{"id":85901,"date":"2019-02-26T18:33:25","date_gmt":"2019-02-27T01:33:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/?p=85901"},"modified":"2019-02-26T18:33:25","modified_gmt":"2019-02-27T01:33:25","slug":"beyond-the-green-revolution-how-humanity-needs-cutting-edge-technology-to-save-itself","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2019\/02\/26\/beyond-the-green-revolution-how-humanity-needs-cutting-edge-technology-to-save-itself\/","title":{"rendered":"Beyond the Green Revolution; how humanity needs cutting-edge technology to save itself."},"content":{"rendered":"

By Chandre Dharmawardana<\/em><\/span><\/h2>\n

Some\u00a0 technicians dressed like surgeons in an operating theater are working in a vast tower sealed from the environment. It is full of hydroponic shelves, lights, pumps and small robots\u00a0 controlled by\u00a0 clusters of computers. This is\u00a0 ultra high-tech\u00a0 agriculture (UHTA). We are in a modern agro-factory tower that has replaced the farm with its soil, pests, pesticides, droughts and floods. Inspired by space agro-technology, it has no soil. It\u00a0 uses\u00a0 95% LESS WATER than conventional high-intensity agriculture (HIA) popularized by the Green Revolution\u201d.<\/p>\n

This is not science fiction (see figure).\u00a0 Such\u00a0 commercial UHT plants supply the markets since 2004 in New Jersy, USA. Similar agro-plants are being set up right inside city centers, within minutes to local markets, cutting transportation and warehousing.<\/p>\n

When low-intensity agriculture (LIA), e.g.,organic agriculture (OA) or traditional agriculture\u00a0 had reached the end of their tether, and when the world was at the brink of huge famines, HIA with its green revolution rescued the world. Now the green revolution itself is old technology, and a new UHT revolution is dawning, not only to feed the humans, but also to rescue the threat to the environment caused by the phenomenal\u00a0 human assault on the ecosystem.<\/p>\n

AVERTING THE HUMAN-MADE MASS EXTINCTION.<\/p>\n

In a previous article (Lankaweb: https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2019\/02\/19\/how-a-menaced-humanity-facing-a-threatened-environment-turns-to-ludicrous-remedies\/<\/a> or Island 19-02-2019) we examined how a menaced humanity facing a threatened environment foolishly\u00a0 turns to ludicrous remedies based on going back to an imagined glorious past of plenty\u201d\u00a0 using\u00a0 traditional farming or organic agriculture. In reality, such technologies failed to feed the masses even in ancient times, when the populations were small.\u00a0\u00a0 In Sri Lanka, even if all the tea, rubber and coconut lands could be converted to paddy fields, the Organic Agriculture harvests would still leave 75% of Sri Lankans starving.<\/p>\n

Populations in developing countries increased by a factor of five since WWII, vastly encroaching\u00a0 wilderness habitat and\u00a0 triggering a man-made mass extinction of species, further aggravated by agrochemical overuse. In this they merely joined the developed countries that pushed the industrial revolution using the wealth created\u00a0 by slavery that set up\u00a0 vast monoculture of crops that assaulted\u00a0 the ecosystem.<\/p>\n

In Sri Lanka, some 600K hectares are under tea cultivation, (http:\/\/www.statistics.gov.lk\/agriculture\/tea\/all.pdf<\/a>),\u00a0 about 600K under paddy,, and another 600K are used for rubber and coconut taken together. Forest cover had taken devastating hits with each giant irrigation and ‘colonization’ scheme starting from GalOya. The destruction of\u00a0 Sri Lankan wild elephants by their loss of\u00a0 habitat due to these ‘colonization schemes’ is merely the tip of the iceberg. Similarly, Europe is reeling from a rapid and disastrous loss of species,\u00a0 wild bees and other pollinating insects. This is\u00a0 mainly due to habitat loss and possibly to\u00a0 increased use of pesticides like neo-nicotinoids.<\/p>\n

