Food security is a critically important topic, as food is one of the very few things we need to survive. Sadly, for many people, food security is something they can only dream about. This issue is not limited to far away developing countries; serious food security issues exist right here in North America for a large number of people, and it’s getting worse every year.

Today is Blog Action Day, and since it coincides with World Food Day, this year’s topic is of course food. While there are many environmental issues that pertain to food, none present as pressing a need to address as food security.

I’ve titled this article ‘Creating hunger-proof cities’ because there is a disturbing disconnect between people and food in many cities. In almost every large city in North America, there are people at risk of starving every day, and even more who don’t have any access to quality food. In most major inner cities there exists what has been termed ‘food deserts’; regions that are devoid of grocery stores or other food markets. In these areas, people are routinely malnourished, and often must travel great distances to reach the nearest food source. While these areas generally coincide with poor areas, this is not always the case. This problem is often just as prevalent in suburbia; although residents of these areas generally just hop in their SUV and drive to the nearest Walmart superstore, even if it’s 20km away.. but I digress.

Driving long distance for food just isn’t an option for many people, so they go without proper food. As anyone who has even made a cursory study of health & nutrition can tell you, a diet based on synthetic & processed foods is an excellent way to ruin one’s health. This ‘food’ will keep a person alive, of course, but there are far better ways to feed people.

Additionally, there is also the problem of people who cannot afford even low-quality food. Anyone who has spent any time in cities has no doubt seen people begging on the street, or even looking in a trash can for something to eat. It’s hard to imagine this happening in locations with so much wealth (ever think about how much a city is worth?) and with so much waste, but it happens. This is a problem.

Food security for the general population is also a concern; I will use my own home as an example for this one. Vancouver Island, on Canada’s west coast, is home to around 750,000 people. Historically, up to 85% of the food consumed here has been produced here, but now that figure is below 10%. Experts estimate that we have roughly a 3 day supply of food at any given time, if the ferry service to the island is disrupted for any reason. Vancouver Island, specifically Victoria, is an affluent region. It has, in general, the highest cost of living anywhere in Canada. I routinely see Porsches, Ferraris, and other luxury vehicles here. Yet, we’re fundamentally just as food insecure as the person who doesn’t know where their next meal will come from. This is a problem.

Quality of food is also a concern; and this issue involves both how an item was grown, as well as where. It’s very common to see apples from New Zealand in the stores, grapes from Chile, and even more things from even further away. The average North American food item travels 2,400km (1,500 miles), which has a large carbon footprint. This results in lower quality food, as it is usually picked before it’s ripe, and usually as part of an industrial monocrop which makes it susceptible enough to disease that large quantities of pesticides & herbicides are used. One frequently quoted anecdote is that a person would need to eat 10 tomatoes today to get the same nutrition that 1 had in 1940. We’re eating food (and getting fatter), but are still malnourished. This is a problem.

Quality and availability of farmland is decreasing at an alarming rate. Most of the best farmland in Canada is covered by cities and suburbs, and the remaining quality land becomes less fertile with each passing year due to our unsustainable farming practices. Crop land in California is becoming increasingly salty, and droughts are very common throughout the country. Rising temperatures and altered weather patterns due to climate change are all contributing to a reduced ability to farm, which lowers yields and threatens global food supplies. This is evident with recent changes in the prices & supplies of staple crops such as wheat and rice. In addition, many low-lying areas that currently produce an abundance of food in Asia are at risk of being flooded by rising sea levels over the coming decades. The window in which we can comfortably grow the food we want, when and where we want, is closing rapidly. It is harder to grow large quantities of food now than it used to be, yet there are many more of us to feed now. This is a problem.

100 years ago, much of our economy was still based on agriculture. Many small farms existed, nearly everybody had a garden, and because chemical fertilizers & pesticides hadn’t been invented yet, it was also 100% organic. Food security was as simple as going out to the garden, or to the market. This is a trend that persisted for decades; many people grew ‘Victory Gardens’ during WW2, because so much food and other resources were being sent overseas. After WW2, however, things changed.

