Discourse,
‍with Direction.

Since the beginning of American civilization, agriculture practices have been a cornerstone for progress. However, as concerns about climate change, resource management, and food insecurity increase, so does society’s responsibility to innovate the agricultural industry to address these concerns. As cities develop and as the United States’ population increases, the land for agriculture becomes increasingly more scarce. There have been many attempts to resolve this problem—the most notable being vertical farming. The concept of vertical farming, dates back to the early 20th century but gained significant traction in the late 1990s with the work of Dr. Dickson Despommier, a professor at Columbia University. Despommier popularized the idea of growing food in vertically stacked layers within controlled indoor environments. Early iterations of vertical farming were driven by the increasing urbanization of the global population and the limitations of traditional agriculture in urban centers. As the world faces growing challenges related to food security, climate change, and environmental sustainability, vertical farming has emerged as a viable solution to these challenges.

The Australian government has proposed a full ban on social media access for individuals aged 16 and below to address concerns over mental health, online safety, and data privacy stemming from government research. The policy aims to mitigate rising rates of cyberbullying, harmful content exposure, and social media addiction among minors. Enforcement would require stricter age verification measures, potentially through government-issued identification or parental consent systems. Critics argue that the ban may infringe on digital rights, prove difficult to enforce, and push young users toward unregulated platforms. "Effective implementation requires balancing youth protection with accessibility, privacy concerns, and technological feasibility."

This brief will analyze the current landscape of energy grid infrastructure in the United States and how various institutions’ investments are impacting its development.