A community designed to produce its own food

[Gerardo]

American "homeless" is relative. San Diego has some of the best dressed and most blinged out hobos I've ever seen, as do other parts of the US. I tip my hat off to the homeless in the frigid states, these lower states ones not at all. Have any of you been to SF lately? It's out of control there.

You want to see homeless? Come check out what's going on just south of the imaginary line.

This Dutch community is great first step, I hope they work out the kinks. In order to adopt this in developing countries, security has to be integrated into the design.

[Jimbotomateo]

Originally Posted by Cole_Robbie

When you see a homeless person with a cel phone, they probably got it as part of a government grant or program that pays for it. They actually use them a lot to communicate with each other. They share information about which shelters/kitchens are open, and which places are giving away free stuff that day. A girlfriend of mine lived near a shelter in Chicago one summer. Trucks pull up all the time with food or other items to give away, so there's always 50-100 homeless people laying on the sidewalk outside.

If you've ever been stopped at a light and had your windshield washed by a "squeegee guy" who then asked for money, yes that is annoying, but squeegee guy is in the top 1% of homeless people when it comes to industriousness and work ethic. I'd always give them a dollar. I don't care if that money went straight to buy drugs, at least he attempted to work for it.

I got to the point where I just stuffed a handful of $1 bills into the front pocket of my shirt whenever I left the house. I'm sure if I lived in the city, eventually I would become desensitized enough to ignore beggars. Where I'm from, in small town America, we still have homeless people, but they hide. If they are visible, they have to deal with a constant stream of people trying to help them, and that's too much work. They just want to be left alone.

Yes Cole, at Walmart and 99 cent store they're giving away free cell phone and service is free if you are on any government assistance you qualify and it's immediately available. . Jimbo

[Cole_Robbie]

http://www.obamaphone.com/get-obama-phone

I just looked it up, and I think I would qualify for one, LOL. The carriers that participate only cover urban areas, though. AT&T and Verizon are the only networks with cel coverage where I live.

[KarenO]

Read this whole thread, from the start, you will clearly realize why this project is in Holland. aside from the temperate climate which is very necessary for this to work, it is a forward thinking and progressive country.
KO

[Cole_Robbie]

Originally Posted by Gerardo

You want to see homeless?

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...ings-food.html

[Worth1]

Can anyone tell me where it says what kind of glass or whatever is being used on the greenhouses?
I looked and cant find a darn thing.
If it were me I would go with tempered glass for the long haul.

[cloz]

Originally Posted by Worth1

Can anyone tell me where it says what kind of glass or whatever is being used on the greenhouses?
I looked and cant find a darn thing.
If it were me I would go with tempered glass for the long haul.

http://www.greenhomegnome.com/greenhouse-glass/

I would not use anything but laminated glass for the roof panels. Safety first always!! Tempered would be OK for walls but laminated would be safer. Plate glass is too easy to break. Any tool your using would surely find it's way to the glass somehow. Murphy's Law.

Cloz

[Cole_Robbie]

Real glass is more expensive than poly panels, but the double pane has an r value of 2, which is the best of any clear material. Plus, glass lasts longer, and does not have to be replaced every ten years like poly.

[AlittleSalt]

I was thinking poly too. Plexiglass would work - it's easy to seal and waterproof.

[Black Krim]

I'm sure the Dutch will use the best materials. Afterall, flowers are their number one export. Or was. That is an old stat from 10-15 years ago.

[gorbelly]

Originally Posted by Black Krim

I'm sure the Dutch will use the best materials. Afterall, flowers are their number one export. Or was. That is an old stat from 10-15 years ago.

The Dutch have had an excellent reputation for the sciences since... oh, the 1600s or so. They're an extremely well educated and technologically savvy nation and have been for quite some time. Large-scale, ambitious engineering projects have been a way of life for centuries due to their unique environmental needs. It's a culture that is also forward-thinking not just in the sense of being innovative and open to new solutions but also in the sense that it's good at long-term planning and long-timeline projects that require commitment and follow-through.