The 1950s and 60s introduced society to the concept of pre-packaged food and the great disconnect between people and the origins of their food, which started us on the path toward our current situation where a Twinkie is considered ‘food’, industrial farms so large that the farmers need satellites to navigate their tractors, and where people starve in cities mere feet from edible food locked securely away to rot in a dumpster. All of these problems can be reduced or eliminated if people were to remember one simple concept. If you put a seed in some soil, and add a little water, food happens! It’s not some mysterious concept, we used to do it all the time. We’ve just forgotten how incredibly simple it is.

Coming back to the title of this post, ‘Creating hunger-proof cities’, what can we realistically do to fix these problems? The simplest way to look at this issue is that the food is too far from the people. This creates the problems of lack of availability, lack of quality, lack of nutrition, and tremendous waste due to spoilage. Since most people live in large towns or cities, and those aren’t going away any time soon, the solution is to bring the food production back to where the people are. Fortunately, this is actually far simpler than it sounds.

Although this post was created as my contribution to Blog Action Day 2011, this is not the end of the story. Over the coming weeks, solutions for these problems will be outlined in more detail. We’ll be looking at techniques & ideas for urban food production, composting, community supported agriculture, aquaculture & aquaponics, and vertical farming. We’ll be looking at the social justice aspects of food, and exploring possible solutions to provide food for everyone in need. We’ll also explore the economic case for urban farming, and help to redefine what it means to be a farmer in the 21st century. Together, we can bring real food back to the people, and create truly hunger-proof cities.

Design blog Unpluggd, well known for their articles on integrating new technology into our daily lives, has created an infographic titled the Home of 2020 which includes several sustainability-minded innovations. Very reminiscent of the “Smart Home” concept first described in the 90s, this image includes some technologies that are already available already.

Significant attention is given to the use of technology to control the activities of this future home, but much of it suggests no real changes in the homes themselves. Rather than having an intelligent thermostat which can regulate our homes to suit our every whim, why not design the homes to be properly insulated, and make use of passive heating and cooling? OLED lighting technology is going to revolutionize the way we light our spaces, and this infographic showcases this, but hybrid solar lighting, such as the Parans system, offers the highest possible quality of indoor lighting, with only the energy required to move the tracking mirrors in the rooftop collector. (Windows also do a fairly decent job of getting light into a space..)

The same thing goes for water consumption. Yes, low flow fixtures are a good idea, but only to a point. At some point we need to actually make our water systems sustainable and properly designed, instead of just accommodating a poorly designed infrastructure by severely restricting our usage to “save water”, when the real issue is that we shouldn’t be using drinking water for everything in the first place.

See how we’ll all be living like the Jetsons in The Home of 2020 Infographic via Unpluggd

For over 40 years now, Earth Day has been a day for both celebration and learning, to raise awareness of the issues our planet is facing from pollution, climate change, deforestation and species loss. Recycling, driving less, etc have been classic Earth Day suggestions, but here are 5 new things you can start today that will have a lasting impact for years to come.

Stop wasting energy

Did you know that most of our electronic gadgets still consume considerable amounts of power even when they’re switched off? This is because “off” is really “standby”, which is why they can come back on again at a moment’s notice from a remote control. Televisions, stereos, computer monitors and cell phone chargers are all examples of things we don’t use all the time, but continue to draw energy all the time. Something like a cell phone charger can be easily unplugged when not using it, but when it comes to things like televisions etc, that becomes quite a hassle. Luckily there’s a quick fix for that, the Smart Strip Energy Saving Surge Protector. Available from Amazon as well as many electronics big box stores, this can help save energy by shutting down power to peripheral devices when the primary device is powered off. Combined with power management settings on computers and newer flat panel TVs, this can significantly reduce the power consumption of your electronics. Hint: You probably don’t want to plug your Tivo into one of these strips though!

