Overview

When Columbia professor Dickson Despommier set out to solve America's food, water, and energy crises, he didn't just think big--he thought up. Despommier's stroke of genius, the vertical farm, has excited scientists, architects, and politicians around the globe. These farms, grown inside skyscrapers, would provide solutions to many of the serious problems we currently face, including: --Allowing year-round crop production --Providing food to areas currently lacking arable land --Immunity to weather-related crop failure --Reuse of water collected by dehumidification of the indoor environment --New employment opportunities --No use of pesticides, fertilizers, or herbicides --Drastically reduced dependence on fossil fuels --No crop loss due to shipping or storage --No agricultural runoff --And many more Vertical farming can be located on abandoned city properties, creating new urban revenue streams. They will employ lots of skilled and unskilled labor. They can be run on wind, solar, tidal, and geothermal energy. They can be used to grow plants for pharmaceutical purposes or for converting gray water back into drinking water. In the tradition of the bestselling The World Without Us, this is a totally original landmark work destined to become a classic. With stunning illustrations and clear and entertaining writing, this book will appeal to anyone concerned about America's future.

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9798200105052

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"Narrator Sean Runnette inflects his soft voice in response to the meandering message.... He demonstrates a skillful sensitivity to the information, much of it sobering.-- ""AudioFile"" ""A provocative introduction to a pragmatic approach to growing safe, nutritious, local food."" -- ""Booklist (starred review)"""

Author Information

Dr. Dickson Despommier spent thirty-eight years as a professor of microbiology and public health in environmental health sciences at Columbia University, where he has won the Best Teacher Award six times and received the national 2003 American Medical Student Association Golden Apple Award for teaching. His work on vertical farms has been featured on such top national media as BBC, French National Television, CNN, The Colbert Report, and The Tonight Show, as well as in the New York Times, Time, Scientific American, and the Washington Post. He has been invited by the governments of China, India, Mexico, Jordan, Brazil, Canada, and Korea to work on environmental problems. He is one of the visionaries featured at the Chicago Museum of Science and Technology. Dickson lives in Fort Lee, New Jersey. Sean Runnette, an Earphones Award-winning narrator, has also directed and produced more than two hundred audiobooks, including several Audie Award winners. He is a member of the American Repertory Theater company and has toured the United States and internationally with ART and Mabou Mines. His television and film appearances include Two If by Sea, Cop Land, Sex and the City, Law & Order, the award-winning film Easter, and numerous commercials.

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