ARCHITECTURAL ASSOCIATION SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE DIPLOMA 18 ARCHITECTURE OF PARTICLES 2014-2015
G.M.O. Civilization Kay John YIM
TABLE OF CONTENTS
chapter 1 RESEARCH GMO & the atmosphere THE ATMOSPHERE 6 Earth’s shield 8 & the carbon cycle 10 as incubator CROP DIVERSITY 16 apple varieties 18 decline 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 36 38 40 44 46
GMO & the rise of agriculture making of a brief history tomato “flavr savr” & Greenpeace’s stance & Monsanto herbicide-resistant soy herbicide toxicity soy monoculture Argentina around the world the processing script remote demand & transportation
chapter 2 ACTIVISM becoming a farmer ACTIVISM 54 permaculture 58 growing rice 60 golden rice
chapter 3 DESIGN magnetic interventions 66 68 70 72 74 76 78 80 82
DESIGN Magnetism the seed Windmill the BOT Canopy of Helium Community House the NET Maglev Board Crate
chapter 4 PILOT PROJECT magnetic farming 86 88 90 92 96 98
Magnetism Villa Epecuén site plan a vision of farming in 2050 the processing script in practice renderings
chapter 1 RESEARCH
GMO & the atmosphere
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THE ATMOSPHERE Earth’s shield atmosphere |ˈatməsˌfi(ə)r| noun the envelope of gases surrounding the earth or another planet: part of the sun’s energy is absorbed by the earth’s atmosphere. • the air in any particular place: we couldn’t breathe in the dusty atmosphere of his apartment.
The documentary “An Inconvenient Truth” in 2006 have brought my attention to the atmosphere. Like many of my peers, I become more environmentally conscious, beginning with resusing plastic bags, avoiding aerosprays, reducing electricity usage - making every single effort trying to reduce green-
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house gas emission. I thought that carbon dioxide - as one of the most notorious green house gas - had always been the culprit in rapid climate change; it turned out that carbon dioxide is not inherently bad. In fact it plays a significant role in regulating the Earth’s temperature.
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Exosphere Air in this atmospheric layer is almost as thin as vacuum space
Thermosphere A thin layer reaching as high as 2000 degree Celsius, where ultraviolet raidation is turned into heat
Mesophere the coldest region of the atmosphere that protects the earth from meterioids
Stratosphere contains the ozone layer which absorbs ultraviolet radiation from the sun, leading to temperature increas
Troposphere is where human beings and most lives reside
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THE ATMOSPHERE & the carbon cycle Carbon dioxide (CO2) is not inherently bad - in fact it plays an important role in regulating the Earth’s temperature. By trapping solar radiation inside the Earth, it helps create a habitable temperature for life to flourish. Plants are the Earth’s CO2-regulating system: CO2 are converted into O2 by plants through photosynthesis. Carbon are stored below ground in roots and the soil. By nature Earth’s O2 and CO2 has been kept in check for centuries. Until human beings extract the stored carbon content
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and burn them off for power generation. As a result the stored carbon is converted back to CO2; this disrupts the natural regulating system.
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Originally functioned to regulate Earth’s temperature, excess Greenhouse Gases like carbon dioxide and methane are trapping more heat that we need; Greenhouse gases are mostly a by-product of burning carbon fuels trapped by vegetations in soil.
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THE ATMOSPHERE as incubator of carbon-based lives biodiversity |ˌbīōdiˈvərsitē| noun The variety of life at every hierarchical level and spatial scale of biological organisations: genes within populations, populations within species, species within communities, communities within landscapes, landscapes within biomes, and biomes within the biosphere. E. O. Wilson (1988), Biodiversity As a relatively young term, “biodiversity” originated in the early 1980s to refer to both genetic and ecological diversity. Ironically, the term “biodiversity” has gained popularity due to mankind’s realization of biodiversity narrowing down at an alarming rate, mostly due to global population increase and exploitation
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of natural resources. All living organisms are interconnected and interdependent, hence the more diverse the variety of genes and species, the more sustainable the future of nature.
It was only when I dive deep into the sea that I realize human beings, corals and fish are all created equal: we all live under the protection of atmosphere, under the comfortable temperature regulated by greenhouse gases
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we all are CARBON-BASED LI
My first encounter with a turtle during my unit field trip at the Canary Islands in Spain.
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IVES Not only was I amazed because of the proximity of me and the turtle, but also because I saw in first person glowing fish and colourful coral reef beds, beautiful sceneries that never appeared in daily life. They were truly amazing. At that moment, I suddenly realized that Earth’s atmosphere has always been the incubator of every single life on Earth. In fact, human beings, sea livings, plants and trees... almost every single organic matter on Earth share a similar carbon-based structure with the atmosphere at a particle scale level. What have we - human beings - done that
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a “what if” scenario CROP EXTINCTION
My first encounter with a tutrle during my unit field trip at the Canary Islands in Spain.
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“Crop diversity”, or “agrobiodiversity”, refers to the variance in genes and phenotypic charasteristics of argricultural plants; therefore the more diverse, the more secure our food supply. Ironically, crop diversity, as part of biodiversity has been going downhill since the rise of argriculture. In a “WHAT IF” scenario in the movie SILENT RUNNING back in 1972, plants on earth were all extinct - the only species left are those stored inside the spaceship. So what if the “WHAT IF” scenario is not far away from our current generation? Tracing back to the root of the question - why even is crop diversity important to us human beings?
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CROP DIVERSITY apple varieties Here is a namelist of all the existing apple variesties. Isn;t it amazing how diverse it is for only one single species of fuirt to have so many varieties, to be given so many names according different specifications?
