Today, the Magazine “Sneek Peek” put out the below article on farms of the future called: ‘Skyscraper Farms and Other Architecture of the Future’.  Both skyscraper farming and Valcent’s vertical growing are included.

Some people are claiming that these Japanese plant factories are the wave of the future. They boast no dirt, no insects, no fresh air, and no contaminants (the farmers wear gloves, surgical masks and dust-repellant body suits!). The idea is simply to use the perfectly controlled conditions to product perfect germ-free veggies.

Seeing this photo of Japanese plant factories at The Cellar reminded me of our own piece on the architecture of the future from this month’s new issue of mental_floss. The piece covers things like the new, glass pyramid that will have 80-story skyscrapers dangling (DANGLING!) from the top, how scientists are actually growing islands from seawater and even what the skyscraper farms of the future will look like and how they’ll feed entire cities. Here’s the scoop:

Skyscraper Farms

In most countries, you have farms and you have cities. But what if you could combine the two? Columbia University professor Dickson Despommier is one of the many architects who believes figuring out a way to bring agriculture inside metropolises could save the environment and create more places to live. He imagines 30-story glass greenhouses scattered across city skylines, growing crops on their balconies and inside their labs. According to Despommier, one building could grow enough food annually for 50,000 people, which means that 160 of them could feed all of New York City. Skyscraper farms would also reduce the massive carbon emissions that come from transporting produce across the country and eliminate the threat of weather-related crop failures.
Of all the plans on this list, skyscraper farms are the closest to becoming a reality. Farmers are already planting crops that thrive year-round in greenhouses. And Valcent, a corporation that specializes in green technology, is perfecting ways to grow vegetables on a rotating conveyor system so that each plant receives sufficient sunlight and nutrients. Valcent also hopes to take advantage of municipal wastewater by converting it into recyclable irrigation water.

Of course, there are still obstacles to the implementation of skyscraper farms, including how to ensure that the buildings are biologically secure. One bacteria outbreak could potentially wipe out an entire city’s food supply. There’s also the question of who would fund these massive greenhouses and how they would afford expensive urban real estate. Despommier’s vision of a Manhattan skyline awash in vegetation may have to wait a few decades, but the first vertical farm could be rising soon in a city near you.

This past Thursday, the California Air Resource Board OK’d the nation’s first low-carbon fuel standard.  In a 9-1 vote late Thursday CARB approved new rules that require producers, refiners and importers of gasoline and diesel to reduce the carbon footprint of their fuel by 10 percent in the next decade.  The low carbon fuel standard begins January 2011. If the indirect fuel effects measure stands then corn-based ethanol would not meet California’s low carbon fuel standard. Corn-based ethanol would essentially be banned from use in the state.  With other states considering national low carbon fuel standards- who are the winners and losers in the new California Air Resource Board ruling?

California Adopts Low Carbon Fuel Standard- read it at: http://www.arb.ca.gov/newsrel/nr042309b.htm

Paignton Zoo Environmental Park www.paigntonzoo.org.uk  is making high-tech horticultural history by installing the first of a new generation of innovative plant growing systems.

The VertiCrop sustainable hydroponics installation will be the first of its kind in Europe and the first in a zoo or botanic garden anywhere in the world.

The Zoo is teaming up with the developers of VertiCrop, Valcent Products (EU) Ltd., based in Launceston, a company at the forefront of global efforts to find new ways of growing plants in a world of rapidly-diminishing resources.

Paignton Zoo Curator of Plants and Gardens Kevin Frediani said: “We are making history here. Installing VertiCrop at Paignton Zoo means we can grow more plants in less room using less water and less energy. It will help to reduce food miles and bring down our annual bill for animal feed, which is currently in excess of £200,000 a year.”

To begin with, the Zoo will grow a whole range of herbs such as parsley and oregano, as well as leaf vegetables like lettuce and spinach, plus a range of fruits such as cherry tomato and strawberry. Reptiles, birds and most of the mammal collection - including primates and big cats — will benefit from the production of year-round fresh food. Paignton Zoo animals crunch their way through about 800 carrots a day and approximately £8,000-worth of fruit per month. Herbs are used as enrichment for many species.

Chris Bradford, Managing Director of Valcent, explained: “The world population is growing, food supply is shrinking, water supplies are becoming more limited, food production is competing for land with housing and the production of fuel crops. We have to make better use of available land.

“VertiCrop is the latest in plant growing technology, meeting the needs of the human population while reducing the pressure to clear precious habitat to grow crops. This technology could usher in a new era of urban horticulture.”

