SUNLIGHT TO FEED MAN? 

A FEW DECADES AGO PEACE AND TRANQUILITY REIGNED IN THE IVORY TOWERS OF WINDSOR, OSHAWA AND DETROIT AS CANADIAN AND AMERICAN CAR MANUFACTURERS RULED THE AUTOMOTIVE WORLD. ANY REMARKS CONCERNING THE DISTANT THREAT OF VEHICLE SUPREMACY EMANATING FROM THE FAR EAST WERE CONSISTENTLY DEROGATORY. THAT WORLD HAS PAID THE PRICE FOR ARROGANCE AND INSULARITY.

IN THE GRAIN AND VEGETABLE FIELDS AND ORCHARDS OF THESE SAME COUNTRIES, LITTLE THOUGHT IS GIVEN TO THE POSSIBILITY THAT TOTALLY NEW METHODS OF CREATING FOOD MAY EXIST AND THAT SUCH "CROPS" MAY RENDER OBSOLETE OUR PRESENT METHODS OF FOOD PRODUCTION.

FOR THOSE WHO TRY TO WATCH NEW DEVELOPMENTS AND SPOT EMERGING TRENDS AS A METHOD OF ANTICIPATING THE FUTURE, A SENSE OF DEJAVU, AT LEAST TO THIS OBSERVOR, IS NOTED IN THE FIELD OF WHAT, IN THE FADING INDUSTRIAL AGE, USED TO BE CALLED AGRICULTURE.

ONE RECENT DEVELOPMENT BY THE JAPANESE IS A NEW WAY TO GROW TOMATOES. AEROPONICALLY AND HYDROPONICALLY. NO SOIL. IT IS ALL DONE INSIDE AND IN THE SHADE. PRODUCING 13,000 TOMATOES FROM A SINGLE SEED -- A SEED NOT EVEN GENETICALLY ALTERED !!

I WITNESSED, OVER A SIX-MONTH PERIOD, THE GROWTH OF SUCH A PLANT IN JAPAN TWO YEARS AGO. IT EVENTUALLY REACHED A HEIGHT OF 30 FEET AND WAS 60 FEET ACROSS HANGING ON AN EXTENSIVE TRELLIS SYSTEM.

THE CONTROL OF SUCH A PLANT WAS COMPLETE. AS A BABY PLANT IT RECEIVED "BABY FOOD". IN THE "GROWTH" STAGE IT RECEIVED THE APPROPRIATE FOOD FOR THAT PERIOD.

"FLOWERING" FOOD FOLLOWED, THEN A DIET SUITABLE FOR OPTIMUM PRODUCTION OF THE FINISHED PRODUCT. THE DEGREE OF SWEETNESS WAS CONTROLLED AS WAS THE MOISTURE CONTENT. MORE JUICE IF THE TOMATO WAS DESTINED FOR JUICE, KETCHUP OR TOMATO SAUCE. LESS IF THE MARKET CALLED FOR TABLE USE.

HOW DO THEY DO THIS? ON THE ROOF OF THE BUILDING HOUSING THE PLANT WERE A SERIES OF WHAT LOOKED LIKE LARGE SATELLITE DISHES, EACH ENCLOSED IN AN ACRYLIC BALL THAT TRACKS THE SUN. THAT CONTAINER KEEPS OUT THE MAJORITY OF THE HARMFUL ULTRAVIOLET RAYS. THEY CALLED THEM "HIMAWARI", JAPANESE FOR "SUNFLOWER".

INSIDE EACH SATELLITE DISH WERE A GREAT NUMBER OF SMALLER "DISHES", INCORPORATING A FRESNEL LENS, A BIT LARGER THAN THE SIZE OF A CUPPED HAND. A FIBRE OPTIC LINK LEADING FROM THE BACK OF EACH SMALL "DISH" FED THE CAPTURED SUNLIGHT DOWN TO THE PLANT. ENROUTE THE INFRARED AND ULTRA-VIOLET RAYS WERE EXTRACTED BY A PROCESS CALLED "LIGHT SHIFT". THE HEAT, IF NECESSARY, IS USED TO HEAT THE BUILDING. THE "PURE" SUNLIGHT FED DIRECTLY TO THE PLANT ACCELERATED THE PHOTO- SYNTHESIS PROCESS NECESSARY FOR GROWTH IN ALL VEGETABLE MATTER.

WHEN NATURE'S SUN SETS IN THE EVENING, THE MASTER DISH (HIMIWARI) ROTATED BACK AUTOMATICALLY TO FACE THE EAST, IN PREPARATION FOR CATCHING TOMORROW'S SUNLIGHT. AT THAT TIME THE BATTERIES THAT HAD STORED THE SURPLUS SUNLIGHT DURING THE DAY FROM THE ADDITIONAL SOLAR PANELS WERE TURNED ON -- AUTOMATICALLY, OF COURSE -- AND TOOK OVER FOR THE HOURS OF DARKNESS. THE PLANTS CONTINUED TO GROW. TWENTY-FOUR HOURS A DAY.

THE JAPANESE ARE NOW TURNING THEIR EFFICIENCY AND PRODUCTIVITY SKILLS ACQUIRED IN THE INORGANIC FIELDS OF AUTOMOTIVE, TELEVISION AND MICRO-CHIP PRODUCTION INTO THE FIELD OF FOOD PRODUCTION !

THEY ARE DOING THE SAME WITH CUCUMBERS -- 7,000 FROM ONE SEED -- AND MUSK MELONS, A TYPE OF CANTALOUPE -- HUNDREDS FROM A SINGLE SEED. IT WILL NOT STOP THERE. I BELIEVE THAT WITHIN FIVE YEARS YOU WILL BE EATING SALMON AT YOUR FAVORITE HIGH CLASS RESTAURANT -- OF BETTER QUALITY AND AT LOWER PRICE THAN PRESENT "HOME CAUGHT 'WILD' FISH." IT WILL BE ...... JAPANESE. THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING. FOR MANY YEARS, IN MANY COUNTRIES MAN HAS ATTEMPTED, UNSUCCESSFULLY, TO BREED LOBSTERS IN CAPTIVITY. THEY RECENTLY SUCCEEDED. IN JAPAN !

* * *

< previous | chapter index | next >
back to Main Chapter Listing
back to Home Page