This is a link to a video about a family in Arizona that converted their old swimming pool into a self-sustaining greenhouse. I thought this was a very creative idea that dealt with some of the consequences of food that we discussed on our first day of class. The production of food has many ecological and environmental impacts--destroying natural habitats is one example. A garden pool is a great way to recycle an old space that is not being used and transform it into a valuable resource without further damaging the environment. As was said in the video, this is evidence that food can be grown in very extreme conditions. However, a garden pool will not be the best solution for home grown food in all climates and environments--a cold climate in particular. Nonetheless, it is a great model for individual/small scale agriculture and for producing food locally. It is important to apply similar ingenuity to all of our inhabited spaces. In some cities I have seen hanging gardens that make use of vertical space, however the plants being grown were only for their visual appeal. I do not know if this has already been done (or if it is possible), but maybe food can be grown vertically on a building?

http://gardenpool.org/