Change a light bulb

Surprisingly, many people still use incandescent light bulbs. Whether due to a dislike for CFLs based on the early flickery, buzzy ill-colored types, or for other reasons, there is another solution. The new generation of LED bulbs, such as the Philips AmbientLED Dimmable LED Bulb, offer excellent energy efficiency (12w to produce equivalent light output to an incandescent 60w bulb) with a beautiful warm glow, rather than the harsh bright white of the early model LED bulbs. With standard base, they can be used in any indoor light fixture to save energy and money. Although they are currently quite a bit more expensive than incandescent bulbs, prices are dropping steadily. They will easily pay for themselves in energy savings, and then continue to provide warm inviting light for years more to come.

Buy a Rain Barrel

Chances are, unless you live in an apartment, you’ll have something that requires watering. A lawn, flower beds, a vegetable garden, or even just some potted plants on your front steps. You can save money and give your plants healthier water by collecting rain to use for watering instead of tap water. Gone are the days of having a bright colored plastic barrel sitting outside your house, there are many options available for stylish rain barrels. To see a few of the more popular models, take a look at these 5 Beautiful Rain Barrel Designs.

Start a Garden

Having a garden is a great way to connect with nature, make your space more beautiful and productive, and even save considerably amounts of money if you decide to grow your own vegetables. Hesitant about gardening because you’re wary of dusty, weed filled rows that need constant care? Don’t worry, there are much better techniques now! Check out Square Foot Gardening, a very efficient and easy way to grow more vegetables than you ever thought possible. To make it easy on your wrists, you can also try a set of ergonomic Radius Gardening Hand Tools. Whether you have a whole backyard to garden with, or just some space on your balcony, you can get started today and enjoy the rewards all summer.

Get Involved!

Most communities have some sort of environmentally themed group that you could get involved with. Green Drinks is an international networking event that is a fantastic opportunity to meet other green people, and get involved in community projects. Check if your city has an active Green Drinks event, and if not, start one! You can also contact the CaGBC or USGBC to see where a local chapter meets, to get involved that way. Maybe your passion is sustainable gardening, or protecting the forests, or helping impoverished regions get access to clean drinking water. Whatever your goal, there is a way to get involved. Start today!

Can you think of any other simple steps that you could take that will lead to lasting change? Share them below in the comments!

The majority of humans now live in or near cities, which results in us importing more and more of our food from distant areas. Local food production is a solution that can solve this, one application being considered is the concept of vertical farming. But, could it work?

The idea of stacking growing space to fit into a city lot has been gaining in popularity in recent years, most notably with the 2010 book The Vertical Farm by Dr. Dickson Despommier. I’ve recently received a copy of this book and will be reviewing it in the near future, but for now I’d like to present the general concept and examine how it could work; both logistically and economically.

One of the initial claims coming from skeptics is that a farm is nowhere near profitable enough to match the earning potential of an office building or condominiums, which is possibly true. However, these structures may be more profitable than people realize.

The secret to making this type of system work is aquaponics, which is the synthesis of aquaculture (fish farming) and hydroponics (soilless agriculture). Both of those systems have issues that need to be resolved; aquaculture produces water that is polluted with fish waste, and hydroponics uses chemical fertilizers which are depleted as the plants grow. By combining the systems, each part solves the problem of the other. Beneficial bacteria convert the fish waste into plant food, and in turn the plants clean the water for the fish. The result is a closed loop system that produces high quality fruits and vegetables, as well as fish.

Sounds good, but how does it fare economically? Very well, actually. Growing Power, a non-profit group in Wisconsin, operates a very successful 3 acre aquaponics operation that generates $200,000 per acre each year. Over 1 million pounds of food is generated each year, locally, organically and sustainably. This is enough to feed many people.

Now, this isn’t vertical farming, but it’s a step in the right direction, and indicates the idea could theoretically pay for itself. There are still some issues that need to be addressed such as sunlight access, energy requirements, nutrient supply and food distribution, but I’ll cover those topics in my upcoming review of The Vertical Farm.