A zoo seems an unlikely location for this ground-breaking project, but Kevin explained: “Valcent wanted to promote their technology to the public as well as to growers, and we have over half a million visitors a year. As a botanic garden, Paignton Zoo is keen to educate people about all aspects of horticulture, particularly new, environmentally-friendly inventions like this.”

VertiCrop is a commercial high-density vertical growing system which increases production volume for field crops up to 20 times over but requires as little as 5% of the normal water supply. It is a non-GM solution to food problems, using trays on a looped dynamic conveyor belt and automatic feeding stations to grow plants efficiently.

Installation of the system near the Zoo’s education building is expected to be completed by late June.

Paignton Zoo Environmental Park is a registered charity. For more information go to www.paigntonzoo.org.uk

Just prior to U.S. President Barack Obama’s visit with Canada’s Prime Minister Stephen Harper on Feb. 19, leaders of the U.S. Renewable Fuels Association and Canadian Renewable Fuels Association issued a joint statement commending both leaders for their support of renewable energy and the opportunity that both nations have in addressing energy needs.

They also pointed to the role renewable fuels play in helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, citing a newly published work in the Journal of Industrial Ecology that noted today’s ethanol technology reduces greenhouse gas emissions by up to 59 percent when compared to gasoline.

Pointing to a study by Sandia National Laboratories that found by itself the U.S. could produce 90 billion gallons a year by 2030, and adding in Canadian production potential, the CRFA and RFA project North American biofuel production will be able to replace a majority of oil imports.

We have posted about various airlines using biofuels to fly commercial airliners, so it is not unreasonable to consider future trips to space to be more sustainable including not only being powered by biofuel, but also vertically growing foods on board to feed the astronauts.  Could biodiesel be the answer to fueling rockets as they run out of rocket fuel? New Scientist takes a closer look at its potential for fueling the space age.  Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/Space/Story?id=6719561&page=1

In a recent article, based out of Plymouth, England, the full circle of achievements algae has made over the earth’s existence and the benefits the plant still holds today are explored. Steve Skill, of Plymouth Marine Laboratory, overviews the process algae went through millions of years ago to create the oil, and the progression we are achieving in producing algae today for the same continued purpose. 

The article also highlights recent test flights by airlines such as Japan Airlines and prominent competing algae producing companies within the industry. Plymouth Laboratory notes that while the benefits from algae produced oils are extremely beneficial, since exploring the ocean’s algae and applying the plant’s properties to biotechnology, we are still far from being in a position to produce such biofuels at the level of production needed to supply the earth’s energy problems. Here’s a link to read the article and find out more: http://www.reuters.com/article/scienceNews/idUSTRE5196HB20090210 

Biomass energy and biomass fuel are becoming more and more viable options for a sustainable future. However, there are a lot more alternative biomass options than people commonly think. I have put together a basic list of alternative biomass sources that play a role in the biomass/biodiesel race for sustainable energy, and that we are seeing more frequently in the energy industry.

“New research confirms the efficacy of algae, biomass, and other non-food feedstocks in producing biofuels; biodiesel in particular, demonstrates exceptional assurance for long-term sustainability and reduction of carbon emissions. Biodiesel can be integrated into the existing petroleum system cheaply and efficiently. The Congressional Budget Office and the U.S. Department of Agriculture confirm that the biodiesel alternative energy option is the least-expensive for meeting the Federal government’s EPAct compliance requirements”. http://www.agweb.com/Blogs/BlogPost.aspx?src=AgWebGuestColumn&PID=d177fa68-72bd-4a0a-baea-4eea76be1dd0

1.      Algae (of course): Algae are tiny biological factories that use photosynthesis to transform carbon dioxide and sunlight into energy so efficiently that they can double their weight several times a day. Due to the photosynthesis process, algae is able to process around 15 times more oil per acre than other plants used for biofuel. Algae is a fascinating plant as it can grow in a variety of climates or kinds of water, and vertically! Not forgetting to mention algae requires Carbon Dioxide to procreate itself, tidying up the greenhouse gas problem as it grows.

2.      Corn Ethanol: Corn ethanol is created from corn through industrial fermentation, chemical processing, and finally, distillation. It is commonly used in the United States and can be substituted for petroleum and gasoline. It is considered a first-generation biofuel. While it remains one of the more common types of ethanol, it is known as less efficient when compared to alternate ethanol’s such as sugar cane. This is because only the grain is used and many petroleum-based products are used in its production.

