Hmmmm... Maybe keep allowing workers who can work remotely to continue to work remotely, eh? Saves on energy/fuel required to commute, and look what can be done with empty office space!

Empty Office Buildings Are Being Turned Into Vertical Farms

With office usage hovering near 50 percent of pre-pandemic levels, cities are putting the underutilized space to new use growing food

Ciara O'Brien, Modern Farmer
July 11, 2023

"In an old paper company and warehouse building, machines are whirring again. But instead of reams of paper pressed and cut, this warehouse is home to Area 2 Farms, which now pumps out greens, herbs and root vegetables. There’s even a weekly CSA serving customers year round, all in an effort to bring locally grown food to the Washington, D.C. area. Really local. “When was the last time you picked up a strawberry and could confidently say you knew the farmer’s name?” asks Jackie Potter.

Potter, along with Tyler Baras, helped co-found the farm in Arlington, Virginia, where office vacancy rates reached 23.7 percent in the first quarter of 2023."

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/empty-office-buildings-are-being-turned-into-vertical-farms-180982502/

#RemoteWork #NoCommute #IndoorUrbanFarms

Vertical #greenhouse to grow 2M pounds of produce in #Maine

by David Guildford, September 15, 2022

"'Maine and Wyoming both enjoy a long winter, and during that long winter we’re eating food that has been shipped in, right?' [architect-owner Nona Yehia] posed. 'And so, that food is not at the peak of its nutritional or taste value. That's something, I think, these food systems contribute to successful, sustainable communities.'"

https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/agriculture/maine-vertical-greenhouse-to-produce-2m-pounds-of-vegetables-for-region-agriculture-new-england-food-production/97-68caf385-e1ec-4cff-a66e-8587c771afe8

#UrbanGardening #IndoorUrbanFarms

So, I may be a "doomsayer" (I consider myself a realist), but I'm always trying to see if there's a solution to getting us out of the mess we're in. Perhaps I would describe myself as an optimistic pessimist. Anyhow, based on my recent research, here are some of the solutions I think we (humanity) should pursue collectively...

1. Plug up the #MethaneLeaks! Seriously! That's a big part of the problem!

2. Make the price of #meat expensive! I remember when having meat was considered a special occasion -- not a daily occurrence.

3. Make things out of #RomanConcrete. Now that we've cracked the recipe, there's no excuse not to use it! Especially with rising sea levels (Roman concrete holds up better when exposed to water).

4. Manufacture stuff that lasts! No more #PlannedObsolescence or items that can't be repaired by a skilled user or a local repair shop!

5. Grow food locally! Turn empty #office spaces into #IndoorUrbanFarms (and #housing).

6. Utilize new (and ancient) technologies to the max! #SolarPrisms, reflective white paint, building new structures with #skywells, #geothermal and other ways to cool/heat spaces without using #FossilFuels!

That's just a few off the top of my head. I think a lot of the solutions are right in front of us -- but #greed and #Oligarchy are keeping them from being implemented!

#ClimateChange #ClimateChangeSolutions