Abram Adam's Pearmain Adanac Adirondack Crab Akane Alexander Allington Pippin Allum Almata Alton American Beauty American Summer Pearmain Anoka Antonovka Arkansas Black Arkansas Sweet Ashmead's Kernel Astrachan Crab Atlas Autumn Arctic Baldwin Bancroft Bechtel Crab Belle de Boskoop Belmont Ben Davis Benham Benoni Bentley's Sweet Bevan's Favorite Bietigheimer Black Amish Black Gilliflower Blacktwig 16_
Blenheim Orange Blue Pearmain Bramley's Seedling Britemac Brogden Brown Apple Buckingham Buff Bullet Buncombe Bunker Hill Burgundy Calville Blanc d'Hiver Calvin Cannon Pearmain Carolina Pippin Carolina Red June Carpentin Carter's Blue Cathead Celestia Centennial Crab Chandler Chenango Strawberry Cherryville Black Chesapeake Chesney Chestnut Crab Clara's Creek Apple Claygate Pearmain Coffey Seedling Connell Red Cortland Cotton Sweet Cox's Orange Pippin
Dakota Gold Cox's Orange Pippin Crimson King Criterion Crow Egg Cullasaga Dabinett Davey Deaderick Devine Disharoon Dixie Red Delight Doctor Matthews Domine Dolgo Crab Douglas Wormless Duchess Dudley Dula Beauty Dunkerton Late Sweet Early Cortland Early Harvest Early Joe Early McIntosh Early Redbird Early Strawberry Eastman Sweet Egremont Russet Elstar Empire Empress Esopus Spitzenburg Fallawater Fall Pippin Fall Wine Fanny Foust Fireside Freedom Gala Garfield King George Webster Ginger Gold Gloria Mundi Golden Delicious Golden Pearmain Golden Russet Golden Sweet Goodland Gragg Granny Smith Green Pippin Grimes Golden Haas Hackworth Hadlock Reinette Haralred Haralson Harry Masters Jersey Harvey Hawkeye Delicious Hawley Hazen Henry Clay
GMO Civilization Hewe's Crab Heyer 12 Hiburnal Hightop Sweet Holland Hollow Log Honey Cider Honeycrisp Honeygold Hoover Horse Hubbardston's Nonesuch Hunge Huntsman Husk Spice Hyslop Crab Idared Ingram Iowa Beauty Irish Peach Jake's Seedling Jefferis Jenner Sweet JerseyMac Jonagold Jonamac Jonathan Jordan Russet Josh Joyce Junaluska June Sweeting Kathryn's Favorite Keepsake Kerr Apple-crab King Luscious King David King of Pippin King Solomon Kinnaird's Choice Knobbed Russet Kola Crab Lacy Lady Lady Sweet Late Strawberry Lawver Leafland Greening Lewis Green Liberty Liveland Raspberry Lobo Lodi Lowell Lowry Lugar Red Macfree Macoun Macspur Magnum Bonum Magog Redstreak Maiden Blush Mandan Manitoba
Mann Margaret Marlin Stephens Mary McKinney Mattamuskeet May Apple McIntosh Medaille d'Or Melba Melrose Michelin Milam Milo Gibson Minnesota 1734 Missouri Pippin Montreal Beauty Crab Mother Mountain Boomer Mrs. Bryan Munson's Sweet Mutsu Newtown Pippin Newtosh Niagara Nickajack Noble Norfolk Beefing Northern Lights Northern Spy Northwestern Greening Nova EasyGro Oliver Oriole Orleans Reinette Ortley Ozark Gold Parkland Park's Pippin Parmar Patterson Paula Red Peace Garden Peck's Pleasant Pewaukee Pierce Pasture Pilot Pink Lady速 (Cripps Pink ) Pink Pearl Pitmaston Pineapple Polly Eades Pomme Gris Porter Prairie Spy Priestly Primate Priscilla Pumpkin Sweet Purdy Puritan Quebec Belle Quinte Ralls Janet Ramsdell Sweet Rattle Core
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Rebel Redant Red Astrachan Red Baron Red Esther Redhook Red June Red Reese Redstone Canyon Gold Redwell Red Reese Regent Rescue Apple-crab Reverend Morgan Rhode Island Greening Ribston Pippin Richardson Roman Stem Roxbury Russet Royalty Crab Rusty Coat Saint Edmund's Pippin St. Johnsbury St. Lawrence Salome Sam Young Sandow Schell Scott Winter Secor Sekai Ichi Sharon Shenandoah Sherry Shockley Sierra Beauty Smith's Cider Smith Seedling Smokehouse Snow Sofstaholm Sops of Wine Sparger Spartan Spencer Spigold Starr Stark State Fair Stayman Stoke's Red Stone Striped Harvey Stump Summer Banana Summer Champion Summer King Summer Pearmain Summer Rambo Suncrisp Sunnybrook Sunrise Sweet Bough Sweet Delicious
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CROP DIVERSITY decline Here is a collage of apples of 216 different species, and they are all existing apples from North Eastern America. Isn’t it amazing how diverse it is for only one single species of fruit to have so many varieties? Wouldn’t it be more amazing if I tell you that there were a total of 7100 species that existed in the 1800s? Crop diversity has been on a constant decline since the rise of argriculture. The decline is particularly massive when Genetically Modified Organisms are brought into the industry.
1800s apple variesties
2014 apple variesties
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G.M.O. & the rise of agriculture agriculture |ˈagriˌkəlCHər| noun the science or practice of farming, including cultivation of the soil for the growing of crops and the rearing of animals to provide food, wool, and other products.
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Nobody knows exactly when did human beings transition from huntergatherers to farmers, but the invention of agriculture fed people more reliably than gathering wild plants and hunting wild animals.
breed plants that hold relatively high crop yields and dense in energy.
They documented and learned which crops taste better and grow better. They experimented on interbreeding, on cross pollination to produce higher crop yields and tougher plants. They experimented on interbreeding, on cross pollination, and selectively
The invention of Genetically Modified Organism is a product of human beings’ centuries and centuries of attempt in securing their food supply.
Staple foods like wheat, corn, rice, soy and potatoes are result of selective breeding.
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Ancient egyptian drawing of ploughing; evidence that human works with, not against nature in primal argriculture SOURCE: http:// en.wikipedia.org/
Ancient drawings of domestication SOURCE: http://www. multispecies-salon.org/
Staple food are selectively bred for high crop yield & high caloric energy density SOURCE: http:// en.wikipedia.org/
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G.M.O. making of
1. INSPECT SPECIMEN Examining the flounder’s cells in search of nucleus genes and DNA.
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2. EXTRACT DNA Extracting the frost-resistant gene of the flounder.