It's a hilarious irony for any American, who lives in a country where large public works projects are basically impossible and our infrastructure is nearing third-world levels of dysfunction in many pockets, to be snarking about the NL's ability to build things that work well.

It's true that they also do some pretty impressive things in agriculture, too, though. They're a hotbed of agricultural research and innovation.

Top 10 Dutch exports:

1. Machines, engines, pumps: US$80.3 billion (14.1% of total exports)
2. Oil: $74.4 billion (13.1%)
3. Electronic equipment: $73.5 billion (13%)
4. Pharmaceuticals: $28.3 billion (5%)
5. Medical, technical equipment: $25.3 billion (4.5%)
6. Plastics: $23.6 billion (4.2%)
7. Vehicles: $21.4 billion (3.8%)
8. Organic chemicals: $19.2 billion (3.4%)
9. Iron and steel: $12.7 billion (2.2%)
10. Live trees and plants: $9.3 billion (1.6%)

Source: http://www.worldstopexports.com/neth...op-10-exports/

[AlittleSalt]

American top ten exports (Same site)

1. Machines, engines, pumps: US$205.8 billion (13.7% of total exports)
2. Electronic equipment: $169.8 billion (11.3%)
3. Aircraft, spacecraft: $131.1 billion (8.7%)
4. Vehicles: $127.1 billion (8.4%)
5. Oil: $106.1 billion (7.1%)
6. Medical, technical equipment: $83.4 billion (5.5%)
7. Plastics: $60.3 billion (4%)
8. Gems, precious metals, coins: $58.7 billion (3.9%)
9. Pharmaceuticals: $47.3 billion (3.1%)
10. Organic chemicals: $38.8 billion (2.6%)

[AlittleSalt]

Canada (Same site)

1. Oil: US$77.8 billion (19% of total exports)
2. Vehicles: $60 billion (14.7%)
3. Machines, engines, pumps: $31.1 billion (7.6%)
4. Gems, precious metals: $19 billion (4.7%)
5. Electronic equipment: $13.2 billion (3.2%)
6. Plastics: $12.5 billion (3.1%)
7. Aircraft, spacecraft: $12.3 billion (3%)
8. Wood: $11.8 billion (2.9%)
9. Aluminum: $8.2 billion (2%)
10. Paper: $7.7 billion (1.9%)

Mexico (Same Site)

1. Vehicles: US$90.4 billion (23.7% of total exports)
2. Electronic equipment: $81.2 billion (21.3%)
3. Machines, engines, pumps: $58.9 billion (15.5%)
4. Oil: $22.8 billion (6%)
5. Medical, technical equipment: $15.2 billion (4%)
6. Furniture, lighting, signs: $9.9 billion (2.6%)
7. Plastics: $8.3 billion (2.2%)
8. Gems, precious metals, coins: $7.1 billion (1.9%)
9. Iron or steel products: $5.7 billion (1.5%)
10. Vegetables: $5.6 billion (1.5%)

China (Same Site)

1. Electronic equipment: US$600.3 billion (26.3% of total exports)
2. 
   
3. Machines, engines, pumps: $364.5 billion (16%)
4. Furniture, lighting, signs: $98.7 billion (4.3%)
5. Knit or crochet clothing: $83.8 billion (3.7%)
6. Clothing (not knit or crochet): $78.5 billion (3.4%)
7. Medical, technical equipment: $73.8 billion (3.2%)
8. Plastics: $65.8 billion (2.9%)
9. Vehicles: $62.7 billion (2.7%)
10. Iron or steel products: $60.6 billion (2.7%)
11. Footwear: $53.6 billion (2.3%

Copy and paste did China the same way both times...who knows why?

