October 23, 2020
Local politicians have for years extolled indoor farms as desirable elements of a future airport on the Federal Lands, no doubt banking on the idea that by incorporating such facilities into the project, they would silence objections to the destruction of prime farmland. The paper reveals how misguided such thinking is. “Indoor Farming and North Pickering” looks at the pros and cons of greenhouse and indoor farming operations and compares them with the pros and cons of outdoor farms. The results? The cost of energy to operate indoor farms in particular can be prohibitive. Unless powered by green energy, the farms have a huge carbon footprint. Such operations have many vulnerabilities. They have limited crop options. And on and on. Far from silencing our objections, the results of this research reinforce our opposition to an airport on the Lands.
View the full resource