On Nov 22, 2012, at 3:15 AM, Jed Rothwell <jedrothw...@gmail.com> wrote:
> The building is reportedly stronger, and more earthquake proof than > conventional buildings would be, and despite that it takes less material to > make. > I would say that it is more resilient _because_ it takes less material to make. Lightweight steel frame is flexible and thus it can absorb the Earth quake energy. It is similar to that that electric cars are far simpler than internal combustion engine cars, therefore Tesla Model S is the safest production car and its performance and cornering ability are superior. Less is more as it is said. For vertical farms this is indeed very good technology. And although I predict more anti-urbanisation due to reduced need for farmland, the transition period will take some decades, so meanwhile this technology can offer decent quality home for millions of people especially in China and India. Anyway, right now vertical farming is one of the most important existing technologies that should be developed commercially more viable, because current agriculture is unsustainable. 98 % of anthropogenic land use is due to traditional agriculture. Vertical farming is similar in importance to solar electricity, electric cars and reusable launch vehicles. For the vertical farming technology, the key improvement is of course the development of cheaper energy production methods and better LED's. Solar energy is the number one short term solution, because solar energy is the most abundant and cheapest free energy source. Solar electricity should be cheaper than fossil and hydroelectric power by early 2020's. ―Jouni
