> >Kim writes: > > > > >Actually I have 20, but there is not enough land in > > >this world for everyone to have 20. We need to put > > >the people somewhere. > > > >Your post just made me want to get out the old > >calculator! You're absolutely right, at least by my > >calculations :-) I get only 3.2 acres of land per > >person (at 10 billion pop.). Considering how many > >people are going to want to hang onto their 10,000, > >that doesn't leave much for the rest. > > > >Maybe we need, like, 10%, or maybe 1%, of what > >we have now for population. Talk about extreme > >engineering :-( -K > >Have another look Ken, you're not seeing it clearly - that's not the >answer at all. > >Keith
Further to which... (we've been doing this for more than 20 years, or rather our own version of it): GROW BIOINTENSIVE Mini - Farming This miniaturization of agriculture is not new. Small-scale, sustainable agriculture has supported such widely dispersed civilizations as the Chinese 4,000 years ago [and still - K], and the Mayans, South Americans, and Greeks 2,000 years ago. Ecology Action has dedicated almost a quarter-century to rediscovering the scientific principles that underlie these traditional systems. The people in Biosphere II in Arizona have been using techniques based on those outlined by Ecology Action: they raised 80 percent of their food for two years within a "closed system." Their experience demonstrates that a complete year's diet for one person can be raised on the equivalent of 3,403 square feet! This is an improvement over traditional Chinese practices, which required 5,000 to 7,200 square feet. In contrast, it takes commercial agriculture 22,000 to 42,000 square feet to grow all the food for one person for one year, while bringing in large inputs from other areas. At the same time, commercial agricultural practices are causing the loss of approximately six pounds of soil for each pound of food produced. [It's causing a LOT more harm than that. - K] GROW BIOINTENSIVE mini-farming techniques make it possible to grow food using 99 percent less energy in all forms - human and mechanical, 66 percent to 88 percent less water, and 50 percent to 100 percent less fertilizer, compared to commercial agriculture. They also produce two to six times more food and build the soil. [more] From: http://www.growbiointensive.org/biointensive/InContext.html#context Ecology Action - Cultivating Our Garden See also: http://www.growbiointensive.org/biointensive/GROW-BIOINTENSIVE.html The GROW BIOINTENSIVE Food-Raising Method See also (or maybe instead): http://journeytoforever.org/farm.html Small farms: Journey to Forever Introduction Sustainable farming Small farms fit References Small farm resources Back to the land Small farms Organics Soil management Sustainable farming General resources Food storage and preservation Useful databases Community-supported farms Farming with trees Agroforestry Bamboo Resources Farming with animals Introduction Livestock resources Cattle Sheep General Draft animals Pasture Introduction Pasture resources Silage Pigs for small farms Why pigs have snouts Raising pigs on soil in Japan Lady Eve's pigs Pigs on pasture Pig resources Poultry for small farms Muscovy ducks Khaki Campbell ducks Chickens Geese Rabbits Guineafowl General tips High-protein poultry feed from thin air Poultry as unpaid labour They're not pets Doing it Poultry resources Aquaculture for small farms Introduction Aquaculture resources Composting for small farms Foundation On-farm composting resources Controlling weeds and pests Weeds Weed control resources Insect pests No pesticides Insect control resources Small farms library City farms Organic gardening Building a square foot garden Plant spacing guides No ground? Use containers When to sow what Seeds Garden pond Gardening resources Composting Making compost Composting resources Composting indoors Vermicomposting Humanure Composting for small farms ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~--> Rent DVDs from home. Over 14,500 titles. Free Shipping & No Late Fees. Try Netflix for FREE! http://us.click.yahoo.com/BVVfoB/hP.FAA/uetFAA/FGYolB/TM ---------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Biofuels list archives: http://archive.nnytech.net/ Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
