Pigeon Towers: A Low-Tech Alternative to Synthetic Fertilizers (2016)

Re:Pigeon Towers: A Low-Tech Alternative to Synthetic Fertil... by Valgrim on Sunday June 26, 2022 @04:15PM (#31887519)

Nitrogen fixation occurs naturally in the soil by bacteria. As the nitrogen is consumed by different species up from one trophic level to another, from plants to insects to bird, the nitrogen gets more and more concentrated.

Birds are fairly high up the food chain, and their excrements are very rich in various nutrients, including nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.

The Haber Process is faster but requires a lot of energy, and provides no phosphorus or potassium, so you have to source it elsewhere. Also it requires no technology and can be installed pretty much anywhere.

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Re:Pigeon Towers: A Low-Tech Alternative to Synthetic Fertil... by analog31 on Sunday June 26, 2022 @04:35PM (#31887695)

I suspect that this can work for low intensity farming, like fruits and vegetables, but if you want to feed the cattle of the earth, you'll end up running out of pigeon food.

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Re:Pigeon Towers: A Low-Tech Alternative to Synthetic Fertil... by ungamedplayer on Sunday June 26, 2022 @08:36PM (#31889432)

If you want to feed all the people of the earth, you will run out of pigeon food. Ecosystems contribute to food inputs for food consumers.

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Re:Pigeon Towers: A Low-Tech Alternative to Synthetic Fertil... by jay_kyburz on Sunday June 26, 2022 @09:48PM (#31889796)

One of the best solutions to out fossil fuel problems is to simply have less people. We need to dramatically reduce the number of humans. Perhaps then the pigeons can help.

ps: I recommend we let current humans die of old age, and make less new ones. Not attempt to get rid of humans already here.

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Re:Pigeon Towers: A Low-Tech Alternative to Synthetic Fertil... by giantg2 on Sunday June 26, 2022 @10:50PM (#31890097)

Given that our economies are built off of the idea of infinite growth and increases in consumption, there's likely to be conflict involved.

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Re:Pigeon Towers: A Low-Tech Alternative to Synthetic Fertil... by hawk_ on Monday June 27, 2022 @02:31AM (#31891277)

I'd phrase it as "reduce the number of mouths to feed". That way it could be achieved by reducing the amount of cattle grown for meat and we could eat more grains etc... ourselves instead of feeding those intermediaries.

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Re:Pigeon Towers: A Low-Tech Alternative to Synthetic Fertil... by Jistern on Wednesday June 29, 2022 @03:09AM (#31917320)

>> One of the best solutions to out fossil fuel problems

Mankind has survived just fine since ancient times without burning anywhere near the amount of fossil fuels burned over, say, the last 200 years.

With wind and solar, we are an the cusp of extremely cheap electricity.

>> is to simply have less people.

Feel free to follow your own advice.

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Re:Pigeon Towers: A Low-Tech Alternative to Synthetic Fertil... by pfdietz on Sunday June 26, 2022 @09:33PM (#31889733)

Yes, nitrogen fixation occurs naturally. But the amount fixed is insufficient to achieve the yields of modern industrial agriculture on a global scale.

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