Given the magnitude of the problem, it is imperative to reclaim the wilderness habitat for Nature. The HIA-green-revolution\u00a0 enabled us to use 1\/5th the land and water for feeding compared to traditional agriculture (enabling us to feed fives times many mouths).\u00a0 The new UHTA is already capable of reducing\u00a0 the needed land extend to a mere 1\/500 of HIA, and 1\/2500 of organic agriculture.\u00a0 All the 600,000 hectare of paddy can be eventually reduced to 1200 hectares of\u00a0 grow towers.\u00a0\u00a0 All the tea plantations can be eventually replaced by\u00a0 a few hundred grow towers clustered around an airport for direct export. All the tea land can be returned to jungle.<\/p>\n

Grow-towers are cut of from the environment and cause no negative effects. As the\u00a0amounts of light, humidity and temperature inside the agro-towers\u00a0 are internally controlled, weather and seasons are irrelevant to its agriculture. Pests or weeds cannot enter the structure; so no pesticides are used. While conventional agriculture (CA) has an output of 5-10 times that of\u00a0 organic agriculture (OA), experimental UHT plants have achieved 400 times more output than CA and perhaps 2000-3000\u00a0 times more harvest than OA for the same amount of water and land use. These bumper harvests ensure competitive prices. The\u00a0 products grown without soil are cleaner than from OA crops that\u00a0 bio-accumulate toxins usually present in most soils.<\/p>\n

Phenomics is the study of all observable characteristics of an organism. These characteristics (phenotypes) associated with a plant, such as the chemistry, color, genetic code, size, and so on. At AeroFarms Dr. April Caroll\u00a0 determines growth\u00a0 algorithms for plants growing\u00a0 under computer control. These farmers \u2013 the likes of Dr Caroll\u00a0 form\u00a0 a\u00a0 team of high-tech scientists drawn from artificial intelligence to molecular biology and plant physiology.<\/p>\n

While some 400 plant types have been successfully tested, one may ask, how can you grow fruits and plants which need pollination?\u00a0 While the green-revolution HIA used hybrid seeds, today we can redesign\u00a0 whole plants and insects. Captive bumble bees and other pollinator insects, genetically modified or\u00a0 not, may be used inside dedicated grow towers to pollinate tomatoes or blue berries. The possibilities are endless.<\/p>\n

Nevertheless, many intermediate models that straddle the full indoor growth towers and the high-tech outdoor farms will be the norm for a decade. French vineyards are already experimenting with drone-controlled robotic farming. The robots are like little rovers designed for the exploration of Mars, equipped with sensors that\u00a0 test the soil nutrients,\u00a0 microorganisms\u00a0 etc. at each plant\u00a0 and spurt out the optimal amounts of moisture, salts, pesticides, or organic matter as needed. Such vineyards, controlled by artificial-intelligence algorithms based on phenomics\u00a0 use less than a hundredth of\u00a0 the agrochemicals usually employed.\u00a0 These outdoor farms need to get away from being single-crop monocultures.<\/p>\n

STUMBLING BLOCKS.<\/p>\n

However, there are significant stumbling blocks to adopting UHTA.<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Public Fear of agri-foods<\/em>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    The public is frightened by technology.\u00a0 Modern Luddites have re-named the foods from biotechnology and genetic engineering to be Frankenfoods\u201d. In India where the green-revolution took successful root, Vanadana Shiva and her likes have become street-heroes fighting\u201d agrochemical multinationals and GM foods. They\u00a0 prevented the introduction of golden rice\u201d, a rice that\u00a0 carries a Vitamin -A gene from carrots, thereby preventing blindness among millions who take simple rice diets. Golden rice was not made by multinationals, but by Indian scientists\u00a0 using minimal genetic manipulation. And yet\u00a0 false propaganda against it succeeded. A public that has been happily eating North American GM soya for decades banned GM golden rice!<\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n

    In Sri Lanka,\u00a0 France or California we have a glyphosate saga\u201d illustrating how\u00a0 public fear translates into irrational actions against a very safe herbicide. It is probably the only substance whose safety has been checked continuously and rigorously for roughly a quarter century on nearly 90,000 members of farming communities (US govt. Health study, Andreotti et al., 2017). These farmers\u00a0 used glyphosate intensely, and without adverse health effects when compared to the general public.<\/p>\n

