Post by MagnetMan on Feb 24, 2008 13:11:24 GMT -5
Water shortages will be a big issue in coming decades. Since agriculture consumes most of it, food shortages will accompany it.
Large scale greenhouse will supply some of our needs.
But the best long term solution to both water and agriculture lies out in the oceans.
Most rain on the planet falls in the mid-ocean tropical belts.
Floating rafts, thousands of acres in extent, anchored in the oceanic rain belts, growing vast fruit orchards and fields of grain, may well be an essential survival imperative in the near future.
The most lasting and inexpensive material and structural design for large-scale raft construction is ferro-cement silos - fifty feet high, fifty feet in diameter. When turned up-side down in water, they will trap and compress the air inside the cylinders for flotation.
Link thousands of these together in huge circles and you have a hydro-dynamic base platform that can be endlessly enlarged and hold emmence weight.
Anchored out in mid-ocean the rafts will form vast floating reefs, attracting sea-life and provide food above and below the water line, especially if the cultivation of kelp forrests are part of the operation.
The rafts should be able to convert enough wave, sun and wind energy into electricity to sustain large farming communities and power all machinery.
Large scale greenhouse will supply some of our needs.
But the best long term solution to both water and agriculture lies out in the oceans.
Most rain on the planet falls in the mid-ocean tropical belts.
Floating rafts, thousands of acres in extent, anchored in the oceanic rain belts, growing vast fruit orchards and fields of grain, may well be an essential survival imperative in the near future.
The most lasting and inexpensive material and structural design for large-scale raft construction is ferro-cement silos - fifty feet high, fifty feet in diameter. When turned up-side down in water, they will trap and compress the air inside the cylinders for flotation.
Link thousands of these together in huge circles and you have a hydro-dynamic base platform that can be endlessly enlarged and hold emmence weight.
Anchored out in mid-ocean the rafts will form vast floating reefs, attracting sea-life and provide food above and below the water line, especially if the cultivation of kelp forrests are part of the operation.
The rafts should be able to convert enough wave, sun and wind energy into electricity to sustain large farming communities and power all machinery.
I can visualize it in my minds eye. kudos. 