Step 18; Demeter Phase 2: Interior Ecosystem

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In order to be self-sufficient (and maintain a healthy environment for humans), Augury must maintain a balanced natural interior environment. This includes plants of every shape and size arranged in a permaculture “food forest” arrangement: the canopy, sub-canopy, shrubs, herbaceous, ground cover, root crop, and climbing vine layers. Flowering plants will also be needed to attract pollinators and increase natural beauty. Invasive plants should be avoided or carefully contained. Grasses should not be included at all; consider moss or creeping red thyme as a ground cover plant. However, plants alone are not enough—a complete ecosystem also includes animals. Though Augury won’t have room for large livestock animals like cows, pigs, or horses, smaller livestock like miniature pigs, rabbits, sheep and goats may be sustainable. Poultry like chicken, duck, and goose are viable options, and benefit many systems due to their diet and activities. Aquatic animals like fish, shellfish, and molluscs are extremely promising. Many insects are beneficial to ecosystems as pollinators and more, and are excellent sources of protein. Fungi play an important role in soil health, are important decomposers, and are an excellent food source. Even bacteria play a crucial role in how they affect the health of the soil and water. Each organism offers a unique combination of advantages and drawbacks, each of which fit together in different ways. Demeter’s job is to balance the combination of organisms into a well-functioning system. Life does not (and should not be forced to) work in isolation. The ecosystem is a complex machine, and the most sophisticated technology on the face of the earth. To work alongside it rather than against it will greatly benefit us and reduce our energy waste.

Food

Food in Augury will undoubtedly look different than it usually does on the surface. It should—the typical modern diet in industrialized countries is extremely unhealthy. This is largely due to the industrialization of food, which is something that will be reduced in Augury. In such a small system, most food will be “farm-to-table” in an extremely short amount of time. Food will be minimally processed, grown and harvested locally,  and have fewer artificial ingredients. Food comes exclusively from other life forms, and with the cost of importing, the bulk of our caloric intake is going to have to be what we grow and harvest ourselves. We’re accustomed to space-intensive foods like beef, wheat, corn, and rice, which we won’t have room for. We have the wide expanses of the ocean floor to propagate plants like kelp and seaweeds as sources of food and natural resources (and for farming fish and shellfish), and it’s conceivable that eventually we could maintain floating barges to grow small amounts of these field crops, but not enough to sustain ourselves or make the effort worthwhile. We’re going to have to start thinking more efficiently, more practically, less luxuriously.

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There are a variety of space efficient caloric and nutrient dense foods available. Fruiting shrubs, vines, and trees in general are more sustainable as they don’t have to be replanted every year, and without risk of frost, will grow bigger and stronger over time. Some fruit trees can have multiple varieties grafted onto one plant to reduce space needs for the sake of variety—for example, apple trees which produce many kinds of apples, or citrus trees which produce lemons, limes, and oranges.  Energy-dense annuals like root crops and squashes grow easily, and though they usually tend to spread out over a wide area, can be grown vertically. Various kinds of vertical farming in general will help us to make best use of our space, especially with leafy greens and herbs. Grains like oats, buckwheat, and amaranth can be used as alternative grains.

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We can also employ the use of hydroponic and aquaponic arrays which, combined with fish ponds, makes for a very effective use of space. Aquaponics is any symbiotic relationship between fish that excrete ammonia, bacteria that convert this ammonia into nitrate, and plants that use this nitrate as fertilizer, which maximizes available resources. In comparison to traditional conventional agriculture methods, aquaponics uses only one-sixth of the water to grow up to eight times more food per acre. Because aquaponics arrays produce both a vegetable and fish crop, they provide more complete nutrition. Due to them being a closed system and the use of the fish waste as fertilizer, they also avoid the issue of chemical runoff.

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Furthermore, there is a wealth of edible resources available in the ocean outside—beyond the usual fare of fish, shellfish, and molluscs, many varieties of seaweed (some bacon flavored) like alga, kelp, and other aquatic plants are delicious and nutritious. Many forms are in regular culinary use already.

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In short, we can grow most kinds of food, as there are relatively few crops which truly require large amounts of space. It just so happens that these crops tend to be staples of our diet, as they are the best use of wide tracts of empty land and are relatively low maintenance. The percentage of meat in our diet will have to go down, as animals take up more space and are higher maintenance. We will have to adjust our expectations of what “common” food looks like—and, with a little technology, we can streamline most of the agricultural labor.