3. TRANSFER DNA TO SEEDS Inserting a sample of the DNA into the seeds.
4. PLANT SEEDS Burying altered seeds into fresh soil, water, and place in area that gets 6-8 hours of sunlight a day.
5. HARVESTING Picking the GM tomato when it is still green and keeping it in ethylene gas for delayed ripening.
6. TOMATO PRODUCTS Producing products from the delayed ripening tomato, i.e. ketchup.
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G.M.O. a brief history 1982 FDA Approves First GMO Humulin, insulin produced by genetically engineered E. coli bacteria, appears on the market
1935 DNA discovered Russian scientist Andrei Nikolaevitch Belozersky isolates pure DNA
1980 First GMO Patent Issued
1980
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1990
1994 Delayed-ripening Flavr Savr tomato approved by U.S. Food and Drug Administration for sale on grocery store shelves
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1999 GMO Food Crops Dominate Over 100 million acres worldwide are planted with genetically engineered seeds. The marketplace begins embracing GMO technology at an alarming rate
2005 Herbicide-resistant alfalfa approved by the U.S.D.A
1997 Mandatory Labels required on all GMO food products in the EU, including animal feed
2014 Non-bruising potato developed by J.R. Simply Company, supplier of frozen French fries to McDonald’s 2003 GMO-Resistant Pests In 2003, a Bt-toxin resistant caterpillar, is found feasting on GMO Bt cotton crops in the southern United States. In less than a decade, the bugs have adapted to the genetically engineered toxin produced by the modified plants.
1996 GMO-Resistant Weeds detected in Australia
1996 Monsanto’s first GMO insect-resistant corn approved by the U.S.D.A
2000
2010 GMO sugar beets account for 95% of the crop after deregulation
2010
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G.M.O. tomato “flavr savr” Created by a small group of scientists in a company called Calgene in the 1980s, Flavr Savr was a tomato genetically engineered to have a ripening delay property. It was therefore able to survive trucking to the market, had a longer shelf life, and even a better taste when it is out in the market in 1994. There was a lot of transparency on the Flavr Savr which made it an initial success, and immediately gained public acceptance. For instance, the company insisted to get through a 3-year long approval from the FDA even though it was not required; labelling on Flavr Savr wrappings and market brochures explained the genetic engineering process. Flavr Savrs flew off the shelf even though they were twice as expensive as normal tomatoes.
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Unfortunately the scientists did not under-
stand agriculture - they knew nothing about the tomatoes’ variety, the plant breeding or even the ideal environment for plant growth. The tomatoes were sourced from Mexico, transported a long way up to Chicago overnight; even worse most of them were bruised upon arrival. Large amount of money was invested for transportation with extra care, and ultimately put the company in debt. Eventually the company signed accord with Monsanto for infusion of cash; Monsanta obtained the GMO biotech patent that Calgene owned, and discontinued the Flavr Savr. GMO products come after the Flavr Savr are not labelled, contributing to public’s weariness. Monsanto’s refusal to GMO labelling is one of the reasons Europe turned against GMO food products. This marked the beginning of the GMO debate.
The Flavr Savr was marketed to bring consumers a beneficial experience; which is different from what makes a commercially successful crop. What make a commercially successful crop were things that farmer might want to plant. Most of the GM products now are only beneficial to the farmers, not the consumers, who does not really understand why are they getting the GMO food. Today there are no GM tomato on store shelf. They are harvested for yield rather than tastes, just like the pre Flavr Savr period.
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Flavr savr (left) versus normal tomato (right) 30 days after being picked from vine SOURCE: http://www. nytimes.com
Flavr savr sold under the macgregor’s brand in the supermarket Monsanto acquires Calgene for its genetic modifying technology; SOURCE: http://www. nytimes.com
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G.M.O. & ’s stance To dig deeper into GMO, I set off to visit the Green Peace Headquarters - the leading environmental NGO against GMOs.
“What’s the problem with a delayed ripening tomato?” I questioned. They expressed their concerns that GMO have been around long enought to be proved safe for human consumption; but their major concern is Monsanto, one of the largest multinational biotechnology corporations; since most GMOs on the market are developed by Monsanto, the term “GMO” automatically becomes a synonym of Monsanto-developed GMOs such as Bt Corn and Roundup-ready Soy.
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They expressed their concerns on the widespread of GMO food product worldwide without sufficient data to prove the GMO food safety on human beings, consumers are all
literally being treated as guinea pigs. Other than improved climate tolerance and ease of plantation, they believed that GMO poses threat to biodiversity and mother nature - negative impact on ecological cycle due to alteration of seed DNA, exacerbation of green house gas emission through deforestation, soil destruction due to excess use of syn-
thetic herbicides, and increased exposure to food allergens due to excess use of GMO on food production. GMO is simply not heading towards sustainable food supply. SMART (Selection with Markers and Advanced Reproductive Technologies) breeding was Green Peace’s preferred solution to global food crisis. It
refers to reproducing a hybrid for desirable traits, without alteration of DNA. Green Peace also told me their victories on fighting against GMOs’ further entry into the consumer market, including successfully passing the Biosafety Protocol in Montreal, Canada to protect biodiversity from genetic pollution in 2000, and
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Brochures published by Greenpeace as part of its anti-GMO campaign SOURCE: http://www.greenpeace.org.uk/
stopping the commercialisation of genetically-engineered rice into China in 2011. My interview with the activists at Green Peace was eye-opening and informative.
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G.M.O. & MONSATO The majority of GMO crops are innovated and patented by six corporations; named the “BIG 6”, they own the world’s pesticides, seed and biotechnology industry. Monsanto being one of the most influential and controversial corporation out of the “BIG 6”. Monsanto was a major producer of pesticides and industrial chemicals founded in 1901. It was one of the first to genetically modify a plant cell and to conduct field trials of genetically modified crops. Their product line ranges from food additives to GMO seeds, from pesticides to herbicides. Basically everything involved in the entire food production cycle. It was when Monsanto focused on biotech-
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nology during the late 1900s that it acquired Calgene and a lot of biotech companies, therefore obtaining a lot of patented technologies. It invests heavily in development and research, recouping expenses by enforcing and using patents. Its application of such business model on agriculture conflicted with traditional farming practices to save, share, reuse and develop plant varieties; commercialization and litigation of seeds have made the company controversial, being criticized by many as biopirating, threatening biodiversity. Monsanto’s strong position on anti-GMO labelling was one of the many triggers of public concerns and controversies against GMO after the discontinua-
tion of Flavr Savr. In a recent GMO labelling measure campaign in Oregon, Monsanto’s contribution to NO votes accounts for over 5million USD (5,958,750 USD), almost one third of the total fundraising. Monsanto’s lack of public transparency and strong position again GMO labeling causes public concerns - leading to the rise of GMO controversial campaigns - for instance Oregon’s farmer’s setting GMO farm on fire back in 2013.
