Unless you’ve been shying away from world news, you’ll be fully aware that California is suffering from a very extreme drought, with water reserves at the lowest point for decades.
With a growing population and a depleting water supply, we look at how resource efficiency has become an important talking point in the US state. No chance of a drought anytime soon in the UK though, not with our weather…
Architect Ali Chen recently stated that the Nopal Cactus, better known as the Prickly Pear, is the ultimate ‘supergreen’, taking the feature role in her recent proposal ‘Grassroots Cactivism’.
The idea is to rethink the agriculture of the California region, especially when 80% of the state’s water is going directly to agricultural set-ups. Water intensive plants are taking up a greater percentage of the water than they should, especially during a drought, and as to achieve better resource efficiency, the cactus becomes involved.
Ali Chen believe a “hybrid burning man-esque cactus farm, wastewater purifying plant, and eco-resort” would be an answer. That is because the Prickly Pear cactus is drought resistant, can purify polluted water and can be eaten by both humans and animals. The eco-resort idea is designed as a marketing tool to make the Nopal cactus more popular, or even fashionable.
Coconut water was the last product in this sphere of resource efficiency and health that went ‘viral’, so could the Nopal cactus go next? It’s certainly possible. Through a mixture of cooking with the plant, growing awareness and research, the cactus could become a more sustainable replacement for common vegetation in the area.
As well as this revelation, California lawmakers have introduced a tax exemption on recycling equipment for the processing of material, and recycling equipment that uses recycled material to create new products. The bill should create more jobs and aid the recycling industry in the state, which in not hard to see.
What do you think? Could resource efficiency be improved by growing and eating cactus? Should UK businesses get tax breaks on recycling equipment? Tweet us @KompaktUK.