GOOD: The Science Barge

[KanadianKain]

I love this, anyone got a spare barge in British Columbia. I could do this near Roberts Creek. Its more a bold stand then just running off and colonizing the clear cut forests... however that would be nice too :)

So.. anyone got a barge available in Western Canada? (also able to relocate! as I have been travelling for 2 years teaching permaculture/sustainability in Australia, Mexico, US)

[Coventelite]

WTF? Hydroponics suck. Look at the tomatoes, most of them from the supermarket are big and hard, but if you go to a farm, say a small village in Romania, the tomatoes will be very diffrenet in size, shape and taste. Most of the natrual crap in North America is someway genetically altered

[tessniko]

Just wondering, do they plan to grow staple grain foods such as rice, wheat, or corn, this way? What about major cities with no large bodies of water close by (or the bodies of water that are close by are compromised for use by heavy metals and other contaminants?) When will the alternative fuels become mainstream? When will food produced this way become inexpensive enough to be feasible?

[AngelwingSasuke]

@tessniko I volunteer at the Science Barge. The Hudson River isn't ideal water because it is extremely muddy and some would say nasty(PCBs). Most of the water used is rain water, the river is only used as a back up plan. We have never attempted rice, wheat, or corn but we were able to grow cotton which proves that maybe one day we'll experiment.

[KileSimons]

Don't be stupid, tomatoes don't "grow", they come from the supermarket.

[Davyxgrind]

I had an Internship here for about two months. It was awesome.

[kingssman2]

From a business prospective, places like fresh produce and what's more fresh than grown locally? the barges don't take up land, has an easy source of water, hydroponics is NASA way of growing things and better for more vegitation in less space. If anything, these small urban gardens are prototypes for space colonies.

[ftart]

this isnt the way its suppose to be. So unatural. the products of the plants has an alternative effect. possibly.

[TheGammaBunta]

It is good. No, its GREAT!

[Cinniminto]

i live in new york city and our family grows our own produce =]

[Cinniminto]

the waterpod is a better barge,visit it

[electrecuted]

you can all leave the metropolitan areas, and go live in smaller cities, like 1 million or two million at most population, where everything is more humane, you can even have a garden outside your home. and stop being pretentous about being "in fashion" fake ecologists!! SIMPLE, life is simple!

[cybervisionstar]

I too jwant to reconnect with the land, and be allowed to grow what ever God has created and was intended for people do with what ever they wanted to do without the government making laws and turning into crimes out of things that are not even crimes at all ! President Lincoln said that! So get the government back to regulating corporate America and protecting us and get the government out of the peoples hair for a change.

[cybervisionstar]

NOW, that's thinking outside the box! kudo's and good luck with that. can I grow some in my toilet? shower. bathtube?

[drigerV88]

WE GOTTA USE THAT TO GROW WEEEED

[Rampalamp1]

AGREEEED!

[sikurzu]

Good. Thnx

[roidroid]

Just when you thought farming was supercharged by Hydroponics...

There's a thing called Aeroponics that's uses even less water/land than Hydroponics!

I don't even know how it gets better from here - will we grow food on fluffy kittens?

Chia-pet.

Oh Science what have you done now.

[Boxmanboxman]

What program do you use to text narrate your videos. Please tell me where I can find a similar program. THANKS MUCH. Love your website.

[rlsroycephantom]

reminds me of the Aztec Civilization's chinampas

[jonnyboy235]

I think the chinampas were an unbelievably advanced system which deserves to be taught more often.

[shadowace421]

plants grow well if their roots are in running water? or those it have added chemicals and nutrients to it?

[stumbo2w]

Search "Hydroponics", they supply all the nutrients that the plant needs through water, its the farming way of the furture, cheaper, faster, cleaner, and uses less water and produces less waste.

[shadowace421]

it would be nice to see more green in a city like new york. I just cant live in an area with little plant life around, it make me go crazy

[crock703]

I read that the science barge has an annual operating cost of $200k. Granted a lot of that pays for diesel to run the engine, and payroll for the people who maintain the 'gardens' and educate the kids.

Still, that's crazy.

Anyone know how much it cost to build the whole set up? The barge itself was donated for $2.

[HamTech87]

A lot of it came from donated stuff. The $200k goes mostly for staffing of the educational programs and open hours on weekends. Also goes to supporting class trips from low-income schools.