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List of brands that use Monsanto products; this literally ranges from everything that goes our mouth, the soil and the atmosphere SOURCE: http://www.monsanto. com
FOR & AGAINST VOTES ON OREGON GMO LABELLING SOURCE: http://gov.oregonlive.com/
Monsanto contributed to most of the against votes SOURCE: http://gov.oregonlive. com/election/2014/finance/measure-92/
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G.M.O. herbicide-resistant soy One of the most wellknown commercial GMOs is herbicide resisters - engineered to be immune to weed killers. Example being Monsanto’s Roundupready soy. The DNA of a plant is altered with a soil bacterium’s gene to make the plant immune to the weed killer called Roundup. Farmers douse their fields with Roundup to kill every weed and unwanted plant, but even when coated in herbicide the soy plant remains unharmed. It is estimated that GM soy produce a $6 billion aggregate welfare gain per year at global level, with rural households in developing countries under poverty sharing a significant gain. Similar to Bt corn,
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GM soy has benefited certain farmers with improved productivity, but with compromises. The more farmers depend on soy as cash crop due to increased demand, the more likely they are to practice soy monocropping. Monoculture depletes soil nutrients, narrows food diversity and therefore promotes malnutrition among indigenous population. GMO-led problems does not only limit to GMO producing countries, but also causes health problems worldwide. Almost all commonly available processed foods, medicine, supplements are derived from either GM soy and Bt corn. Increase consumption of GMO has exposed human to new allergens.
e
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complete protein ! incomplete
incomplete
incomplete
I immediately understood why it Agrobacterium was chosen among thousands of tumefaciens seeds to be genetically modified - it was because of its complete essential amino acid profile, in other words, soy has sufficient protein to sustain life and promote growth on suicide gene its own. It also has a fast growth rate - growing from a seedINJECTION to a mature pod in II. GENE less than 6 months.
CROP I. CROPI.SELECTION SELECTION
Gene injection takes place after crop selection. Scientist took the seed and injected two genes.
biosynthetic pathway
fragile
I. STAPLE FOOD SELECTION
Agrobacterium tumefaciens
Glyphosate
suicide gene
II. GENE
II. GENEINJECTION INJECTION
III. HERBICIDE-RESI
II. GENES INJECTION
These transgenic soybeans inserted MAGNETISM IMPLANT with the first gene became resistant to Roundup - a herbicide developed by Monsanto.
III. PRO-VITAMIN MAGNETIC B
carotenoid
cheap! versatile!
suicide gene
II. GENE INJECTION
magnetism
GMO
The second gene is the terminator gene. I. CROP SELECTION
III. HERBICIDE-RE
Agrobacterium tumefaciens carotenoid
The first gene comes from Agrobacterium tumefaciens -complete a notoricheap! protein ! versatile! ous plant pathogen. This makes incomplete incomplete the soy plant resistant to herbicides. incomplete expensive
Kay John Yim
III. HERBICIDE-RESISTANT GMO
expensive
III. HERBICIDE RESISTANT
biosynthetic This made weed management a pathway whole lot easier. Farmers no longer have to spray herbicides selectively. The invention of Agricultural aircrafts and machineries further magnetism encourage large-scale, V. TERMINATOR GENE IV. HERBICIDE TOXICITY and hence excessive herbicide spraying over GMO fields.
2X
fragile
Excessive useFOOD of herbicide does I. STAPLE SELECTION not only limited to immediate polcarotenoid lution of the soil, but is toxic for biosynthetic pathway human consumption. 2X growth rate Agrobacterium tumefaciens
II. GENES INJECTION MAGNETISM IMPLANT
III. PRO-VITAMIN A MAGNETIC BR
Glyphosate
magnetism
suicide gene
II. GENES INJECTION MAGNETISM IMPLANT II. GENE INJECTION
III. PRO-VITAMIN A & MAGNETIC BRAN III. HERBICIDE-RESISTANT
IV. HEALING POWERS IV. HERBICIDE TOXICITY
IV. TOXICITY
V. POLLINATION & V. TERMINATOR GENE HARVESTING
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carotenoid biosynthetic pathway 2X growth rate
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An anatomy of soy & the annual growth cycle of GMO soy crop My sketch of a mature soy plant and its sprouting stages _35
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herbicide TOXICITY
Herbicide overflow due to largescale spraying leads to soil depletion. Livestock and human breathing in herbicide-contaminated air, feeding on herbicide-polluted water become sick. source: http://naturalearthfriendly. com
Glyphosate is one of the most used herbicides around the world. Marketed under the name “Roundup�, it is a non-selective systemic herbicide particularly against weeds. Roundup was rapidly adopted by farmers in the United States for growing Roundup ready crops, such as corn, soybeans, cotton, sugarbeets and canola etc. Even though no GM herbicide resistant crops have been autho-
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rized for commercial production in the European Union, Roundup is still the top ranked herbicide in UK.
aero-spraying has led to excess use of glyphosate containing herbicides such as Roundup.
There are public concerns over glyphosate residues in manufactured food products as there is currently no monitoring programmes for glyphosate in food or feed in the EU and national governments. The adoption of agricultural aircrafts in herbicide
A study in 2012 found that rats fed a type of GM corn found in widely available process foods developed massive mammary tumors in addition to kidney and liver damage.
