good morning

Kenneth Libbrecht from CalTech, in Pasadena, CA, took these photos of snowflakes using new technology. This is a stellar point snowflake. Images like this are rarely able to be captured. Since it is the start of the holiday season, I felt it was appropriate to share! Happy Holidays!

More photos can be found HERE

how does your garden grow?

Our food choices affect many things, but one area that has always been a concern for me is its impact on climate change. Remember, climate change is not just the warming of our planet, but it also is the effect on our water and soil due to chemicals, overuse, over population, and much much more.

That is why I found it interesting when I read today that CalTech is studying methods of urban hydroponic gardening and roof top farms. I suppose one reason why is because I tend to think if a scientist is really researching something, then there is enough support to think we really need it.

Supporters point to the environmental cost of trucking produce from farms to cities, the loss of wilderness for farmland to feed a growing world population, and the risk of bacteria along extensive, insecure food chains as reasons for establishing urban hydroponic farms.

And, so far there seems to be some great data:

Cornell agriculturist Philson Warner, who designed the program’s hydroponics system, said his students harvest hundreds of heads of lettuce a week from an area smaller than five standard parking spaces by using a special nutrient-rich solution instead of water.

The numbers have some researchers imagining a future when enough produce to feed entire cities is grown in multistory buildings sandwiched between office towers and other structures.

You can find the whole article HERE, via Huffington Post