Chinese scientists propose turning abandoned coal mines into underground farms

136 points by scmp_news 3 hours ago on reddit | 10 comments

AllenIll | 2 hours ago

From the article:

"Subterranean temperatures are also largely immune to seasonal fluctuations."

How do you say you're preparing for climate change and growing season disruption, without saying it directly.

[OP] scmp_news | 3 hours ago

Chinese scientists have proposed developing “underground agriculture” in abandoned coal mine tunnels as part of a push to create a green, circular economy for the country’s massive mining industry.

A team of researchers from Shanxi, a major coal-producing province in central China, described the idea late last month in the journal China Mining Magazine.

An estimated 15,000 abandoned mines in China are expected to close by 2030. Insulated from surface weather and natural disasters, these subterranean spaces offer unique advantages.

Read more: https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3366734/chinese-scientists-propose-turning-abandoned-coal-mines-underground-farms?utm_source=Reddit&utm_medium=Social

2Throwscrewsatit | 2 hours ago

Yeah because coal dust doesn’t have any health effects we should worry about.

AanthonyII | 2 hours ago

Presumably you’d build an enclosed environment in the old mining tunnels, like some kind of underground greenhouse, not leave exposed cave walls

PossibleAlienFrom | an hour ago

I'd be more worried about flooding or collapses.

vaugelybashful | 2 hours ago

My garden grew the best when we had wild fire smoke for a month

Ambitious-Pirate-505 | an hour ago

Bro, did you even read it?

holdMyBeerBoy | an hour ago

Since when do they care about that? What matters is the long haul even if for that millions have to suffer the consequences, but not having free speech has this things, they can hide most of it while in the west we would have endless protests and rightfully so.

But now they are surpassing us thanks to that, I mean, they already surpassed the west.

CardiologistNorth294 | an hour ago

Minecraft style - what farm we talking here? Kelp? Bamboo?

louisa1925 | an hour ago

Wheat if I had anything to do with it.