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Weed management became a whole lot easier. Â Farmers no longer have to spray herbicides selectively. Â The invention of Agricultural aircrafts and machineries further encourage largescale, and hence excessive herbicide spraying over GMO fields. source: http://wikipedia.com
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Extended consumption of herbicide sprayed GMO causesd liver, kidney and heart failure in rats source: http://www. gmoseralini.org/en/
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G.M.O. soy monoculture Argentina I. NATURE
I. NATURE
At a meso scale, I looked at Roundupready soy planting in Argentina. Argentina ranked first on the list of GMO soy exporting and planting countries. Like most commercial I. DEADLAND farming, it starts with nature, in this case,
II. DEFORESTATION POLLUTION
IV. HERBICIDE OVERFLOW SOIL DEPLETION
III. CONSTRUCTION FERTILIZATION
IV. PLANTATION POWER GENERATION
a forest, followed by deforestation.
II. FLOOD
It is ironic that Argentina - one of the largest GMO soy growing countries - suffer from hunger source: http://bbc.co.uk/
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III. MONOCULTURE
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At a meso scale, I looked at Roundup-ready soy planting in Argentina. Argentina ranked first on the list of GMO soy exporting and planting countries. Like most commercial farming, it starts with nature, in this case, a forest, followed by deforestation. I. NATURE
II. DEFORESTATION II.POLLUTION DEFORESTATION
III. MONOCULTURE
I
Roundup-ready soy is so convenient for farmers that they prefer planting them over any other plants, resulting in monoculture - the practice of planting only one crop on the same piece of land for years and years.
II. DEFORESTATION POLLUTION
I. DEADLAND III. MONOCULTURE
III. MONOCULTURE
In wild nature, there is no soil that only nurtures one crop - it is always a combination of a variety of plants FLOODand of course no soil isIII. CONSTRUCTION andII.trees, V. DEADLAND IV. HERBICIDE designedOVERFLOW to be flooded with Round- FERTILIZATION SOILherbicides. DEPLETION up
I
Herbicide overflow due to largescale aero-spraying leads to soil depletion. Livestock and human breathing in herbicide-contaminated air, feeding on herbicide-polluted water become II. FLOOD IV. PLANTATION V. PERMACULTURE III.sick. CONSTRUCTION V. DEADLAND II. DEFORESTATION III. MONOCULTURE IV. HERBICIDE OVERFLOW POWER GENERATION LABOR IS LEISURE FERTILIZATION IV. HERBICIDE POLLUTION SOIL DEPLETION
OVERFLOW
The practice of Roundup-ready soy monocropping literally transformed Argentina into a deadland.
II. FLOOD IV. HERBICIDE OVERFLOW SOIL DEPLETION
III. CONSTRUCTION V. DEADLAND FERTILIZATION
V. DEADLAND
IV. PLANTATION POWER GENERATION
V. PERMACULTURE LABOR IS LEISURE
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G.M.O. around the world
I set off to look into countires that have adopted GMO as a major means of argricultural production. By mapping out the percentage and location of land uses, it becomes eveident that GMO has
been generally taking over conventional argriculture. It is just a matter of time until herbicide toxicity, deforestation and more atmospheric destruction to come.
Canada 7%
U.S.A. 43%
Brazil 19%
Argentina 15%
Percentage of all lands used for GMO crops, 2011 0 40_
<1
1
10
20
30
40+
Percentage of all lands used for GMO crops, 2011
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China 7%
India 2%
South Africa 1%
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G.M.O. soy around the world
GMO soy in particular has brought the most controversies out of all the GMOs, for its herbicide resistant property. Soyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s growing popularity recently as a complete vegan protein souce has increased soyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s global demand; more transportation of
ARGENTINA
Top soybean exporter Top soybean importer 42_
Top soybean exporter
crops results in more pollution. What ironic is that even though GMO planting in banned in the European Union, they account for the most consumption of GMO soy around the world.
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E.U.
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G.M.O. research the processing script
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I made a script to visualize the transport of GMO produce around the world. By layering multiple data sets including reported allergic population,
deforestation and dessertification, this proves my speculation that remote demand of GMO have a massive negative impact.
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G.M.O. remote demand & transportation CO2 concentration (European Space Agency data) has been shown to have a positive correlation with GMO farms, which can be attributed to large scale deforestation, as well as import and export of GMO crops for food production. Mapping out the top corn, and soy import and export countries, it is evident there is a demand in non-GMO production countries, for instance the EU ranks first in soy import, even though it imposed an unofficial moratorium in GMO crops in 1998 due to strong resistance voices.
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the world, I scripted the change of GMO crop coverage from 2003 in comparison to the atmospheric CO2 concentration, as well as allergic pollution. Such visualization shows a positive correlation in increase of GMO crop, GMO transportation and increase in CO2 concentration; GMO import countries show an increase in allergic population. Increase in CO2 concentration can be traced back to deforestation for GMO crop-lands and GMO transport.
It is ironic how GMO production has eventually led to an increase in CO2 emission, as fighting global warming induced climate change has always been the pivot of GMO development.
Concerning the increase in allergic population, since all modern food is literally made up of GMO ingredients like corn and soy, overconsumption might have led to a huge surge in allergies, especially in the US.
In addition to mapping out the GMO crop locations, imports and exports of GMO around
Hunger is also a major problem issue besides the two mentioned problems. How can
Argentina, despite being the 2nd largest GM soy producer still suffer from hunger? When former farmlands and forests are all converted into soy crop fields, there is not much left for the locals to eat. Monoculture, deforestation and desertification are all contributing factors. Having identified the negative impacts of a rapid surge of commercial GMO crops, it is speculated that cutting the GMO import and export, in other words cutting corporate control will lead to a reduction in GMO crops. The speculative decrease in remote GMO production will allow time for the soil to heal, people to recover, protecting biodiversity from further damage.
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GMO DATA SOURCE: http://www.indexmundi.com/ CO2 DATA SOURCE: http://www.Esa-ghg-cci.Org/
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By cutting corporate control over gmo, transportation of gmo decreases, followed by a reduction in gmo crop-lands; this allows the depleted soil to regenerate over time. However gmo triggered allergic population will not reduce.
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the scenario THE WORLD IN CO
Research has drawn upon the conclusion that by undermining large corporation control over GMO seeds, cutting remote demand of GMO crops would halt or even reverse biodiversity damages since the adoption of GM technology in agriculture. 50_
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ONTROL OF MONSANTO
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chapter 2 ACTIVISM
becoming a farmer
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ACTIVISM permaculture Modern agriculture is mostly about monoculture - the practice of growing a single plant species over a wide area for a long period of time, examples being GM soy monocropping in Argentina.
