, transportation, telecommunications and construction are all major industries. Japan has a large industrial capacity and is home to some of the largest, leading and most technologically advanced producers of motor vehicles, electronic equipment, machine tools, steel and nonferrous metals, ships, chemicals, textiles and processed foods. The service sector accounts for three quarters of the gross domestic product. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japan#Economy

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2. ^ a b "World Economic Outlook Database; country comparisons". IMF. 2006-09-01. Retrieved


2007-03-14.

3. ^ "NationMaster; Economy Statistics". NationMaster. Retrieved 2007-03-26. 4. ^ er 6 Manufacturing and Construction, Statistical Handbook of Japan, Ministry of Internal
Affairs and Communications

5. ^ a b c d "World Factbook; JapanEconomy". CIA. 2006-12-19. Retrieved 2006-12-28.

Article 3 The term Green Revolution refers to the renovation of agricultural practices beginning in Mexico in the 1940s. Because of its success in producing more agricultural products there, Green Revolution technologies spread worldwide in the 1950s and 1960s, significantly increasing the amount of calories produced per acre of agriculture. History and Development of the Green Revolution The beginnings of the Green Revolution are often attributed to Norman Borlaug, an American scientist interested in agriculture. In the 1940s, he began conducting research in Mexico and developed new disease resistance high-yield varieties of wheat. By combining Borlaug's wheat varieties with new mechanized agricultural technologies, Mexico was able to produce more wheat than was needed by its own citizens, leading to its becoming an exporter of wheat by the 1960s. Prior to the use of these varieties, the country was importing almost half of its wheat supply.
http://geography.about.com/od/globalproblemsandissues/a/greenrevolution.htm

Article 4 China, Japan and World Food Insecurity Motegi Yoshinobu

Motegi Yoshinobu here considers the implications for Japan and Chinas other neighbors of Chinas growing grain needs, particularly corn. He locates the issues in light of Japans own grain selfsufficiency level of 27 percent, the worlds lowest, and policies that

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keep some productive Japanese land fallow. Will the pressures on food and environment that derive from Chinese and Indian development, and from high level consumption in the developed countries, lead to a reassessment of Japans reliance on international markets? There are few signs of a significant shift in Japanese strategy to date. MS According to Takagi, grain stockpiles around the world have dropped to those same levels of more than 30 years ago. Given the international flow of hot speculative money, he warned that "once China runs short of grain, we may be seeing an even steeper price hike in the future." If that happens, Japan will be in trouble. According to farm ministry figures from last August, Japan produced 9.6 million tons of grain in 2007 for a self-sufficiency rate of 27 percent. For corn, Japan is almost totally dependent on imports. According to the agriculture ministry, Japan imported 16.8 million tons of corn in 2006. Japan's domestic livestock industry traditionally has relied on cheap imported feed. But those days may be numbered, experts say. Resource-poor Japan--and much of the rest of the world--may be at a crossroads before too long. Much depends on whether China can keep its ever-surging demand for grain in check. ----------------------------END OF ARTICLE 4--------------------------

Article 5
Japanese Government to boost indoor cultivation

The Yomiuri Shimbun

Apr. 10, 2009

The government is set to launch full-scale efforts to promote indoor agricultural facilities to ensure stable cultivation of fruits and vegetables, government officials said.

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Project Work 2010 As part of a three-year plan to boost the number of indoor growing facilities about fourfold, to 150, and raise production about fivefold, the government will offer incentives including low-interest financing and a capital investment tax credit, the officials said.

Besides responding to rising industry demand for safe and reliable food supplies, the government hopes the move also will create employment opportunities. The plan is expected to be included in the additional economic stimulus package currently being compiled by the government and ruling parties.

Indoor growing facilities use air-conditioning to maintain consistent temperature and humidity. Computer controls ensure optimal conditions are maintained for cultivating produce, including the proper mix of carbon dioxide, light and water, appropriate temperature and nutrients for growth.

Indoor cultivation also makes it easy to maintain uniform quality and shape, and renders pesticide use unnecessary.

