Environmental Group Calls for Rooftop Farms in New York

A non-profit environmental group has called for New York City to set up rooftop greenhouses so as to greatly improve its self-reliance in food supply and reduce pollution caused by transporting food. At the same time, it has been reported that the popularity of rooftop gardens is rising in Singapore.

According to a news story issued by the Reuters news agency on Thursday, the group New York Sun Works claims that the city's rooftops could be used to grow enough food to feed its entire population. It indicates that the group set up a barge in the Hudson River to grow vegetables in a type of greenhouse (using hydroponics) which doesn't require soil, to demonstrate the potential of their ideas. The Reuters article points out that, unlike New York, some major foreign cities such as Hanoi, Singapore, and Havana grow a large portion of their food.

The Reuters news story also states that, according to the head of the organization, he has received inquiries from about twelve other groups which are interested in setting up greenhouses of this type. It mentions that a science teacher at a school in Manhattan is planning to set up a rooftop garden for her students. The article indicates that the group's leader also pointed out that unoccupied New York roof tops offer approximately ten times as much space as the ground currently covered by greenhouses (in the United States), and that greenhouses produce food more efficiently than regular farmland.

The group's website, nysunworks.org, indicates that the demonstration greenhouse barge is a "sustainable urban farm" which can be visited by the public on guided tours six days each week. Their website also provides photographs of the barge, a schedule of times it is available, an e-mail list which can be subscribed to, details on the group appearing in the news, and additional information about their efforts.

Meanwhile, a Reuters story which was carried by Plenty Magazine on May 9th reported on the expansion of rooftop gardens in the Asian city of Singapore. It tells of a Singaporean doctorwho started a website called "Green Culture" with a discussion forum which hundreds of rooftop gardeners now visit. It also indicated that Beijing, China plans to expand rooftop gardening as well. Finally, the article pointed out that urban gardens decrease both noise and air pollution, as well as blocking heat produced by the sun, thus producing savings on cooling energy costs.

Sources:

1. Reuters, Environmentalist dreams of New York rooftop farms, http://www.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUSN0718100720070607
2. New York Sun Works, http://nysunworks.org/science_barge/visit_the_barge.html
3. Plenty Magazine, Rooftop gardens create greener cities, http://www.plentymag.com/news/2007/05/rooftop_gardens_create_greener.php