3.      Soybean: Turning soybean into a useable biodiesel is considered fairly simple consisting of squeezing the value out of the bean. “First the legumes are crushed, the meal is processed and the oil is expelled. Next, the gum is removed and processed into lecithin, a food-grade emulsifier. Finally, the glycerin is removed through a process known as methylesterification. The remaining biodiesel offers several key advantages over traditional, petroleum-based diesel: it’s non-toxic, biodegradable, and virtually free of sulfur. Biodiesel has the highest energy balance of any fuel, with more than three units of energy gained for every unit of fossil fuel used in the production process. And, since it’s made from agricultural products, biodiesel is totally renewable domestically” http://www.iptv.org/mtom/archivedfeature.cfm?Fid=85

4.      Palm oil: Was previously known as the second-most commonly produced edible oil, coming in second to soybean. Today, it is known to have surpassed soybean oil taking the title of most widely produced vegetable oil. It is produced similarly to soybean, as it goes through a milling and refining process, where the fats and the oils are split. Palm oil can either be used simply-processed, or alternatively mixed with petrodiesel as a blend.

5.      Jatropha: As seen in recent airline test flights, acts as a second generation biofuel. Jatropha is extremely unique as it requires almost no care and very little water. The plant itself is fairly characterless and can be described as a desert shrub. What is interesting about jatropha is that it refines so smoothly that it can be mixed into an engine without any modification. As well, Jatropha is a non toxic plant to animals and humans; therefore, as a fuel it does not impede with food supplies.

6.      Camelina: Also sometimes known as false flax, is classified as a traditional crop; however, considering its primary use as a biofuel feedstock, is referred to as “next-generation”.  Camelina’s high oil content and capability to grow in rotation with wheat and other cereal crops deems it as an energy crop. “The beauty of non-food crops like camelina is that they are here today and don’t require new technology breakthroughs, just a commitment to see them succeed”  http://www.agweb.com/Blogs/BlogPost.aspx?src=AgWebGuestColumn&PID=d177fa68-72bd-4a0a-baea-4eea76be1dd0

7.      Switchgrass: “The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) believes that biofuels-made from crops of native grasses, such as fast-growing switchgrass- could reduce the nation’s dependence on foreign oil, curb emissions of the “greenhouse gas” carbon dioxide, and strengthen America’s farm economy. http://bioenergy.ornl.gov/papers/misc/switgrs.html. Switchgrass grows quite tall, up to 10 feet, and is extremely stiff and strong. It is terrible for the lawn, but great for energy crops as it grows like wildfire, whilst capturing major amounts of solar energy, which is then turned into chemical energy (cellulose), which can then be liquefied, gasified, or burned directly. Another pro is that it grows deep into the ground, effectively using all possible water in its vicinity, as well as making it extremely adaptable.

8.      Chicken poop: Who would have guessed? Chicken manure, like cow byproducts, emits methane and carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and is a growing environmental concern. Instead of trying to fix the problem, potentially harnessing the waste could prove to be a probable energy source.

9.      Garbage: Garbage continues to be a problem, virtually all over the earth. More than 130 million tons of garbage enter landfills each year, contaminating the air, the soil, and the water supply. Opening garbage-to-ethanol plants could suffice as solution to the economy’s waste, as well as contributing to another energy source. The gases that are produced from our overflowing landfills produce enough methane and carbon dioxide that if harnessed properly and effectively, could provide yet another way to put another dent in the greenhouse gas reductions. 

Algae and Bacteria: They are both intriguing biofuel options and the differences can become confusing to some. Here is a basic explanation of the differences between algae and bacteria and how they both contribute to the biodiesel industry.

ALGAE

“These organisms are found throughout the world. Simple algae exist in the Monera and Protista kingdoms. Other algae are plants. They constitute single-celled or simple multi-cellular photosynthetic organisms that are important producers-produce their own food by using energy from sunlight to synthesize complex molecules from carbon dioxide and water-both in sea and fresh water. Algae range in size from microscopic organisms to giant seaweeds several hundred feet in length. They contain chlorophyll and other pigments which give them a variety of colors. They manufacture their food by photosynthesis” http://www.freedrinkingwater.com/water-education2/82-form-lower-organisms.htm.

BACTERIA

“Bacteria are another important class of prokaryotes in the Monera kingdom. Bacterial cells range in size from less than 1 to 10 microns in length and from 0.2 to 1 micron in width. Despite their small size, it has been estimated that the total weight of all baterica I the world exceeds that of all other organisms combined. Bacteria, along with fungi, are an important component of the ecosystem because they decompose. If these decomposers did not exist, nutrients would become locked up in the dead bodies of plants and animals, and the supply of elements required by living systems would soon be exhausted. Among the higher organisms in this group are the iron, manganese, and sulfur bacteria. These higher bacteria gain their energy from the oxidation of simple inorganic substances. Lower forms of bacteria can be grouped as those that are helpfuel and those that are harmful to man. Those harmful to man are mainly the disease-producing organisms. Helpful organisms hasten he process of decomposing organic waste matter. And by feeding on waste materials, they aid in purifying the water. All bacteria are sensitive to the temperature and pH of water. Some baterical can tolerate acid water. But for the most part, they thrive best in waters that have a pH between 6.5 and 7.5, that is, essentially neutral waters. As to temperature, most pathogenic or, disease bacteria, thrive best in water of body temperature. Beyond this, no hard and fast statements can be made. Some bacteria are more resistant to heat than others. Some are more sensitive to cold. At low temperatures, for example, some bacteria may become dormant for long periods of time, but will still continue to exist” http://www.freedrinkingwater.com/water-education2/82-form-lower-organisms.htm.