Industries including major food producers already are operating 40 such indoor growing facilities nationwide. About 10 types of produce, including lettuce, tomatoes, strawberries are being cultivated inside them. Officials added it is possible to cultivate lettuce 20 times a year in the indoor factories.

Meanwhile, the government envisages further indoor agricultural facilities being set up on demolished factory sites, unused or abandoned farmland, or even inside vacant stores within shopping districts.

The government hopes the measures will make use of idle land and help farming villages affected by the aging population, and in turn, lead to a rise in job opportunities.

The government also is set to introduce new legislation to address the problem of vague zoning restrictions for factories that combine agricultural and factory functions, which until now have not been clearly defined, the officials added.

Construction costs for a large indoor growing facility can easily reach hundreds of millions of yen. In addition, air-conditioning costs push the retail price of vegetables and fruits cultivated in indoor growing facilities two to three times higher than ordinary produce.

The government aims to bring down production costs by about 30 percent over the projects three-year time frame by introducing measures to promote the adoption of energy-saving technologies.

ARTICLE 6

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Tokyo, Japan. A man tends a tomato plant in Pasona O2, an artificially lit and computer controlled greenhouse built in the basement of a high rise building in the business district of Tokyo on February 15, 2005 in Tokyo, Japan. Pasona Inc, a human resources service company, built the greenhouse in order to introduce the pleasure of agriculture also to train aspiring farmers in the city.
Two years ago we first covered Tokyo's underground farm; It is called Pasona O2 and was set up as a means of providing agricultural training to young people who are having trouble finding employment and middle-aged people in search of a second career. Of course, since we first posted the interest in local food has increased dramatically and there has been much more interest in urban farming. We also came upon some new information:

ARTICLE 7 http://www.ava.gov.sg/AgricultureFisheriesSector/FarmingInSingapore/AgroTec hParks/

Agrotechnology Parks
The need to maximise output from Singapore's limited agricultural land led AVA to spearhead a move towards agrotechnology, which is the application of modern technology and life sciences to intensive farming systems. In 1986, AVA embarked on its Agrotechnology Programme which comprises 3 components: The development of Agrotechnology parks in Singapore to house modern intensive farms The development of agrotechnology and agri-biotechnology (the latter defined as the knowledge in agriculture and molecular biology applied to large-scale, intensive farming) The promotion of investments in the agri-industry AVA's technical and R&D centres, i.e. the Aquaculture Services Centre, Horticulture Services Centre and Marine Aquaculture Centre provide technical assistance to the local farming industry to help them improve the quality of their produce and enhance their productivity.

Agrotechnology Parks

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Agrotechnology Parks are modern agriculture estates developed with the necessary infrastructure for farming. There are six agrotechnology parks in Singapore. They are located at Lim Chu Kang, Murai, Sungei Tengah, Nee Soon, Mandai and Loyang. These parks occupy a total land area of 1,465 ha and nearly 700 ha have been allocated to over 200 farms for the production of livestock, eggs, milk, aquarium and food fish, vegetables, fruits, orchids, ornamental and aquatic plants, as well as for the breeding of birds and dogs. The modern farms in the Agrotechnology Parks develop, adapt and showcase advanced technologies and techniques for intensive farming systems, and for export of high value and quality products and services to other tropical countries in the region Singapore's geographical location and unique cultural experience makes us the ideal partner for entering the vast Asian market. The use of land for the various types of farming activities in the agrotechnology park is given in the table below:
Activities Horticulture Vegetables Orchid/Ornamentals etc. 52 69 103 283 386 No. of Farms Total Area (ha)

Total 121

Article 8

The Subterranean farm of Tokyo


12 February 2008

While we're on the subject of things agricultural and of things covered by just about everyone long before today, there is Pasona O2, a subterranean farm cultivated inside a former bank vault beneath a high rise building in one of Tokyo's business districts.

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(L e ttuce s bathe d in ar tificia l ligh t at Paso na O 2 . Pho to gr aphe r unkno w n. So ur ce .)

