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Industrialised agriculture is not sustainable, energy efficient or healthy. We can use the latest technology to turn this situation around using robots to work with nature for a second green revolution. The world population can be fed healthily, and we can turn back the tide of environmental destruction, alongside opening up vast areas of the earth to sustainable food production. We just need the robots to help.
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EcoboticsForest Foragers: the future of food?
@resurgo
Prehistory
Up to 5000 years agoTribalForest and riverManaging ecosystems
Neolithic transition
Agriculture allowed rise of cultureSpecialisationTowns and largerStart of the ‘modern’ world
Dual use technology
Hand axes - trees, nuts and headsSwords and ploughsharesTractors and tanksNitrate fertilisers and explosivesBiological weapons - Bacillus anthracis toxin - Bacillus thuringiensis – BT toxin in GM cropsChemical weapons - pesticides, herbicides
Costs
EnvironmentalHealthLong term sustainabilityAnimal suffering
Environmental
Soil erosionMonocultures breed diseaseWildlife
Birds
Health problems
Endocrine problemsFertilityADHD ?Autism?Alzheimers?
Forest Gardens
Working natural ecosystems to maximise productivityApproach productiviity of conventionalOptimisation not maximisationProblem – lots of labour
Trees
apple, pear, cherry plum, quince, mulberry, medlar, peach, chestnut, pine nut, almond, hazelnut, juneberry, strawberry tree, pawpaw, blue bean, persimmon, bladdernut, snowbell tree
Shrubs
currant, Chilean guava, plum, blueberry, wineberry, Oregon grape, almonberry, whortleberry
Vegetables
bamboo (shoots), sea kale, perpetual spinach, perennial broccoli, wild garlic, Babbington leek, good King Henry, fat hen, everlasting onion,pignut, Jerusalem artichoke, horseradish, earthnut pea, wasabi
Creepers
grape, loganberry, tayberry, strawberry grape, kiwi fruit, hop
Robot videos
Fruit picking robot:http://youtu.be/Fk1Yn0aAURA
For cool robot videos search for Boston Dynamics on youtube
Permaculture
ecological design, ecological engineering, environmental design, construction and integrated water resources management that develops sustainable architecture, regenerative and self-maintained habitat and agricultural systems modeled from natural ecosystems.
New Green Revolution
Next green revolutionTechnology to save the ecosystemIncrease productive areas of world while promoting natural systems
Benefits
Long term value of landOpen up new areas for agricultureProtect the natural environmentAesthetics
Further reading
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Kurzweilhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technological_singularityhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agricultural_robothttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Permaculture
Watch out for http://ecobotics.org.. Coming soon!
