By 2050, the world population will reach almost 10 billion people, at least 66 percent of whom will live in urban areas. Water-scarcity issues are rampant and will only increase, and the ability to feed humanity is a vital issue that must be tackled now. Thankfully, technological innovations are giving hope for addressing this catastrophic problem. Texas-based Mouser Electronics created a program this year called Shaping Smarter Cities that features engineering marvels throughout the world that are helping solve humanity’s most pressing problems. The company makes electronic components that engineers of any level can purchase online to make the projects of their dreams. In this video, (http://bit.ly/2grhOWD) their celebrity spokesperson, Grant Imahara, visits Tokyo, Japan, where more people live than in the entire state of Illinois — too many mouths to feed for traditional farming to take on alone. The city presents an ideal testing ground for vertical/urban farming. Mouser shows how a vertical farming facility can efficiently provide fresh food for the densely populated city. The food produced there yields 50-100 times more per square meter than traditional farming. And the indoor setting allows for almost complete control of weather conditions and temperature. Even the water gets recycled to reduce the drain on resources. The end result? Up to 99 percent in water savings. This video is one of many in Mouser’s Empowering Innovation Together initiative. Since its creation last year, incredible engineering feats have been spearheaded through their electronic components partners — with projects ranging from bringing superhero technology to life to 3D printing a semi-autonomous car with drone technology. The focus of this year’s program is about solving tough problems that impact humanity as a whole. To watch more awe-inspiring videos, visit http://www.mouser.com/empowering-innovation
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