Though walled in from sunlight, weather and geology, it's unbelievably verdant. Tomatoes, lettuces, strawberries, and other fruits and vegetables, as well as flowers and herbs, are grown in an area about 1,000 square meters. There is even a terraced rice paddy.

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( Roo m 1: Flo w e r gar de n. He r e L ED lights are use d. Ro o m 2: He r b fie ld. Her e me tal halide lamps are use d. Ro o m 3: R ice paddie s. Her e high pre ssur e so dium lamp is use d. Ro o m 4: Fr uit and ve ge table fie lds. Roo m 5: Ve ge table fie ld. Ro o m 6: Plant cultiva tio n o f 21 st ce ntur y type . So ur ce .)

ARTICLE 9 I recently found out about Pasona O2, an underground rice and vegetable farm located beneath an office building in Tokyos Otemachi business district. Once the vault of a major bank, the 1,000 square meter facility now produces rice, tomatoes, lettuce, strawberries, and other fruits and vegetables, as well as 100 different flowers and herbs. Hydroponics (a system of artificial light from light-emitting diodes, metal halide lamps and high-pressure sodium vapor lamps) are all used to sustain Pasona O2s vegetation in the absence of sunlight. The temperature is strictly controlled by computer, and everything grown is pesticide free. But what exactly is Pasona 02s purpose? A good question considering none of the produce grown is sold to the public. Rather, the space is used as a training facility for freeters (Japanese young people that hop from job to job) with an interest in farming, and older folks interested in trying something new. With arable farming land rapidly declining around the world, large cities will soon be forced to integrate food production into the urban

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environment. Are facilities like Pasona O2 a clever solution to the immanent food crunch?

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UNDERGROUND URBAN FARM


Fruit and Vegetables Grown Under Office Building (March 17, 2005)

The underground farm (Pasona O2)

An underground rice and vegetable field has been planted beneath an office building in Tokyo's Otemachi business district. This urban farm - in what used to be the vault of a major bank - is maintained using computer-controlled artificial light and temperature management. It was brought into being by a personnel company as a means of providing agricultural training to young people who are having trouble finding employment and middle-aged people in search of a second career. New Use for Former Bank Vault The hi-tech vegetable patch, called Pasona O2, is located in the Otemachi Nomura Building in the Tokyo district of Otemachi, where many major corporations have their headquarters. The building, which has 27 floors above ground and five below, used to be home to Tokyo Life Insurance and Resona Bank (formerly Daiwa Bank). But these firms have left, and office space in the building is now leased to several different companies. This project was launched by the temporary staffing agency Pasona Inc. When Pasona moved its headquarters to this building, it decided to lease the second basement floor - formerly the Resona Bank vault - and turn it into a vegetable garden. In the absence of sunlight, the plants are sustained by artificial light from light-emitting diodes, metal halide lamps, and high-pressure

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Article 11 The crops production from this advanced hi-tech farming is not significant at the moment. Pasona O2 urban underground farm project best annual rice production is around 60 kg. This is normal for any major innovation and technology breakthrough. Both advanced urban vertical farming and urban underground farming concept model is still in its infancy development stage . http://jangworld.com/omnigens/?p=512 http://www.cityfarmer.info/2009/04/10/japanese-government-to-boostindoor-cultivation-housed-vegetable-growing-will-create-jobs-aid-foodsecurity/
ARTICLE 12 As Singapore is a city-state with not much land area, it is not particularly rich in natural resources. Natural resources in Singapore can be categorized into nonrenewable resources, renewable resources and water resources. The conservation and management of water resource has been a huge challenge for countries across the globe. In a country like Singapore, where land is at a premium, the use of land to conserve water has to be integrated with the use of land for socio economic growth. Water itself being a scarce resource, has to be used judiciously. Singapore has come up with an efficient water management policy, to ensure sustainability of water resources over a period of time. The Government in Singapore has taken initiatives by investing in infrastructure, upgrading technology, devising water management strategies to manage water resource. Nonrenewable Resources in Singapore Natural resource, such as coal, oil, or natural gas, which takes millions of years to form naturally and therefore, cannot be replaced once it is consumed. Fossil fuels like coal, oil, and gas generate a considerable amount of energy when they are burnt (the process of combustion). Non-renewable resources have high carbon content because their origin lies in the photosynthetic activity of plants millions of years ago. Singapore has very limited non renewable resources. The economy is dependent on oil and natural gas imports. Singapore took a conscious decision