Will urban vertical farms replace traditional farms? No, I doubt it. However, if certain crops were grown in them that we currently import from far away, then they could still significantly reduce our food-related carbon footprint.

Growing Power Inc, and The Vertical Farm

Two weeks ago a massive algae bloom formed off the coast of Qingdao, China, and has now expanded to cover more than 150 square miles. The Chinese government has dispatched a response team consisting of 66 vessels, ten forklifts, and 168 people to collect the algae before it starts to decompose.

The bloom is a result of result of rising ocean temperatures and excess nitrogen in the water caused by industrial runoff, and can have devastating effects on local ecosystems if left unchecked. As the algae decomposes, it can strip oxygen from the water, suffocating local wildlife, and also releases noxious gases.

More than 4,000 tons of algae has been removed so far, but there is much more yet to remove. A similar bloom in the area in 2008 resulted in a staggering 170,000 tons of algae. By removing the algae before it decomposes, it can be processed into useful products such as biofertilizer or animal feed.

Another option that I haven’t seen presented yet, is to dry the algae to use as feedstock in making biochar. If the 2010 bloom ends up being anywhere close to the 2008 one, that is potentially a lot of biochar.

Guardian, via TreeHugger

In December Canada joined the Copenhagen deal on climate change, although very reluctantly. Many countries signed the deal, in itself a remarkable achievement, however none of it is actually legally binding.

Canada’s Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Environment Minister Jim Prentice, pictured above, went on record saying Canada wants a “fair deal” for all parties involved, but due to the sad state we’ve let things slide into, it’s highly unlikely that a deal will exist any time soon that everyone involved will consider “fair”.

I applaud Mr. Harper for actually attending the climate conference, but in the end not a lot has been accomplished and it looks like it’s back to business as usual in Canada, at least for now.

A CIA program designed to study climate change by tracking Arctic ice and other visual indicators has been reactivated and is already providing shocking evidence of recent rapid ice loss, much to the dismay of climate change skeptics.

This program was operating throughout the Clinton years, but was shut down by the Bush administration. The program has strong backing from both the Director of the CIA as well as climate change scientists worldwide, but as usual, Fox News gets it all wrong and attempts to rile up the masses with misinformation. A recent segment on the “news” show ‘Fox & Friends’ alleged that the CIA was giving up on gathering intelligence on terrorist activities, to study icebergs, which is completely false. Treehugger.com has an excellent post covering this particular spectacle.

The program doesn’t involve re-tasking satellites to different orbits, or diverting any resources away from intelligence-gathering missions, it simply provides existing images of glaciers and sea ice to a group of scientists. In effect, images that were recorded over non-critical areas and were previously ignored and are now being studied again. It’s simply making better use of already available data.

A few of the preliminary images have been released and are available for public viewing at the Global Fiducials Library site. Hopefully the reactivation of this program by the CIA and the shocking evidence presented will put an end to people listening to the the utter nonsense being spewed by Fox News and other climate change skeptics.

On December 7th, world leaders and climate change experts will meet in Copenhagen for COP15, the United Nations Climate Change Conference. This is regarded as some as the last best chance the world has to decide on an effective plan to reduce global carbon emissions.

“Let’s turn Copenhagen into Hopenhagen” is the call to action from website Hopenhagen.org,which has created a global petition urging world leaders to attend and support the COP15 conference, and to reach an agreement regarding carbon emissions and climate change.

From the website:

Hopenhagen is a movement, a moment and a chance at a new beginning. The hope that in Copenhagen this December – during the United Nations Climate Change Conference – we can build a better future for our planet and a more sustainable way of life. It is the hope that we can create a global community that will lead our leaders into making the right decisions. The promise that by solving our environmental crisis, we can solve our economic crisis at the same time.

Hopenhagen is change – and that change will be powered by all of us.

Join now, to show your support for a worldwide climate change treaty at COP15. We can do this.

Hopenhagen.org

A finalist in the Electrolux Design Lab 2009 competition, Czech designer Martin Miklica has the future in mind with his robotic creation ‘Le Petit Prince’, a robot designed to nurture Earth plants on the surface of Mars.