Human has been experimenting with alternative approaches to sustainable and productive agricultural practices. Polyculture introduces plantation of a wide variety of crops in imitation of the diversity of natural ecosystems. Polyculture includes the practice of multi-cropping, intercropping, companion planting, crop rotation etc. Permaculture, however, takes polyculture to the next level.
ecosystem and applying it to our agricultural system. “Permaculture is a philosophy of working with, rather than against nature; of protracted and thoughtful observation rather than protracted and thoughtless labor; and of looking at plants and animals in all their functions, rather than treating any area as a single product system.” —Bill Mollison
Originally coined by Bill Mollison and David Holmgren in the 1978, “Permaculture” is the principle of mimicking
John Yim <jy.yimkay@gmail.com>
Greenpeace vs GMOs 2 messages
dirk.zimmermann@greenpeace.de <dirk.zimmermann@greenpeace.de> To: jy.yimkay@gmail.com Cc: ausstellung@greenpeace.de
In a recent contact with Greenpeace’s campaigner Dr. Dirk Zimmemann, he mentioned ecological farming as the alternative to industrial GMO farming; Permaculture is one form of ecological farming 54_
Tue, Mar 31, 2015 at 2:33 PM
Dear John, my collegues forwarded me your question on GMOs. There might be a misunderstanding. Our opposition to GMOs is not based on the finding that GM crops are controlled by very few corporates. This is a general problem in agriculture, may it be seeds, fertilizers or even land. We oppose GM crops for fundamental reasons: it´s about the technique (the manipulation) itself and the fact, that GM crops have failed (and will fail) to deliver the solutions that agriculture needs. So we would be against GM even if it was an open source technology. But in the end our position is not just an "against" one: we are in favor of a "real solution", which is ecological farming. And this is completely contradictory to the use of GMOs to us. Best Dirk on GMO risks:(Siehe angehängte Datei: Health and Environmental Impacts of GM crops.pdf) and a lot more on out webpage http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/ Dr. Dirk Zimmermann Kampaigner Nachhaltige Landwirtschaft Sustainable Agriculture Campaigner phone: +49 40 30618 339 / 0160 581 4942 fax: +49 40 30618 19 339 http://www.greenpeace.de
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Founders of Permaculture: David Holmgren (up) and Bill Mollison (left). source: http://wikipedia.com
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ACTIVISM growing rice at ZEN ORGANIC FARM There is a Chinese saying “讀萬卷書不如行萬 里路” which translates to “There is nothing like trying.” - to learn about the grits and bits of agriculture, I became a farmer at one of the largest organic farms in Hong Kong - Zen Organic Farm. For the last decade Zen Organic Farm had been a family-run pig barn; due rise in livestock diseases, hygienic concerns and neighboring complaints, the family had no choice but to give up on the pig barn. It was later converted into an organic farm growing a wide variety of produce - supplying fresh organic ingredient for local Michelin restaurants; one of them being the Four Season Hotel of Hong Kong. There are seven work56_
ers in total, each one in charge of a certain area of plantations. Besides being a main vegetable supplier to a Michelin restaurant, Zen Organic is also an educational farm open to the public for the appreciation of nature and experience working as farmers.
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dec 2014 EMPATHY OF COLL
I worked in Zen Organic, one of the best known organic farms in Hong Kong, where I grew and harvested my first batch of rice. 58_
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I interviewed the owner of the organic farm. To my surprise, she is a firm believer that GMO is not inherently bad. In her opinion, Permaculture is perfect in theory but not widely adopted; it is far too la-
LABORATION
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bor intensive (like I have experienced); organic produce are too delicate to survive extreme weather conditions; and as a result, the practice of permaculture, like organic produces, have been a sign of luxury. She concluded that GMO - without the herbicides - is definitely nescessary for the human race to survive under worsening climate conditions.
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ACTIVISM vitamin A & iron enriched golden rice Even though the first GMO was considered a commercial failure due to the scientistâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lack of knowledge in agriculture, it sets off the age of GMO innovation in the late 1990s until now. Unfortunately what is widely known across the market are herbicide-resistant GMOs developed by multinational corporations - the reason why GMO is attributed a bad rep. It should not be forgotten that altering genetic engineer technology is developed to benefit mankind - for instance, the first GM tomato, Flavr Savr was engineered to benefit consumers - for its long shelf-life and tastes; a lesser known successfully developed GM rice was engineered with pro-vitamin A by IRRI (International Rice 60_
Research Institute). The GM rice, more commonly known as Golden Rice for its yellowish color due to previtamin A nutritional content, is designed as the seed to fight climate change, improve food security and raise crop nutritional value. There is an estimated child death of 1.15 million worldwide due to vitamin A deficiency annually, according to UNICEF. Vitamin A deficiency causes loss of sight and immunity against a number of diseases, due to its association with a broad spectrum of nutrient absorption such as zinc. Vitamin A is an essential micronutrient for our body to detox the kidney - so it helps the body to get rid of toxic
The higher the provitamin content of rice, the more closer to red it gets
SOURCE: http://www.irri.org/
herbicides ingested along with Roundup ready soy. Golden rice is chosen as the basis of my project, for its high adaptability, wide acceptance as a traditional staple food, high nutritional content, and more importantly, the 14 years of time and effort spent on developing the golden seed.
A microscopic view of the vitamin A and iron enriched rice; the golden colr can be attributed to the vitamin content
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An anatomy of rice & the annual growth cycle of conventional rice crop My sketch of the rice plant while in close-up study at the organic farm _63
chapter 3 DESIGN
Magnetic Interventions
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DESIGN the common denominator: MAGNETISM There is a region of Earth that no human being has ever visited - the molten core. Located 2000miles beneath our feet, the Earth’s molten core - basically liquid iron generates an invisible magnetic field around the Earth. This invisible magnetic field shields the Earth from deadly radiation coming from the solar system. The magnetic field works like an additional layer of atmosphere that protects and nurtures life. Why is this relevant to sustainable farming though? There have been countless researches indicating that animals and plants reacts to magnetism; a magnetic sense has possibly been developed under thousands years being shield under the invisible layer of atmosphere. For instance 66_
NASA has proven plants with magnetic fields induced upon shows faster growth rate in comparison to a normal plants; National Academy of Sciences of the U.S.A. has done studies revealing alignment in grazing and resting cattle and deer are dictated by magnetic field lines. Bats and bees depend on magnetic field for navigation at night. In fact, human beings seems to be the only species that has not developed, or even have lost the magnetic sense through evolution. As the very last resort, we rely on compasses to find our way home. As magnet-based lives, magnetism makes a great starting point in the development of a sustainable farming program.
