Rooftop greenhouses might help to feed mankind

Published Date: 09 October 2008

ROOFTOPS are an untapped resource that will be used widely in the cities of the future, according to Professor Peter Head.

He said they could be used for growing food in rooftop greenhouses.This, he believes, will help tackle the problem that the amount of food produced per person in the world is currently dropping."This is a terrifying prospect because not only will prices go up but the people who need food won't get it," he said.Those roofs that are too steep could be used for solar panels or small wind turbines."If you look down from the sky the roofs are the land, effectively," said Prof Head. "So they should be used and be productive."The sides of buildings would also be used, whether for solar panels or for growing plants that would help soak up carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.Streets would also be put to use. With fewer cars, less space would be needed, so trees could be planted.Up to 15 per cent of the energy needed by cities could be provided by farm waste.