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to move from fuel oil to natural gas in 2001.Currently natural gas accounts for 80 per cent of the electricity generation. http://www.tradechakra.com/economy/singapore/singapore-natural-resources94.php

Article 13 - http://www.verticalfarm.com/ The Problem By the year 2050, nearly 80% of the earth's population will reside in urban centers. Applying the most conservative estimates to current demographic trends, the human population will increase by about 3 billion people during the interim. An estimated 109 hectares of new land (about 20% more land than is represented by the country of Brazil) will be needed to grow enough food to feed them, if traditional farming practices continue as they are practiced today. At present, throughout the world, over 80% of the land that is suitable for raising crops is in use (sources: FAO and NASA). Historically, some 15% of that has been laid waste by poor management practices. What can be done to avoid this impending disaster? A Potential Solution: Farm Vertically The concept of indoor farming is not new, since hothouse production of tomatoes, a wide variety of herbs, and other produce has been in vogue for some time. What is new is the urgent need to scale up this technology to accommodate another 3 billion people. An entirely new approach to indoor farming must be invented, employing cutting edge technologies. The Vertical Farm must be efficient (cheap to construct and safe to operate). Vertical farms, many stories high, will be situated in the heart of the world's urban centers. If successfully implemented, they offer the promise of urban renewal, sustainable production of a safe and varied food supply (year-round crop production), and the eventual repair of ecosystems that have been sacrificed for horizontal farming. It took humans 10,000 years to learn how to grow most of the crops we now take for granted. Along the way, we despoiled most of the land we worked, often turning verdant, natural ecozones into semi-arid deserts. Within that same time frame, we evolved into an urban species, in which 60% of the human population now lives vertically in cities. This means that, for the majority, we humans are protected against the elements, yet we subject our

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food-bearing plants to the rigors of the great outdoors and can do no more than hope for a good weather year. However, more often than not now, due to a rapidly changing climate regime, that is not what follows. Massive floods, protracted droughts, class 4-5 hurricanes, and severe monsoons take their toll each year, destroying millions of tons of valuable crops. Don't our harvestable plants deserve the same level of comfort and protection that we now enjoy? The time is at hand for us to learn how to safely grow our food inside environmentally controlled multistory buildings within urban centers. If we do not, then in just another 50 years, the next 3 billion people will surely go hungry, and the world will become a much more unpleasant place in which to live.

Advantages of Vertical Farming Year-round crop production; 1 indoor acre is equivalent to 4-6 outdoor acres or more, depending upon the crop (e.g., strawberries: 1 indoor acre = 30 outdoor acres) No weather-related crop failures due to droughts, floods, pests All VF food is grown organically: no herbicides, pesticides, or fertilizers VF virtually eliminates agricultural runoff by recycling black water VF returns farmland to nature, restoring ecosystem functions and services VF greatly reduces the incidence of many infectious diseases that are acquired at the agricultural interface VF converts black and gray water into potable water by collecting the water of evapotranspiration

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VF adds energy back to the grid via methane generation from composting non-edible parts of plants and animals VF dramatically reduces fossil fuel use (no tractors, plows, shipping.) VF converts abandoned urban properties into food production centers VF creates sustainable environments for urban centers VF creates new employment opportunities We cannot go to the moon, Mars, or beyond without first learning to farm indoors on earth VF may prove to be useful for integrating into refugee camps VF offers the promise of measurable economic improvement for tropical and subtropical LDCs. If this should prove to be the case, then VF may be a catalyst in helping to reduce or even reverse the population growth of LDCs as they adopt urban agriculture as a strategy for sustainable food production. VF could reduce the incidence of armed conflict over natural resources, such as water and land for agriculture

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