Looking quite like something straight out of Star Wars, ‘Le Petit Prince’ (Little Prince) is a robot designed to seek out optimal conditions and nutrients on the surface of Mars, and then grow an Earth plant inside it’s protective dome. Swarming over the Martian landscape, each robot has the ability to communicate with the other robots and transfer information about movement, location, and other sensor data, allowing each one to learn and improve it’s actions based on input from every other unit.

With Earth’s biosphere deteriorating and the population swelling, more than a few people are looking to our red neighbor as a possible new home for Humanity. I’ve written about the concept of terraforming Mars before, but the idea of using a single robot to nurture each plant is quite unique. There are some pretty big obstacles to overcome if this idea is to work, primarily the sheer number of robots it would require to produce any measurable effect on the Martian atmosphere.

I believe a more realistic goal would be to have robots seek out nutrients and water and bring them to a central location, where a greenhouse structure was constructed. Long term, however, in order to truly change the Martian environment to be suitable for humans, the atmosphere must be thickened considerably and then have it’s composition changed completely, as well as a thick organic soil layer built so plants can grow on the surface, and not just in greenhouse domes.

With both current and forseeable technology it’s not feasible to move any more than a tiny fraction of the Earth’s population to another planet, so every effort should be made to fix the damage to our own planet, and look to Mars only as a next step in our exploration of space, not a replacement for Earth.

Electrolux Design Lab 2009 via Treehugger

Scientists at the University of Manchester have conducted a study looking at the effect global warming will have on our major cities, and say a modest increase in the number of urban parks and street trees could offset decades of predicted temperature rises. The study has calculated that a mere 10% increase in the amount of green space in cities would reduce average urban surface temperatures by as much as 4°C.

This 4°C drop in temperature, which is equivalent to the average predicted rise through global warming by the 2080s, is caused by the cooling effect of water as it evaporates into the air from leaves and vegetation through a process called transpiration.

Green spaces collect and retain water much better than concrete, and as the water evaporates from the leaves of plants and trees the surrounding air is cooled. This process, called transpiration, is similar to the human cooling effect of perspiration.

“Urban areas can be up to 12°C warmer than more rural surroundings due to the heat given off by buildings, roads and traffic, as well as reduced evaporative cooling, in what is commonly referred to as an ‘urban heat island’,” said Dr Roland Ennos, who worked on the project with Professor John Handley and Dr Susannah Gill in the School of Environment and Development.

“We discovered that a modest increase of 10% green space reduced surface temperatures in the urban environment by 4°C, which would overcome temperature rises caused by global warming over the next 75 years, effectively ‘climate proofing’ our cities.

“Such a reduction has important implications for human comfort and health within urban areas and opportunities need to be taken to increase green space cover wherever structural changes are occurring within urban areas, as well as planting street trees or developing green roofs.”

Increased green spaces in urban areas would have multiple other benefits, such as increased rainwater retention and carbon capture. Currently most of the rainwater that falls on urban areas is lost as “run-off” through storm drains, which increases the city’s sewage treatment load as well as increasing the need for irrigation. A 10% increase in green space will only have a minimal impact on precipitation capture however, as the overall climate model predicts that towards the end of this century, our summers will be hotter and drier but winters are expected to be wetter. This results in insufficient water during the time of the year when the plants need it the most, which leads to reduced transpiration; effectively cancelling out that benefit of the green spaces. Winters, on the other hand, are expected to become much wetter, producing an excess of precipitation when the trees are unable to use it to their best advantage. In order to maximize the benefits of green spaces, cities would require an infrastructure to store water in winter months to irrigate the green spaces in warmer months. Given the advantages of the cooling effects of the green spaces as well as the air purification benefits, the cost of updating urban infrastructure becomes very minimal.

Additionally, buildings could divert greywater to irrigate green roofs and nearby green spaces, which would lessen the need for city water piping changes, and provide an additional source of nutrients to the plants.

Source: Built Environment, University of Manchester