Hydroponics is one of the least known green technologies, but as agricultural land is swallowed up by development and as agricultural pollution increases every year in the effort to yield more produce per acre, hydroponics becomes an absolutely vital technology.
Hydroponics uses up to 90% less water and 50% less nutrients than traditional field agriculture, while producing nearly 10 times the amount of produce per acre.
In areas that lack year-round fertile land, such as deserts and cold climate areas, hydroponic greenhouses can be used to cost effectively produce produce on a very local level, eliminating the high economic and environmental costs of shipping produce across the world.
The main drawback to hydroponics is the high initial cost compared to field farming.
Commercial hydroponic greenhouses can easily cost $100,000 or more to set up, compared to a field farm where the only initial costs are real estate.
Hydroponics becomes more cost effective as land and shipping become more expensive.
As both gas prices and land prices rise at a near constant rate, the day when produce from hydroponic greenhouses is cheaper to produce than having it shipped in is quickly drawing near.
There is another route to producing tons of local hydroponic produce year round, and that is home hydroponic greenhouses.
With a small greenhouse in their backyard, one could easily produce enough fresh fruits & veggies for their family year round, as well as having plenty left over for friends and neighbors.
Home hydroponic greenhouses, if done partly "DIY", usually cost less than $3,000 to go from bare land to a fully functioning produce factory.
This is one of the most viable solutions to reduce both agricultural and transportation pollution, all while improving the health and happiness of communities.