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NASA has been searching for ways to increase plant growth speed, as part of their plan to grow vegetation in space; one of their findings is that magnetism increases plant growth speed source: http://nasa.gov
Magnetosphere is one of the most underateed atmospheric layers
Molten core origin of the Earth;s magnetic field
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the SEED beyond Golden rice
Fe Vit.A
The invisible atmosphere - Earth’s magnetic field There is a region of Earth that no human being has ever visited - the molten core. Located 2000miles beneath our feet, the Earth’s molten core - basically liquid iron generates an invisible magnetic field around the Earth. This invisible magnetic field shields the Earth from deadly radiation coming from the solar system. The magnetic field works like an additional layer of atmosphere that protects and nurtures life. Why is this relevant to sustainable farming though?
A sectional cut across the seed reeals the internal beta-carotene gene and embryo
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There have been countless researches indicating that animals and plants reacts to magnetism; a magnetic sense has possibly been developed under thousands years being shield under the invisible layer of atmo-
sphere. For instance NASA has proven plants with magnetic fields induced upon shows faster growth rate in comparison to a normal plants; National Academy of Sciences of the U.S.A. has done studies revealing alignment in grazing and resting cattle and deer are dictated by magnetic field lines. Bats and bees depend on magnetic field for navigation at night. In fact, human beings seems to be the only species that has not developed, or even have lost the magnetic sense through evolution. As the very last resort, we rely on compasses to find our way home. As magnet-based lives, magnetism makes a great starting point in the development of a sustainable farming program.
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Magnetic rice husk
50mm
Beta-carotene, a precursor to Vitamin A
The rice embryo
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WINDMILL generating magnetism Magnets have been existent for as long as the universe exists, it is a pure form of clean energy. And in fact magnets provides a relatively steady and more harnessable power when utilized at a moderate scale. My first goal is to decentralize power supply - and the first step that I take is designed small, local and energyindependent gadgets that can be operated by anyone at any place and any time. These in-
clude detachable windmills collecting wind power and generating magnetic fields. By implementing small intervention, energy transfer from power plants to distant and remote areas can be minimised, hence less pollutants; making power more accessible.
Components that make up the windmill; to be installed at site
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Windmill parts are detachable and mobile to allow maxiumum flexibility
Temoporary storage for harvested rice; milling of rice husk begins here by wind power 2700mm
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the BOT a mobile seed vault My second goal, like I have said in the very beginning of the presentation, is to preserve biodiversity. But seed and plant archiving need not to consume massive amount of space, it just has to be consistently done. This is also an insurance policy in case of accidental cross
A front rendering view of the BOT: it is constructed out of locally sourced bamboo and fiberglass 72_
pollination. So this is a mobile seed vault, based to Googleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s BullDog mechanics, also an incubator for sprouting of seeds.
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Levitation mode allows transportation above the flooding plane The BOT is an advanced version of Google’s BigDog robot project
“Eye” of the Bot, “door” to the seed vault within; farmers store every iterative version of seeds and plants for backup and research purposes
2700mm
Incubration chamber provides optimal environment for sprouting for delicate seeds
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CANOPY OF HELIUM He My second goal, like I have said in the very beginning of the presentation, is to preserve biodiversity. But seed and plant archiving need not to consume massive amount of space, it just has to be consistently done. This is also an insurance policy in
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case of accidental cross pollination. So this is a mobile seed vault, based to Googleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s BullDog mechanics, also an incubator for sprouting of seeds.
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Semi-transparent surface blocks out excess rain and UV from crops
36 80 m
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Wires nailed to ground provide lateral stability
Helium is stored within the cushions at 4 sides
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COMMUNITY HOUSE / school of farming Third goal is back to nature. As crazy as it sounds, it means letting the water flood the ground annually instead to constructing flooding barriers. Rice grows with a denser nutritional profile after the soil being flooded. For the habitat of local farmers, houses
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are built with locally sourced bamboos, and golden rice husks after harvesting. The design of houses are in reference to vernacular architecture in tropical areas, where flooding is not uncommon.
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Detail A
Detail B
Detail C Detail D Detail A
Detail B
Detail C Detail D
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the NET converting CO2 to O2 The sides of the school is slighting raised above flood line to allow fish farms to grow. In where CO2 emitted from fish are collected in the NET devices; The algae inside the NET devices then converted the CO2 in to O2 for later use.
Algae is one of the msot efficient plants in converting carbon dioxide into oxygen through photosynthesis; this can be attribited to their unicellular nature
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Bamboo frame
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The Net pulls in CO2 exhaust from fish to regenerate O2 for divers/fishermen use
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MAGLEV BOARD transportation This is a maglev board I designed for farmers to transport across farms during flooding seasons.
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Magnetic field is generated by electromagnetic induction of copper wires
2550mm
The main body of the board is made up of locally sourced bamboo/ wood
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CRATE an open source kit
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The seed, gadgets and the bot will be placed into a crate box, a farmerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s starter kit, shipped to places which need aid.
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Maglev board
bamboo
the NET
Canopy of Helium
the BOT
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chapter 4 PILOT PROJECT Magnetic Farming
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MAGNETISM Vil a Epecuén Topping the world’s agricultural production and export, the soybean industry has become Argentina’s pride, yet country’s rising dependence on GM soy production - from 11.5 million tons in 1990 to 50 million tons in 2013 - raises myriad of ecological and health issues. It is imminent to free the locals from the vicious cycle of GMO suicide seeds, to stop herbicide-toxicity, crop extinction, and malnutrition.