    The public is completely lacking in a quantitative sense of the order of magnitude of hazards and healh risks. For instance, French consumers refuse to believe that the alcohol in wine is a WHO-classified class-I toxin. It is\u00a0 present at 10% level, but legislate against glyphosate\u00a0 present at 0.0000001% level! Glyhosate is only a class-II (PROBABLE) hazard similar to that of desinfectant soaps, while class-I toxins like alcohol\u00a0 are\u00a0 CERTAIN\u00a0 hazards..<\/p>\n

    However, when famine looms near,\u00a0 as it must when current agricultural technology gets over-whelmed, such public opposition will evaporate. Politicians will rally to it,\u00a0 and the new designer crops and UHTA will find its place just as the green-revolution-HIA was accepted by India against the opposition of many local lobbies.<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Increased Energy Needs.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Another big hurdle that UHT agriculture will face is its energy needs. While increased-efficiency solar panels will help, the environmentally cleanest and cheapest source is\u00a0 from new\u00a0 nuclear plants. Conventional nuclear reactors cost\u00a0 $7 billion or more.\u00a0 But modern mini-reactors with little or no moving parts are much cheaper and meet high standards of safety (Science, vol. 363, issue 6429, p 806, 2019).\u00a0 Nuclear is already the largest source of zero-carbon energy in the Western world, and the second-largest source worldwide (after hydro-power). Developing nuclear power is essential to avert global warming and also to power new UHT agricultural systems.\u00a0 Besides the existing 450 reactors, some 70 new nuclear plants are under construction, mostly in China.<\/p>\n

      The public fears nuclear energy, but a comparison of the death-print\u201d from different energy sources shows it\u00a0 to be the safest although a high hazard. The death-print\u201d is the number of people killed per unit of energy (say, per trillion kWH). Coal is the worst, and nuclear is\u00a0 the best even after including the death toll from uranium mining and all accidents and not just the spectacular ones like Fukushima.\u00a0 Using WHO and other data, the death-print figures are:\u00a0 coal (170,000), oil (36,000), Biomass (24,000), Natural gas (4,000), hydro (1,400), solar (440),\u00a0 and nuclear (90).<\/p>\n

      A major problem for the nuclear industry is its\u00a0 hazardous radio-active waste products. These contribute to the proliferation of nuclear weapons. The lasting solution to this is the BREEDER reactor.\u00a0 These\u00a0 burn nuclear waste to produce a final non-radioactive product like lead. France was the initial leader, but its socialist government shut the research decades ago, under pressure from the anti-nuclear Green lobby. Today, only five or six are operating: three in Russia, one each in China, India and USA.<\/p>\n

      These\u00a0 4th<\/sup> generation\u00a0 nuclear reactor are economical, safe,\u00a0 produces negligible waste matter, terrorist proof and avoid nuclear proliferation. The present author favours the duel-fluid reactor (DFR) designs (see Figure) where the nuclear fuel is input as a molten salt, while the coolant is a liquid metal (e.g., lead). Such reactors using thorium is an attractive possibility for\u00a0 Sri Lanka that\u00a0 has thorium-rich monozite sands. After the initial start up, depending on neutron economy and fuel mixture, DFR will produce its own fissile fuel!<\/p>\n

      The needed technology can be transferred to Sri Lanka\u00a0 via a\u00a0 partner nation. In comparison, oil exploration in the Palk Straits is very disadvantageous to a small country not only because of irreparable oil-spill accidents, but also because oil\u00a0 is a magnet for powerful countries that subjugate small countries for their oil. We see this in the Middle East, Nigeria and Latin America.<\/p>\n

        \n
      1. Fear of loss of employment.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        Each wave of technology, especially in labour intensive sectors like agriculture poses the specter of unemployment. But as jobs disappear, many new jobs are created, although at a higher technical level.\u00a0 Productive societies can afford to pay a universal basic salary to everyone irrespective of employment, as envisaged in some rich Nordic countries.<\/p>\n

