Feed The Birds

The first application of Launch Loop rotor technology will be loop power storage. The first profitable application of small scale loop power storage may beEMALS , ElectroMagnetic Aircraft Launch System , for assisted launch of small electric aircraft. These can be used in the developing world as "self-piloting" personal vehicles, and vehicles for delivery, ambulance, and services.

One hypothetical delivery system would deliver flocks of genetically-engineered trained birds to pest-infected farmer's fields. The birds would be optimized for finding crop-damaging insects, while leaving the beneficial insects alone. They would be deployed from a slow-flying electric aircraft, and recaptured by the aircraft when the field is clean, to be delivered to the next field, or back to the automated breeding and veterinary station at the aircraft's home base. Designed correctly, there would be strong selective pressure on these "artificial" birds to clean fields fast ("the early bird gets the worm") and return for maximum survival and reproductive success at the station.

The aircraft would also deliver larger and more intelligent "guard raptors" to protect the flocks from wild raptors in the field.

This is very unnatural behavior, but birds are smart for their size and can be trained to do amazing things. Do the training with robots and software; select breeding pairs likewise.

Why genetic engineering? The traits needed may be spread throughout the avian class. Best to select exactly what is needed, and create an artificial species that is not cross-fertile with any wild species, to protect nature from these highly specialized harvesting birds. Of course, wild birds will also consume insects in farmer's fields.

Farmers may have their own permanent "pet" genmod raptors that protect the beneficial birds, while driving crop-damaging birds away from fields. Again, this behavior is most unnatural, but within the range of behavior possible with artificial selection.

The goal is a agricultural life that is productive and secure, without pesticides and using much less fossil-fueled machinery. With server sky communications and access to a whole planet of peer-provided information services, a rural farmer can be safe, healthy, wealthy, connected to the world, and deeply connected to nature. Imagine someone looking like a barefoot peasant in a coolie hat, but clean and neat, with a !PhD in literature or biology, and a part-time teacher for students scattered around the world. Her children can be at home, working on their PhDs.