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Villa Epecuén (meaning ‘eternal spring’) was chosen as the testing ground for Golden Rice in solving problems brought about by GMO. Located in the Buenos Aires Province, it was once a tourist village accessible 340 miles from the capital of Argentina, Buenos Aires, by train. It was once famous for its lagoon, Lago Epecuén’s high salinity, as people believed that it posses therapeutic power to cure skin diseases, rheumatism and de-
pression. On 6 November 1975 that Villa Epecuén was drowned due to a heavy rain, sending visitors and residents away from the town. It was not until 2009 that the water receded, exposing ruins of buildings and houses due to extended submersion under water. Pablo Novak was the only resident who returned to the town, living a lonely life riding on his bike and reading newspaper in memorial of the town’s golden days. Villa Epecuén therefore makes an ideal backdrop for Golden Rice development - in the mission of fighting against GMO toxicity and revitalizing “eternal spring” of Argentina.
Photos of Villa Epecuén after being flooded for over 20 years
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beginning of activism SITE PLAN
Decentralisation is the key to victory over multinational corporations. Open source kits are sent to La Epecuen to get locals started on farming. 88_
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FLOOD COVERAGE PILOT PROJECT COVERAGE 0
0.5
1km
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MAGNETISM a vision of farming in 2050
A conceptual diagram on the functional hierachy of a futuristic farm.
ESTATION UTION
RESTATION LLUTION
D
I. NATURE
II. DEFORESTATION POLLUTION
III. MONOCULTURE
At a Meso scale, Argentina definitely needs this Golden Rice.
I. NATURE I. DEADLAND I. PILOT PROJECT SITE
I came across Villa Epecuén in Argentina. Once a tourist site, it has been flooded for 25 years. As the water receded in 1992, it was left with ruins. No sign of life, no trees, no tourists.
II. DEFORESTATION III. MONOCULTURE POLLUTION It is literally a deadland - the worst case
scenario for me to work with, and that is II. FLOOD III. CONSTRUCTION perfect.
FERTILIZATION
Flooding was supposed to be a disaster, but I would take that as an advantage for planting. By constructing flooding barriers along the coast, controlled flooding would actually promote better III. MONOCULTURE rice yields.
I. DEADLAND
IV. HERBICIDE OVERFLOW II. FLOOD SOIL DEPLETION III. FLODDING
V. DEADLAND III. CONSTRUCTION FERTILIZATION
Allocation of rice paddies, construction of walkways and sowing take place after flooding of the land - when soils are full of nutrients necessary for the growth of Golden Rice.
III. MONOCULTURE III. CONSTRUCTION IV. FERTILIZATION FERTILIZATION
Not only is production essential, but V. DEADLAND IV. HERBICIDE OVERFLOW also the archiving and recording of SOIL DEPLETION iterations of seeds and plants that would benefit future research in
IV.GMO PLANTATION and agriculture. POWER GENERATION
V. PERMACULTURE LABOR IS LEISURE
With the correct implementation of technology, windmills for instance - in reference of traditional rice milling - not only will it generate electricity, but also induces an electromagnetic field that promotes plant growth, attract bats to hunt on pests, and livestocks for ploughing and green manure.
III. CONSTRUCTION FERTILIZATION
IV.V.PLANTATION POLLINATION & HARPOWERVESTING GENERATION
V. PERMACULTURE LABOR IS LEISURE
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MAGNETISM the processing script
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I made a script to simulate the multiplication effects of magnetism. Not only will the magnetic force help harvest the golden rice
by magnetic attration, but more importantly they will determine the development of rice paddies locations.
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By specifying coordinates for points where magnetci windmills are to be installed, running the Processing script gives a visualization on how the magnetic fields work together in conjunction.
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MAGNETISM in practice
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Obtaining simulation results from Processing, I design a sequence of events that will happen, all taking advantage of the magnetic field generated on-site. It is a cycle of implanting windmills, capturing wind power to
generate magnetism, harvesting magnetic rice and small construction. The cycle will become automated as a result of the growing magnetic field and community.
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beginning of activism AN OPEN SOURCE
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Decentralisation is the key to victory over multinational corporations. Open source kits are sent to La Epecuen to get locals started on farming.
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KIT
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inter-species COLLABORATIVE PL
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Inspired by movie “THE YOUNG ONES”, one translation BOT is all it takes to unite human and mammals into ploughing partners.
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LOUGHING
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planting magnetism SETTING UP & ARC
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Detachable windmills included in the open source kit is installed over the site; at the same time people begins archiving plants and seeds inside the bot.
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CHIVING
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auto-alignment sowing MAGNETIC SEED
Magnetic field generated by windmills allows the seeds to be sowed spacingly with little effort and time. 104_
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over the flood MAGNETIC MOBILIT
Attracted by maturing rice seeds, bats hunt on pest during night time, therefore eliminating the needs for toxic pesticides. 106_
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shielding the delicate CANOPY OF HELIU
When farmers sees a storm coming, helium canopys are setup to shelter crops from the wind and rain. 108_
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a year of hard-work follows FESTIVE OF HARVE
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When the rice crops are mature, windmills harvest the rice seeds through magnetic attraction; annual harvest is celebrated as a reminiscent of Sky Lantern Festival.
s EST
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expansion of community SCHOOL OF FARMI
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Schools are constructed from locally sourced wood, bamboo and harvested rice husk to educate locals on sustainable farming.
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ING
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letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s go fishing & FLOOD-FARMING
Fish farms are setup around schools to take full advantage of the flooding seasons.
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future of agriculture LABOR IS LEISURE
Farmers no longer farm for the sake of farming, but to appreciate the beauty of nature, as part of the ecosystem. 116_
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As mammal behaviors are dictated by magnetism, organic manure replace the need for large machineries. 118_
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MANURE
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no terminator genes POLLINATION
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At the absence of terminator genes, bees help the pollination of rice seeds; for the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and decades of harvest to come.
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organic
Attracted by maturing rice seeds, bats hunt on pest during night time, therefore eliminating the needs for toxic pesticides. 122_
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PEST CONTROL
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REVIVAL OF A DEADLAND Magnetic farming wil be a coexistent practice of nature & technology
With the aid of magnetism and minimal technology, La Epecuen is revitalised into a golden rice field 124_
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secured biodiversity; increased job opportunities; no corporation monopoly; no herbicides; no pesticides.
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