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Consider placing a tax on refined sugars—they shouldn’t be prohibited outright, but if sugar is more expensive, hopefully it will be used more sparingly. Honey will make an excellent alternative.

 

Horticulture Technology

Picture this: a Demeter gardener wants to plant a new apple tree somewhere within the city. She has a variety of tools available to her to help her in this task, including a computer loaded with a full database about plants. Perhaps she selects “apple tree” on the computer screen, like choosing a fruit at the self checkout line at a supermarket. If she is using an existing sapling imported from the surface, the computer might then ask her to put the apple tree on a scale or ask her to input the height of the sapling. From this data, the computer could direct her to a large array of dispensers to create the appropriate mixture of soil types from layers of sterilized (to prevent fungal infection) sand, silt, clay, loam, drainage gravel, fertilizer, mulch, and compost to be poured in with the sapling into a wheeled container—like a wagon-sized dump truck. Then, she could wheel the container to the planting site, designated by the computer to ensure neighboring plants wouldn’t compete for resources. When she or her workers have to perform upkeep of the plants like pruning, checking sensors, or other work that requires them to be low to the ground, they could patrol through green spaces riding electric vehicles similar to go-karts to reduce the strain on their backs. A sensor nodule like a tent peg could be driven into the ground near the young tree to remotely monitor soil pH, nitrogen concentration, moisture, and more. With an entire network of sensors like these, and a buried network of irrigation lines, Demeter will be able to monitor the conditions of the entire internal ecosystem from a single control terminal, addressing issues as they arise and making modifications as the computer recommends. They will also be able to control sunlight intensity and hours per day through a system of special LED panels. While some sunlight can be redirected from the surface through fiber optics, both human beings and plants need lots of natural sunlight to be healthy—or at least, the next best thing. Using full-spectrum LEDs, nanotechnology that mimics Rayleigh scattering, and lenticular lenses, artificial skylights convincing enough to fool a plant can compensate for cloudy days or dark corners. This also helps maintain a healthy circadian rhythm, crucial for good health. Wind should also be simulated, as a certain amount of mechanical stress is important for larger plants to grow strong roots. Perhaps signage could encourage citizens to gently shake young trees as they walk by. Any plants taller than shrubs (aside from climbing vines) should be structurally reinforced as a redundancy.

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Sensors will also be able to chart planting times and give recommendations for harvest. Fruiting plants can be easily harvested (either by hand or machine) as they appear ripe, but this will be especially useful for subterranean crops like potatoes and carrots. Harvested food will be collected, washed, and prepared by Demeter in food prep facilities. Some of the food can be prepared to be eaten immediately in a public cafeteria, which will be the only source of prepared food until some local restaurants Some raw produce with a short shelf life can be made available in an arrangement similar to a farmer’s market, but Demeter should maintain a circular “cannery” (not with  single-use metal cans, but with reusable glass jars). Other forms of food preservation should also be used: dehydration, freeze drying, and wet/dry brining, to name a few. A portion of these preserves can also be provided at retail to the public. Some of the preserves, however, should be placed in circulating storage (in which a constant supply is maintained, with newer preserves being placed into storage as older preserves are taken out of circulation to be used) as an emergency food stockpile.  The computer should also be able to calculate how much of each kind of crop to plant (and with a little AI, map out where they should be planted) to feed all the citizens in Augury with a reasonable amount of surplus. Any food waste or biomass scraps generated at any stage of this process can be composted and reused.

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Planting beds in Augury can be designed like in-ground swimming pools; this will make it easier to control soil conditions and contain spread of disease. The bottom layer of the pool can be filled with gravel, which will serve as a water table cistern—water should be deposited directly into this layer either from dedicated supply lines or a PVC pipe running to the surface. Drainage should also be considered in case of overwatering. Atop the gravel will be placed large woody materials like logs, then branches, sticks, and mulch, then vegetable material, then compost, then topsoil to fill in all the gaps and straw/woody mulch on top to reduce dehydration. The exact composition and bacterial load of each bed should be tailored to suit its crops. Beds should be designed with plenty of room for deep rooting systems, as plants will have extended lifespans without risk of frost or burning. These distinct beds will make horticultural planning easier to compartmentalize.

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With Aether’s total atmospheric control we can rotate growing seasons, so that there are at least four total atriums/growing facilities with at least one in the harvest season at all times. This will stabilize harvest output year round. In addition to balancing harvest/growing cycles, this may also eliminate the issue of seasonal affective disorder. If a citizen were tired of spring, they could walk to another part of the city and be in autumn. These atmospheric conditions can also be monitored remotely by both Demeter and Aether.

