Vertical Farming - Skyscraper Farms to Combat Global Warming

Dr. Dickson Despommier, Columbia University professor of environmental sciences and microbiology, proposes that building crop farms on top of urban skyscrapers could provide food in land deficient populations and protect the environment. In a recent New York Magazine article, Despommier explains how 150 vertical farms could feed the entire population of New York City.

Sky farms are like huge greenhouses, protecting crops and from foul weather and contaminated runoff. Dr. Despommier even predicts a reduction in global warming because overfarmed land could be re-forested.

Because a skyscraper farm is a big-ticket item, such an idea is still five to ten years out. With populations shifting from rural communities to big cities, Dr. Despommier just might be on to something.