Recently i’ve been on a light research kick regarding some open ended concepts. While focus in the news and other social outlets is being applied to growing middle classes, hungry world economies, and future growth estimation focus regarding how we as a population can sustain the continued growth is rare to be seen. Economic movement forward is positive for global societies, but without supplying the basic needs and requirements for all, not just those moving us forward, economic disparity and challenges will always follow.

I’m not saying that we should aim for the utopic society of Star Trek where there is no want or need for food, water, or money. I like all of these things and the competition and growth they bring. No, i’m concerned and focusing on the availability of clean water and sustainable, plentiful, basic sustenance.

This is an exciting time in the world. The drive to create new sources of clean water and technology is ever expanding. The concept of reducing energy consumption in food production is in the infancy of implementation. New growth in clean water efforts and aquaculture are occurring in the background with studied advances forward. These current and future tools are a possibility to provide for the needs of the ever growing populations of China and India, enable basic survival inAfrica, and the assist with the ever darkening situation of the worlds oceans.

Partnerships like DEKA R&D and Coca-Cola, although corporate, could be the solution to future challenges. The need for clean water that can be produced cheap and efficiently anywhere in the world is a daunting challenge. DEKA R&D has developed a water purification system called the Slingshot that can turn any source of water into clean and safe drinking water. when partnered with Coca-Cola bringing clean water to every corner of the planet is now possible.

This is amazing. No other way to describe this.

Another emerging concept that is gaining minor attention but showing promise and scalability is Aquaculture. The growth in energy efficient closed systems that produce both protein and nutritious vegetables has the ability to provide and alter our views of how we access food. Quite literally this could be the next evolution in how food is procured by human kind.

Old infrastructure in the mid-west USA is being re-purposed to house aquaculture centers. These centers combine indoor fresh water fish farms filtering waste through a series of hydroponic vegetable grow environments. Energy consumption is reduced and this system can be constructed anywhere near the basic required resources providing year round growth and production.

A species that started as hunter gathers, learned to farm and domesticate, now will be able to (with a small bit of imagination and poetic license) create the nutrition needed, where it is needed. The current efforts of companies like Urban Organics in Minneapolis are paving the way forward to a solution that will allow the world to experience comfort and growth not seen before.

The only concern is if the concept is just too new? Moving forward, the ability for environmentally friendly human sustainment is possible through the mixture of emerging technologies and a little effort in the right direction. Any way that you look at it, the current iterations of technology can only be improved and combined to the betterment of a engaging future. The potential for an exciting future is there.