Russia (Same Site)

1. Gems, precious metals: US$7.4 billion (2.2% of total exports)
2. Machines, engines, pumps: $8.1 billion (2.4%)
3. Cereals: $5.5 billion (1.7%)
4. Aluminum: $6.9 billion (2.1%)
5. Wood: $6.2 billion (1.8%)
6. Fertilizers: $8.6 billion (2.6%)
7. Copper: $4.2 billion (1.2%)
8. Iron and steel: $14.9 billion (4.5%)
9. Oil: $168.7 billion (50.6%)
10. Inorganic chemicals: $3.7 billion (1.1%)

You can do this with every country supported by the site that supposedly knows whatever. The difference between numbers and Bullsh.. is one is good for growing tomatoes, and the other is just numbers.

[gorbelly]

Originally Posted by AlittleSalt

American top ten exports (Same site)

1. Machines, engines, pumps: US$205.8 billion (13.7% of total exports)
2. Electronic equipment: $169.8 billion (11.3%)
3. Aircraft, spacecraft: $131.1 billion (8.7%)
4. Vehicles: $127.1 billion (8.4%)
5. Oil: $106.1 billion (7.1%)
6. Medical, technical equipment: $83.4 billion (5.5%)
7. Plastics: $60.3 billion (4%)
8. Gems, precious metals, coins: $58.7 billion (3.9%)
9. Pharmaceuticals: $47.3 billion (3.1%)
10. Organic chemicals: $38.8 billion (2.6%)

Not surprising. Why is that relevant, though?

[gorbelly]

Originally Posted by AlittleSalt

Canada (Same site)

1. Oil: US$77.8 billion (19% of total exports)
2. Vehicles: $60 billion (14.7%)
3. Machines, engines, pumps: $31.1 billion (7.6%)
4. Gems, precious metals: $19 billion (4.7%)
5. Electronic equipment: $13.2 billion (3.2%)
6. Plastics: $12.5 billion (3.1%)
7. Aircraft, spacecraft: $12.3 billion (3%)
8. Wood: $11.8 billion (2.9%)
9. Aluminum: $8.2 billion (2%)
10. Paper: $7.7 billion (1.9%)

Mexico (Same Site)

1. Vehicles: US$90.4 billion (23.7% of total exports)
2. Electronic equipment: $81.2 billion (21.3%)
3. Machines, engines, pumps: $58.9 billion (15.5%)
4. Oil: $22.8 billion (6%)
5. Medical, technical equipment: $15.2 billion (4%)
6. Furniture, lighting, signs: $9.9 billion (2.6%)
7. Plastics: $8.3 billion (2.2%)
8. Gems, precious metals, coins: $7.1 billion (1.9%)
9. Iron or steel products: $5.7 billion (1.5%)
10. Vegetables: $5.6 billion (1.5%)

China (Same Site)

1. Electronic equipment: US$600.3 billion (26.3% of total exports)
2. 
   
3. Machines, engines, pumps: $364.5 billion (16%)
4. Furniture, lighting, signs: $98.7 billion (4.3%)
5. Knit or crochet clothing: $83.8 billion (3.7%)
6. Clothing (not knit or crochet): $78.5 billion (3.4%)
7. Medical, technical equipment: $73.8 billion (3.2%)
8. Plastics: $65.8 billion (2.9%)
9. Vehicles: $62.7 billion (2.7%)
10. Iron or steel products: $60.6 billion (2.7%)
11. Footwear: $53.6 billion (2.3%

Copy and paste did China the same way both times...who knows why?

Russia (Same Site)

1. Gems, precious metals: US$7.4 billion (2.2% of total exports)
2. Machines, engines, pumps: $8.1 billion (2.4%)
3. Cereals: $5.5 billion (1.7%)
4. Aluminum: $6.9 billion (2.1%)
5. Wood: $6.2 billion (1.8%)
6. Fertilizers: $8.6 billion (2.6%)
7. Copper: $4.2 billion (1.2%)
8. Iron and steel: $14.9 billion (4.5%)
9. Oil: $168.7 billion (50.6%)
10. Inorganic chemicals: $3.7 billion (1.1%)

You can do this with every country supported by the site that supposedly knows whatever. The difference between numbers and Bullsh.. is one is good for growing tomatoes, and the other is just numbers.

Not sure why you think those numbers are BS? Either they are accurate statistics or they're not. And I still don't see the relevance?