Depending on your point of view, the continued housing recession is either disappointment or a good thing. I have mixed feelings about all of it, but, if we are building fewer new homes, that is a good thing for reducing environmental problems associated with construction and development. The question is then, what do we folks in the residential building field do with ourselves?
I have been looking at the very interesting activity of urban agriculture and aquaponics. Aquaponics is the integration of hydroponics (growing plants in a nutrient filled water medium without soil) and aquaculture (raising fish for consumption). Aquaculture combines these systems and closes the loop by recirculating water through both systems.
The plants utilize nutrients from the fish effluent, and clean the water before it is returned to the fish tanks. Or, some aquaculture designs use hydroponic (plant) "rafting" on top of the fish tanks or ponds. I look at this as a potentially sustainably built environment, closing the loop on resource depletion while adding value and food opportunity locally. There are issues to be addressed in these systems, such as nutrient management, and the quality and type of feed for the fish. My head is swimming!
