黑料社

NAPLES, ITALY鈥擲olutions to the biggest threats facing our planet lie underground, according to experts who insist climate change, overpopulation and food shortages can all be tackled by going subterranean.

鈥淲e are coming to a point in our history in which we need to start looking for more space,鈥� Han Admiraal, a civil engineer with over two decades of experience in underground space, told Agence France-Presse on the sidelines of this year鈥檚 World Tunnel Congress.

Efforts to meet seven of the United Nations鈥� 17 sustainable development goals鈥攆rom cleaning up pollution-clogged metropolises to ending world hunger鈥攃ould be given a big boost by repurposing spaces below street level, he said.

鈥淲e don鈥檛 seem to realize that we鈥檙e losing a lot of arable land at an alarming rate each year (to soil degradation, urbanization and intensive farming), where we should be increasing it to feed the growing world population.

鈥淯nderground spaces could easily be used for growing crops,鈥� he said, as he toured the cavernous Bourbon Tunnel, dug deep under the Italian city of Naples as a potential escape route for King Ferdinand II of Bourbon after the 1848 riots.

Scientific developments in areas like aquaponics鈥攚here vegetables and fish are farmed together鈥攃ould help relieve the pressure on the food supply chain and dramatically cut transport costs if such new farms were situated under cities.

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Meat substitute

Micro greens鈥攖iny seedlings of plants such as fennel, radish or coriander usually harvested when they are full size鈥攁re already being grown underground, as is lettuce, Admiraal said.

鈥淲e could look at adding products like soy or lupin, which can be used as the basis for creating more protein-rich products that can be used as a substitute for meat,鈥� reducing our reliance on one of the biggest climate destroyers: the meat industry.

鈥淵ou can also think about underground car parks: We know that cars are killing cities. We鈥檙e moving toward electrical vehicles, autonomous vehicles. So the question is, will those spaces still be needed in the future in the way they are now?

鈥淵ou could give them a new lease of life that actually supports the livability of the city,鈥� he said.

From Boston to Oslo, Rio de Janeiro, Seattle and Sydney, structures such as multilane highways are being moved underground, with the disused spaces converted into parks, according to urban planner Antonia Cornaro.

鈥淐ities where the population growth is very strong, and which are struggling with resources, with the impact on their natural habitat . . . are looking at innovative ways to expand,鈥� she said.

鈥淭hey鈥檙e looking at floating cities but are realizing that鈥檚 not the solution, because it affects marine life and is difficult to build, so why not go downward,鈥� added Cornaro, who is on the Itacus international underground space committee with Admiraal.

Universities, sports facilities

Metropolises like Singapore and Hong Kong have already begun changing legislation to allow for everything from universities to libraries, shopping centers, cinemas and sports facilities to move underground.

Trees planted in new green areas will do their bit to help rein in climate change, as well as help prevent soil degradation.

Going underground can also help protect populations from the severe weather events climate change is expected to spark.

鈥淔or flooding, and also for other natural disasters, it can really help make the city more resilient to exploit the underground for shelter,鈥� Cornaro said.

Simulate daylight

鈥淔iber optics can bring sunlight below the surface, and also you can simulate daylight nowadays,鈥� she added.

A lack of sunlight has certainly not stopped ferns from growing among the dust-covered wrecks of cars abandoned in the Bourbon Tunnel decades ago, when it was used as a police pound.

How well plants can grow without the sun鈥檚 rays is the focus of current studies looking into the optimal frequency of artificial light for photosynthesis, Admiraal said. 鈥擜FP