Editor's Note: For long, industry supported research claimed that organic farming would literally kill 2 billion people due to low production. It turns out, it will only put out of jobs a few hundred researchers asking the wrong questions - check out a comprehensive article from the Worldwatch Institute. Often, modern living and eco-friendliness are at odds. But some innovations, like the 'permeable pavement', help create a happy merger. Read on! --Ragu & Nisha

"We were all surprised by what we found," said Catherine Badgley, a Michigan paleoecologist who was one of the lead researchers. The first model yielded 2,641 kilocalories ("calories") per person per day, just under the world's current production of 2,786 calories but significantly higher than the average caloric requirement for a healthy person of between 2,200 and 2,500. The second model yielded 4,381 calories per person per day, 75 percent greater than current availability-and a quantity that could theoretically sustain a much larger human population than is currently supported on the world's farmland.

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Usually, pavements are constructed using impervious materials such as concrete and a bituminous mix. So the rainwater runs off, leaving a negative impact on the environment by cutting off the natural groundwater recharge. Besides, concrete raises heat in cities, prevents growing of trees and destroys aquatic habitats.

Hence, engineers and architects are turning to the new technology known as permeable paving. “Unlike conventional materials and methods, permeable paving provides networks of void spaces, which allow water and air to pass through them. It is beneficial to the environment, and as a bonus, beautiful urban landscapes can be created from it,” Prof. Anjaneyulu says.

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Be The Change Idea

Write to Niels Halberg - Niels.Halberg@icrofs.org and Dr.Anjaneyulu - mvlr@nitc.ac.in covered in this newsletter to thank them and explore opportunities to contribute to their work. Here are some Sources and Resources for "Can Organic Farming Feed Us All?" - https://www.worldwatch.org/node/4070