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Having these facilities adjacent to public spaces will give the people of Augury a greater appreciation of their food and all that goes into producing it.

 

Biome-Specific Atriums

With total atmospheric and environmental control, different atriums can be dedicated to specific biomes to increase yields. Many atriums will be tuned to temperate conditions—not too hot, not too cold, no extreme temperatures to burn plants. But some atriums can be attuned to rainforest or tropical conditions—higher rainfall, sunlight, temperature, and humidity—to better grow some of our favorite produce such as avocados, bananas, coconut, and melons.

 

Fauna

As previously stated, a complete ecosystem also includes animals. Plants benefit cohabitation with animals to pollinate, provide fertilizer, and more. Though Augury won’t have room for large livestock animals like cows, pigs, or horses, smaller livestock like sheep and goats may be sustainable sources of meat, dairy, and wool. Poultry like chicken, duck, and goose, etc. are viable options, don’t require too much space, provide meat, eggs, and feathers, and benefit many systems due to their diet and activities. Aquatic animals like fish, shellfish, and molluscs are extremely promising–not only are they rich in calories and nutrients, but naturally clean the water they inhabit, and can be grown vertically. Many insects are beneficial to ecosystems as pollinators and more, and are excellent sources of protein. Pollinators like bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies can be imported (though the diets of caterpillars must be carefully monitored to prevent them from becoming pests). The larger animals will require space to move around, so they can be housed in atriums. As Demeter is able to control the populations of these animals,  pest problems will be minimal compared to surface gardening. Populations of carnivorous birds and bats can be maintained to control populations of pests like flies, gnats, mosquitos, etc.

 

Apiary

Honeybees are a precious but endangered natural resource in the world, and Augury can be an excellent refuge for them. With a centralized apiary connected via ductwork to the atriums, Demeter can maintain a local population of honeybees to pollinate plants and produce honey and wax. The aforementioned atmospheric controls will make the bee colonies less susceptible to parasites and disease. Automated mechanisms and sensors like those mentioned previously can contribute to servicing and maintaining the apiaries without disturbing the hives. Consider mechanisms similar to the patented Flow Hive to harvest excess honey noninvasively. Steps may need to be taken for close cohabitation—in time, the bees will become accustomed to staying around people, and citizens will learn not to fear them, but tourists and visitors may still pose a threat. Signage may reduce this.

Note that “honeybees are sensitive to pulsed electromagnetic fields generated by [wireless] technology,” which can temporarily disorient them. Solutions for this are explored in Apollo Phase 1: “Radio EMF Concerns.”

 

Nature Preserve

Endangered and rare species of animals and plants could find a stable and protected home in Augury’s atriums, where they would be safe from poaching, extreme temperature fluctuations, and habitat loss, and could be easily monitored and cared for. Some animals and plants could coexist in atriums with humans; some will need dedicated preserves to keep them separate from human interaction. Ecotourism may also be viable to help maintain these environments. Consider the construction of a large “nature preserve” dome, which will be especially beneficial in the event of partial or complete surface ecological collapse—additionally, Augury would also be an excellent facility for long-term emergency seed and embryo storage vaults.

 

Green Spaces

The green space atriums are crucial to the community health of Augury, not just physically, but mentally as well. On the surface, green spaces are crucial for supporting active lifestyles and improving access to exercise opportunities, fostering healthy eating habits, improving air quality, regulating temperature, reducing stress, enhancing cognitive function, encouraging positive youth development, and reducing anxiety and depression; these effects will be amplified in the enclosed underwater environment.

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The primary function for the atriums must be to grow beneficial plants, which either provide food or a natural resource or significantly contribute to air or water cleanliness. These plants should be arranged in companion guilds as living, balanced ecosystems rather than for appearances. However, in addition to functioning as a greenhouse, the atriums will be the common spaces of the city. There we will have our plazas, courtyards, and squares; some shops and restaurants, walking trails—places where “people gather and interact to build social cohesion and foster social capital.” Landscaping should marry efficiency in planting with human pleasure and enjoyment. There should be plenty of comfortable places to sit or recline, features like gazebos, fountains, decorative ponds, and picnic tables, and fruits ready for picking. Moss and low-rise creeping plants can be used in lieu of grasses for ground cover. Green spaces must be always open and equally available to all citizens of Augury to occupy and do as they please, as long as they treat the space and others with respect. Litterers should be harshly punished with community service.