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Is not a closed system, it's an open system, requires energy and material inputs to both be manufactured, operate and maintained. AND OUTPUTS, as thermodynamically to "controls temperature, humidity, the level of carbon dioxide, and light to optimize growth." it requires exchange with an enclosing system. That's the PHYSICAL FACTS.
Is very impressive though the 98% water recycling (which again, require external input, no "closed system"), this is the way to go given the REAL CURRENT INCREASING shortage of fresh water IN MUCH OF THE WORLD because previous decades of environmental destruction.
The viability of this system depends upon cheap energy. Note the lack of the use of the sun to power photosynthesis. Also, they can recycle water that was not absorbed, but the lettuce they produce consists mainly of water. They are reducing water losses, but cannot eliminate the need for water. Ditto for the nutrients they use; they are presumably not using unprocessed compost; they need to use fairly sterile inputs, or else the whole system would get overrun with weeds. That processing uses energy.
This is going to work for vegetables that you can grow under greenhouse conditions, but is not going to be plausible for grains, which are our major source of food energy (either directly, or indirectly as feed).
The use of robots is a bit of a red herring. Indoor growing techniques (such as aquaponics) do not seem to be labour-intensive relative to their output, however, they are capital-intensive. Since you stagger planting times, you do not have the need for a large force of seasonal crop pickers. Much of the labour input revolves around the maintenance of the physical plant, which robots are not going to be able to do for a long time.
Abundance beyond belief in "real" things, but scarcity of the fucking "tokens" to pay for it. Un-fucking-real!
ReplyDeleteNo competence anywhere to be seen in the academe of economics Mike... plenty of it elsewhere for sure... that whole branch is rotten...
ReplyDeleteFrom the article: "Because the factory is sealed, there's no need for pesticides or herbicides."
Closed System: They cant understand this... they are probably thinking "whuuuat?" ... "how dont the bugs get in?" .. they have manure for brains....
Correction:
ReplyDeleteIs not a closed system, it's an open system, requires energy and material inputs to both be manufactured, operate and maintained. AND OUTPUTS, as thermodynamically to "controls temperature, humidity, the level of carbon dioxide, and light to optimize growth." it requires exchange with an enclosing system. That's the PHYSICAL FACTS.
Is very impressive though the 98% water recycling (which again, require external input, no "closed system"), this is the way to go given the REAL CURRENT INCREASING shortage of fresh water IN MUCH OF THE WORLD because previous decades of environmental destruction.
The viability of this system depends upon cheap energy. Note the lack of the use of the sun to power photosynthesis. Also, they can recycle water that was not absorbed, but the lettuce they produce consists mainly of water. They are reducing water losses, but cannot eliminate the need for water. Ditto for the nutrients they use; they are presumably not using unprocessed compost; they need to use fairly sterile inputs, or else the whole system would get overrun with weeds. That processing uses energy.
ReplyDeleteThis is going to work for vegetables that you can grow under greenhouse conditions, but is not going to be plausible for grains, which are our major source of food energy (either directly, or indirectly as feed).
The use of robots is a bit of a red herring. Indoor growing techniques (such as aquaponics) do not seem to be labour-intensive relative to their output, however, they are capital-intensive. Since you stagger planting times, you do not have the need for a large force of seasonal crop pickers. Much of the labour input revolves around the maintenance of the physical plant, which robots are not going to be able to do for a long time.
I,
ReplyDeleteAll interfaces have to be known and quantified...
Its closed to known insects and pathogens .... at least it is designed to be....
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ReplyDeleteClosing it to pathogens will be difficult.
ReplyDelete