[ObserversEyes]

I think it's a good idea for supplemental purposes (and educational), but for a city the size of NYC, an agri-barge would have to be enormous to sustain that population in fresh produce.

So, i don't see this as a practical replacement for the current system of importing food from agriculture intensive areas.

[IrishHaloNerd]

if you'd watched the entire video you would have noticed the fact that there is enough roof surface in New York to sustain the city's need for fresh produce. The science barge is merely a scientific model, a "beta" test if you will to introduce the concept of hydrophonics in agriculture to an urban population.

[ObserversEyes]

Growing food on rooftops is impractical because we're going to need that space for the solar panels for power generation. Remember that problem? Eco friendly energy?

And I did see the whole video, thanks very much.

[roidroid]

i guess they'll have to share the sun.

Or double the city's footprint.

Which wouldn't be too bad. With all the food inputs from farms - a City's footprint is normally a lot bigger than that.

[IrishHaloNerd]

Solar panels are a pipe dream. The sheer amount of solar panel area needed to supply either Los Angeles or New York entirely would take up the land mass equivalent to the half state of New Mexico, and even ignoring the massive amount of manpower that would be needed to maintain this array, it would take decades to install sufficient amounts of solar panels to make and significant change. Nuclear power, however risky, is a far more realistic goal.

[ObserversEyes]

With the technology that exists today, perhaps.

But I never wrote that it would be the sole energy source for any city. Solar panels would be merely used to supplement the energy needs of that particular building.

You see the flaw in your reasoning is that there can be only one energy source. That's not even true now. Most people run their autos on refined oil and power their houses with electricity from coal burning power plants.

[IrishHaloNerd]

I digress, It's true that I've only argued for one source of energy at a time, my point being that there has to be one major source that can supply the country, whilst supplemented by others. I was really arguing against the sole use of solar power, a pathetic argument that far too many "intelligent" liberals make. Don't get me wrong, I'm as democrat as they come, but I cannot ignore the fact that idiots constitute the vast majority of all parties.

[wtfeeez]

finally good, you're making better videos - love it.

[cheyroze]

this video is SO good i can taste it!

[divinejudge1]

Food grown w/ hydroponics hold less nutrition than food grown in conditions closest to that seen a century ago.

[cheyroze]

almost ALL food grown now has less nutrients than it did a century ago....so what is your point?

[saayle]

links with the rooftop beekeeping video..

now tukysman was concerned about underdeveloped agricultural countries losing export opportunities.. i would suggest they produce enough for themselves and then go take a brake and enjoy the rest of the day.. like people have been doing from the dawn of human kind

[bdruckus]

great idea!!!

[rjanis123]

great work, wonderful idea

but, makes one wonder, will vertical farming ever become a reality?

[FusionNinjin]

skyskraper farms :x less area more productive, underground?

[WorldStove]

what a wonderful project! 20 years ago as a science teacher in the south broxs I had chickens in my classroom. so nice to see hands on mini farm ideas growing in NYC

[roidroid]

what did you teach the chickens?

[Samonac]

If I was president, I would make GOODMagazine a show that everybody should watch every day.

[roidroid]

That sounds kinda like a tyrant move to me man.

What'll you do - force people to watch it against their will?

:(

[RarewareLover]

2:02 the energy bike looks sick!

[tukysman]

Ok, now the main problem is how agricultural developed countries live with out consumer countries???????

[TheYouSphere]

Man that's a brilliant question! Whoah... I have no idea how...

[roidroid]

Socialism

[legomaster101]

once the atlantic ocean is filled with these barges, we're screwed

[coolchanga]

like oldschool4life said would be a lot better if theres a practical teaching how easy this technology is ... a video step by step so people can produce their own vegetables ...

anyways super cool video

5 stars !!

[leetshoot]

good idea

[woodpusher900]

never held a worm? never seen a tomato being grown? wow thats sad

[RarewareLover]

a lot of people haven't ever seen a skyscraper or a taxi

[woodpusher900]

yeah true

[oldschool4life]

Good videos expose alot of ideas, but they dont really teach the viewers how they can aply them to their lives.

[roidroid]

That's what stuff like the Science Barge is for :)

"GOOD" is mainly for encouraging proper recognition and framing of the big issues; and calling community activity to them.

Pens don't win wars, but they'll gather the armies that will.

Personally, when i see something i want to know more about - i just google it, and maybe bookmark it to read about it (or watch more on youtube about it ) later.

[mightymike95]

Cool