        IMMEDIATE STEPS TO AVERT ECOLOGICAL DISASTER.<\/p>\n

        While cutting-edge energy and agricultural solutions are being implemented,\u00a0 immediate steps to avert tragedy are also needed. We cannot go back to traditional farming, or to cherished\u00a0 Gama-Weva-Pansala\u201d (Village-Reservoir-Temple ) aka Panchayat\u201d models because such models imply massive habitat encroachment and low prosperity.<\/p>\n

        Some essential steps to be immediately implemented are:<\/p>\n

          \n
        1. Reduction of habitat loss and diversification of monocultures.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

          Protecting biodiversity requires\u00a0 preventing\u00a0 habitat loss and giving land back to nature.\u00a0 All homesteads, farmers and plantations should convert 10-15% of their land\u00a0 to manged\u00a0 wilderness.\u00a0 Wilderness belts should be linked to larger conservation\u00a0 areas. Highways need\u00a0 underpasses for\u00a0 animal crossings, linking ecological areas.\u00a0 Low-intensity farmland should be returned to jungle. Urban sprawl should be shrunk into dense high-rise living.<\/p>\n

            \n
          1. Facing climate change<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

            If\u00a0 governments execute the minimum proposals of\u00a0 climate summits, there is indeed a chance to avert famines, inundations by the sea,\u00a0 irreversible damage to the ice caps, Himalayas and\u00a0 environmental hot spots.\u00a0 Moving away from meat, diary, and organic foods is essential for the reduction of green house gases. The production of meat or milk needs much pasture lands, water, and release greenhouse gases (GG). Organic farming increases GG\u00a0 and causes soil erosion.<\/p>\n

            Air travel produces a lot of garbage, unrecyclable plastic\u00a0 and\u00a0 GG. Air transport should be replaced by ultra-fast electric trains moving close to supersonic speeds.<\/p>\n

              \n
            1. Recycling to reduce environmental impact, & educating the public.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

              Burning of plastics and\u00a0 toxic garbage etc have to be controlled, and proper waste management and clean air and water management\u00a0 should be a top priority. Education\u00a0 about ecosystems should begin in schools itself, but it run the risk of hijacking by lobby groups (like Organic food\u00a0 vendors), NGOs pushing some agenda, and even politically powerful Psychics peddling, say, God Natha. Hence curricula needs\u00a0 tight control\u00a0 by\u00a0 academic and professional bodies.<\/p>\n

                \n
              1. Alternative energies.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                The shift away from fossil fuels to alternatives, boosting nuclear energy are a must. Irrigation projects with no concern for the total ecology should be stopped. Solar panels and wind turbines should not compete with the habitat for flora and fauna.<\/p>\n

                  \n
                1. Maximum use of modern agriculture and biotechnology.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                  Scientific agriculture drawing from the very frontier of knowledge, and not going back to the past is essential to minimize the use of land and water.\u00a0 Unwanted entry of agrochemicals into the eco-sphere should be controlled using WHO guidelines. Where there is doubt about safety, the precautionary principle of constraint and control\u201d rather than the method of ban and banish\u201d, should be used.<\/p>\n

                    \n
                  1. Enforcement of environmental legislation.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                    In Sri Lanka there are strict environmental laws. Unfortunately, they seem to be\u00a0 quite irrelevant to all sorts of\u00a0 favoured companies or individuals\u00a0 backed by politicians. So the rule of law must be enforced.<\/p>\n

                    In conclusion,\u00a0 optimism, cutting-edge technology based on good science, and the fight against fake science are the essential winning factor in\u00a0 the battle to safeguard the ecosystem<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                    By Chandre Dharmawardana Some\u00a0 technicians dressed like surgeons in an operating theater are working in a vast tower sealed from the environment. It is full of hydroponic shelves, lights, pumps and small robots\u00a0 controlled by\u00a0 clusters of computers. This is\u00a0 ultra high-tech\u00a0 agriculture (UHTA). We are in a modern agro-factory tower that has replaced the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[85],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-85901","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-chandre-dharmawardana"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/85901","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=85901"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/85901\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=85901"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=85901"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=85901"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}