Jacob
New Luddism. Awake and resist!
Not when we are talking about UK located wealth distribution and movement.
It's another red herring dragged up in defence of the wealthy - a very bad habit!
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Potential sites for new mega-solar farms
- Thread starter woodieallen
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It's another red herring dragged up in defence of the wealthy - a very bad habit!
I think there is some evidence that yields can increase from crops under solar panels.
Agree on the second point - every industrial or retail shed should have to cover the roof in panels when built or refurbed as a condition of planning.
One of the current problems with arable farming is the tractor, think how much pollution is created by driving a tractor up and down the field to plough, seed and then the combine to harvest supported by multiple tractors. Electric tractors would need huge battery capacity so is there going to be a major change in farming ?
Agent_zed
Established Member
For the reasons specified they are likely to be some of the last users of diesel. I believe this is where Hydrogen or biogas could be a contender. It will take a long time to change as tractors are hugely expensive.
Agent_zed
Established Member
Hopefully you aren't refering to Tesla lorries that appear to be absolutely rubbish and haven't matched any of the ridiculous claims that Musk constantly makes.
Diesel hybrids would seem a sensible half way house.
Jacob
New Luddism. Awake and resist!
Perhaps you are thinking ahead somewhat!
Just an idea - they could have static motors pulling the necessary kit by cable? Direct connections and no batteries needed. Something similar was done in the early days of steam:
https://steamploughclub.org.uk/steam-ploughing-a-simple-guide/
John Brown
Freeloading Social media influenza
As mentioned elsewhere in these forums, ploughing is going out of fashion.
Yes I have seen them doing this with traction engines and with modern motors at high voltage it would be extremely efficient. Some huge excavators also work plugged into the grid where the motors just turn pumps to produce hydraulic power for everything.
Really? There must be some bad press but I’ve seen an awful lots of good stuff.
Of course it’s not just Tesla making Electric Trucks. Companies like Mercedes are also making them but they haven’t been able to match the range of the Tesla yet.
Yes I saw a programme on TV about steam powered plows. Another bonus is that it doesn’t cause as much damage to the land. Only problem I see is that the usual suspects - big oil and tractor manufacturers etc will object, and an electric alternative would need a large amount of investment. Easier to stick with the status quo.
Cabinetman
Established Member
Also the cable cars in San Francisco still run on an electric powered moving cable running under the street. But it’s very old now and all modern systems use overhead electric cables.
Ian
No, I don't listen to Musk's bullshit on any subject.
niall Y
Established Member
From a strategic point of view, neglecting farming is folly. The shadow cast by solar panels is greater than wind turbines, and with the added disadvantage that crops can't be grown on the land on which they stand. Which leads me to believe there should be some form of restriction on good arable land being used for this purpose.
There is a rather crazed logic that farming is now uneconomic, because produce can be imported more cheaply than we can grow it Because of this "carpet baggers" sense an opportunity, which is giving rise to tree growing, schemes and solar farms. These all have the feel of the market making a quick killing that will disadvantage our food security. Even though it will make some investors very happy.
It is short sighted to believe that we no longer need to grow our own food, simply because imports will provide all we need. It is a bit like selling a kidney to make a "quick buck" in the belief that dialysis will cover any short-fall. I mean ... what could possibly go wrong?
There is a rather crazed logic that farming is now uneconomic, because produce can be imported more cheaply than we can grow it Because of this "carpet baggers" sense an opportunity, which is giving rise to tree growing, schemes and solar farms. These all have the feel of the market making a quick killing that will disadvantage our food security. Even though it will make some investors very happy.
It is short sighted to believe that we no longer need to grow our own food, simply because imports will provide all we need. It is a bit like selling a kidney to make a "quick buck" in the belief that dialysis will cover any short-fall. I mean ... what could possibly go wrong?
selectortone
Still waking up not dead in the morning
Or like selling off council housing stock and prohibiting councils from using the money to build more, or selling off public utilities like water, electric, gas, telecomms, the railways, etc, etc, with not a care who was buying the shares. What could possibly go wrong? Sorry, I digress. Couldn't resist...
selectortone
Still waking up not dead in the morning
It might be enough if HMRC actually started doing something about tax evasion.
HMRC has not charged a single company over tax evasion under landmark legislation
Terry - Somerset
Established Member
Farming will continue to undergo further fundamental shifts in technology and practice.
The days when farming was undertaken by horny handed sons of the soil toiling in a rural idyll are long gone, currently replaced by machinery and extensive use of pesticides and chemicals.
Industrial and vertical farms may become increasingly the norm. Crops grown under artificial light and heat, using optimal amounts of water and fertiliser, bred for for rapid growth, harvest automated. Invulnerable to weather or disease. Yields will be many times higher than traditional.
This already happens in some parts of the world - much salad stuff coming from Spain is grown under cover minimising disease and water consumption with crops harvested up to 5 times pa. A large acreage devoted to fruit and vegetables may be history.
I understand most fish is now farmed - either in the UK or overseas. There are issues related to pollution etc, but the hardy fisherman heading out to sea battling the waves to catch supper are disappearing fast. Factory farming and mega ships have/will largely replace them.
Livestock is an area where standards of welfare are more important. Chicken was an expensive luxury 80 years ago - now cheap protein - although I am personally somewhat unhappy about this.
"Digging for victory" which dominated in WW2 and the preservation of agricultural land may not be so relevant in the future. Traditional attitudes and expectations of farming will likely change.
The issue may not be insufficient farming land, but what to do with all that which is surplus to requirements and risks becoming and overgrown wasteland - plant more trees, use for leisure pursuits, build bigger houses, etc etc.
