Carrying capacity of the Earth

[Skuzzy]

You do not need soil to grow plants.  Hydroponics have come a long way.  Makes vertical farming much easier.  You also do not need Sun light.  The UV needed to support plant life can be created with lamps.  You need solar panels to supply the electricity.  You need a good source of CO2 in the farm and be able to release the O2 buildup.

All these things have been worked out already.  The only thing holding it back is the initial cost of building it.

[Oldman731]

You do not need soil to grow plants.  Hydroponics have come a long way.  Makes vertical farming much easier.  You also do not need Sun light.  The UV needed to support plant life can be created with lamps.  You need solar panels to supply the electricity.  You need a good source of CO2 in the farm and be able to release the O2 buildup.

All these things have been worked out already.  The only thing holding it back is the initial cost of building it.

While true enough, running the indoor grow lamps requires an enormous amount of electricity.   I haven't heard anyone - here on the east coast, at least - who thinks that solar panels or windmills will provide enough.

- oldman

[MiloMorai]

Recycling clean water from livestock manure really is possible

https://www.agupdate.com/minnesotafarmguide/news/technology/recycling-clean-water-from-livestock-manure-really-is-possible/article_e0285b1e-127c-11e8-bddc-376afb2d9c33.html

[Skuzzy]

While true enough, running the indoor grow lamps requires an enormous amount of electricity.   I haven't heard anyone - here on the east coast, at least - who thinks that solar panels or windmills will provide enough.

- oldman

Don't tell these guys that. http://www.solarilluminations.com/solar-led-grow-lights/gl04-solar-grow-light

The target is a moving one.  There are breakthroughs in this technology happening all the time.  There was a time when we thought LED's could not be used as growth lamps, but that proved wrong too.  Panel efficiencies have improved dramatically over the last 10 years as well.

Today, I think it quite possible to solar power a vertical farm.  Not cheap to do though.

[AKKuya]

You do not need soil to grow plants.  Hydroponics have come a long way.  Makes vertical farming much easier.

As a Midwest boy growing up, corn fields are everywhere.  There was a certain movie during my early elementary days filmed twenty miles south of my prior home of Sioux City, IA back in the early 80s.

There's a good chance of a sequel titled "Children of the Cornfield Skyscraper"?

[Mister Fork]

Aliens must have made the earth heat and cool before humans.

Shhhhhh.  You'll let the secret out about the whales.

[Mister Fork]

More importantly, what’s the carrying capacity of this thread?

...and I'm blown that Godwin's law hasn't appeared in it too! Depends on how much 'hot climate change wind' there is I guess.

[Ramesis]

Ever here of MAD?  Mutual Assured Destruction.  We have enough nukes to get the job done.  Take millions of years for total recovery.

Oh I thought the topic was the destruction of the earth 

[AKKuya]

Oh I thought the topic was the destruction of the earth 

The OP is about how much fauna and flora can the Earth provide for.  Then, the wisdom of the discussing committee here has evolved to electrical and power generation capability plus the usual end times scenarios.

[DaveBB]

Even if the food/water problems are sorted out, there will be a limiting factor of radically different ideologies.  That equates to violence and wars.  In fact, I'm going to say that's a bigger problem than food and water.  Take Israel for example.  A tiny country placed in the midst of radically different ideologically countries.  Of which have attempted (and continue to) to anihilate them on several occassions just due to their beliefs. 

[Shuffler]

I'll get used to the green wafers......     

[TWCAxew]

Careful with that word "intelligent" Dutch. The implications are far reaching.

I was talking about ants, plants and rabbits

DutchVII

[TWCAxew]

You do not need soil to grow plants.  Hydroponics have come a long way.  Makes vertical farming much easier.  You also do not need Sun light.  The UV needed to support plant life can be created with lamps.  You need solar panels to supply the electricity.  You need a good source of CO2 in the farm and be able to release the O2 buildup.

All these things have been worked out already.  The only thing holding it back is the initial cost of building it.

This guy is hilarious and does it at home with all sort of plant's!

[Shuffler]

You do not need soil to grow plants.  Hydroponics have come a long way.  Makes vertical farming much easier.  You also do not need Sun light.  The UV needed to support plant life can be created with lamps.  You need solar panels to supply the electricity.  You need a good source of CO2 in the farm and be able to release the O2 buildup.

All these things have been worked out already.  The only thing holding it back is the initial cost of building it.

I am perfecting the ability to grow plants in Tequila. This would knock out two birds with one stone.

Can you imagine tomato margaritas, okra margaritas.......... the list is never ending.

[AKKuya]

If all the animals die off, there is over 7 billion people on the planet.  I won't go hungry.