Thank you for taking the time t find that. Aquaponics is NOT
hydroponics. It bothers me when people confuse them and then make
statements based on lack of understanding.
IMHO aquaponics are strictly speaking a sub-category of hydroponics.
Nowadays there are even more evolved versions around, where pleople
add EM & Co, urin and other goodies to the fishwater - systems which
have no commonly agreed on name. Some call it bioponics, some
permacultural aquaponics, etc. - all this is normal and to be ecpected
in such a new and growing field. In a smartly designed system the only
external input (besides sunlight, warmth water) is the fishfood. If we
feed the fish on refuse (leftovers from oilpressing, kitchenscraps,
larvae and worms grown on compost, etc), use land that is difficult to
use in any other way (contaminated, concrete, rooftops, etc), and
produce right in the neighbourhood where the food will be consumed, I
do not understand why this is not part of PC. Or, to put it in a more
accurate way, if this is not part of PC, PC has outlived itself and I
am not part of it any more either.
Steve was talking about PDC - and raised the question 'what if the
pump fails?': well, in my PDC I have learned that important functions
have to be covered in 2 or more ways. So, if my pump is so important,
and relies on electricity (which is not necessarily so, my limited
alternative energy knowledge tells me), I just need a backup for my
solar panel ;)
As for the aspects of taste of produce and the life-web that supports
it's development, I think Toby's article covered that.