Heatflation, Food Security and Geodesic Domes

Heatflation

On July 19th, Mother Jones reported, “In Italy, the hot and dry conditions are expected to destroy a third of the seasonal harvest of rice, corn, and animal fodder — at a minimum. Locusts have descended on the island of Sardinia in the worst invasion in three decades, hurting the production of hay and alfalfa.

The European Commission recently downgraded its soft-wheat harvest estimates from 130 million tons to 125 million tons—more bad news amid a food shortage precipitated by Russia’s blockade on exports from Ukraine. (Russia and Ukraine are among the world’s biggest exporters of grain.) 

In China, a record-breaking heat wave is causing major problems. Roofs are melting, residents are relocating to public cooling zones in underground air-raid shelters, and health workers are strapping frozen food to their too-hot hazmat suits. The Central Meteorological Observatory in Tokyo has warned that the heat could further hurt the production of corn and soy, worsening inflation.”

In Kansas last month, the “Kansas Department of Health and Environment” reported that a heat wave killed thousands of cattle.

In Texas, an extreme drought with a total of 100-degree days now sits at 34 so far in 2022 with streaks of 17 consecutive days of triple digit temperatures.

In Virginia, Kentucky, Missouri, and Illinois climate change has caused a deluge and extreme flooding this week with the loss of life and entire crops affecting the food source for the whole country. With every 1 degree Celsius (1.8 degrees Fahrenheit) of temperature rise,  the air can generally hold around 7% more moisture, and under the right weather conditions this can unleash a great amount of rainfall.

In the Eastern US, “one recent study estimated the effects of a global temperature increase of 2 degrees Celsius, which the world is projected to hit in the coming decades. With that level of warming, agricultural profitability for the Eastern U.S. drops by 60%, found the study by University of Arizona professor Derek Lemoine.”


Food Security

Needless to say, food security is of high priority and of utmost importance during these challenging times. It is important to secure healthy food access and food production year-round. In our Northeast weather, that might be a bit challenging if we do not work with greenhouses. Given the aggressive and changing weather patterns, I would certainly go beyond your standard hoophouse, beyond your regular A-frame greenhouse, and beyond a Quonset-style greenhouse. I would fundraise for a Geodesic Dome. During one particular difficult winter, I remember seeing hoop houses and your standard greenhouses collapsing like a house of cards. Here is one of the funding options available. 


Left: Great Falls, Montana (year 2019), Large 96ft x 16ft Quonset-style greenhouse with plastic roof and metal framing collapses under heavy snow storm, Middle + Right: Brainerd, Minnesota (year 2019), A large brand new greenhouse collapses under heavy snow storm.

 

Geodesic Domes

The structure of domes, plus the structure of the triangular frames that build the geodesic domes, are the strongest geometric forms that can be used to withstand heavy snow storms and high winds. Rigid polycarbonate panels are installed to fit the triangular frames, and these polycarbonate panels don’t break easily under snow, ice or hail. In the event that one of the small triangular panels were to be damaged, it can easily and economically be replaced without affecting the entire dome structure. Geodesic domes also maximize solar exposure for plants, with the sun reaching crops from all angles. Additionally, domes provide a large spatial volume for growing food at different levels/ tiers without the need for intermediary supports or obstructions, making the best use of a small footprint. Geodesic dome greenhouses can be purchased as kits ready to install, or they can be built from scratch with wood or metal frames.

 

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