With all that being said, we are able to capitalize on both by modifying the genetic pathways that bacteria and plants use to make fatty acids, which is the main way organisms store energy. Fatty acids are made up of chains of carbon and hydrogen atoms strung together in a particular pattern. A carboxylic acid group of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen is attached at one of this strand. When you take away the acid that exists in this strand, you have left a hydrocarbon that can be made into fuel, which is capable in both algae and bacteria.

What is the difference between the two in terms of biofuel?

When producing algae fuel one of the principal cost components is that of space to grow the algae, as well as algae requires sunlight. Bacteria, on the other hand, can grow much more compact in a smaller space and does not require sunlight to reproduce, so bacteria’s productivity is considerably higher. With that being said, in order for the bacteria to actually produce oil without the sunlight, it must consume sugar for energy, from a source such as sugar cane or corn. So this alternatively means in order to produce the synthetic bacteria fuel, the food/crop stocks would be driven up just as much as ethanol would generate. Unfortunately the technology, as of yet, does not exist that would derive sugars from nonfood stock cellulosic material. Not forgetting to mention, if the technology was created, bacteria is estimated to only produce 2,000 gallons of fuel per acre, falling incredibly short of its competitor algae’s estimated harvest per acre. Bacteria, however, is also able to obtain its energy from sunlight using the photosynthesis method, but because it still doesn’t surpass algae’s oil producing numbers, doesn’t hold up a worthwhile comparison.

“Algae and bacteria both accumulate a lot of lipids, but they do so for different reasons. When bacteria accumulate a lot of lipids, they do it when they are growing fast. That is ideal. Algae do the opposite, and produce high lipids when under stress, and are not growing very well” http://daskapitalism.blogspot.com/2008/07/what-is-more-cost-effective-algae-or.html..

So the one advantage bacteria does hold over algae is that is produces its lipids faster, nonetheless, doesn’t produce enough, even at that rate, in comparison to algae that is continually doubling on itself. It’s unfortunate as well, as bacteria has a much easier extraction method as their oil directly floats to the top of their bioreactor, whereas algae requires a refining process that is more complex. Regrettably, as this would be a beneficial factor in producing bacteria over algae, the bacteria can still not produce itself as quickly, thus resulting in less productive.

Perhaps one day we could see a biofuel that could utilize both methods of algae and bacteria, capitalizing on both their vantages. Until then, while bacteria has great possibilities, comes in second to algae in terms of productivity and efficiency.

Bacteria

Yesterday songs, science and policy in biodiesel sustainability came together on stage at the 2009 National Biodiesel Conference & Expo, a four day conference being held in San Franscico, CA.

The National Biodiesel Board (NBB) released its Guiding Principles for Sustainability today.  To view the Guiding Principles, visit: http://biodieselsustainability.org/principles.html .  NBB Sustainability Task Force Chair Emily Bockian Landsburg gave an overview of the NBB’s commitment to continuous improvement in industry sustainability. “The best is yet to come,” she concluded.   Governor Hoeven, chair of the Governors’ Biofuels Coalition, stressed the Coalition’s plan to continue working with the NBB because of biodiesel’s benefits for job creation, the economy and the environment. Hoeven recognized biodiesel as already reducing the equivalent greenhouse gas emissions of taking nearly 1 million vehicles off the road.

Darryl Hannah was on hand during the conference, but it was Melissa Etheridge that NBB honoured with this year’s Infulencer Award, presenting her with a “BioTrucker  Fuel Card”.  NBB and Fleet One developed the new BioTrucker Fuel Card for over-the-road fleets and owner operators who what to find biodiesel.  The card promotes truckstops that carry biodiesel by providing information on the fuel stops that accept the card offered at www.biotrucker.com. The card offers a 2 cent rebate at almost 1000 truckstops and several biodiesel truckstops offer an additional 2-cents-per-gallon savings exclusively to BioTruckers.

Valcent is now on Twitter !! 

Come visit us at : www.twitter.com/Valcent and sign up to follow us !