Green ideas I woke up with this morning - gotta write it down

I have been thinking a lot about sustainability issues and self-reliance issues in light of all the climate changes and natural disasters around the world that has wiped out many farms off the map.

What can a small city state that relies almost totally on external food supplies do?

For starters, I hope that planners will consider incorporating planter boxes outside the windows of future DESIGN-AND-BUILD apartments so that all home-owners can attempt to grow edible plants.
Examples of plants that don't require much maintenance include:
1. Chilli - various species
2. Mint - various species
3. Lemongrass
4. Pandan leaf
5. local limes
6. long beans (these work, they grow on my balcony)
7. Basil
8. Kailan (my neighbour grows this)
9. Balsam ( this is medicinal)
10. Golden oldenlandia (this is medicinal too)
11. Aloe vera (medicinal)(can be used as a drink)
12. Bryophyllum (medicinal)
13. Curry plant
14. Basil

At the common areas of every block, install planter boxes at spots with adequate sunlight and rain exposure so that those with time and greenfingers in the neighbourhood can contribute.

I think emphasis should be on food plants, rather than merely for aesthetics

Secondly, I hope the designers will consider asking Hyflux for machines to extract water out of humidified air so that we can have neighbourhood water sources au naturel, like FOC water coolers, without the need for piping.

Thirdly, I hope the designers will engage our engineering students at the NUS/ NTU to design solar panels incorporated into each building so that common corridor/ common area lights can be wholly supplied by sunlight, to relieve our national grid of this awesome burden.