Comments on: New Geoengineering Idea: Turning Deserts into Forests

By: Adam E. Anderson

Adam E. Anderson — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 04:18:29 +0000

You should see Magnus Larsson’s massive project which addresses several of the issues discussed here regarding forestation. His focus is on combating desertification, although the effects have obvious similar atmospheric influences.

His proposal, creating a wall of solidified sandstone using balloon structures and bacteria.

Interesting, and seemingly doable:

http://www.designundersky.com/dus/2009/12/4/dune-magnus-larssons-superproject.html

By: Randy Hayes

Randy Hayes — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 01:46:18 +0000

Carbon offsets like this reforestation idea should be done at (say) a 3 to 1 ratio. An example: for every one ton of polluting coal power plant GHG emissons that are not shut down the comany owners would have to finance three tons of carbon offsets. The reason for this is to maximize the pressur to “first do no harm”. If you don’t like offset programs imagine 3 to 1 or 10 to 1 or 1,000 to 1 ratio. If someone destroyed (say) one square mile of wetland but restrored 1000 would that feel OK to you?

By: linda barbero

linda barbero — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 16:40:00 +0000

Check out this permaculture solution for greening the desert through swales and rain harvest

By: luke

luke — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 15:04:19 +0000

All very good points. The challenges of such a project are on a scale unparalleled by any other, and would require the administration, funds, and management from many countries, rather than strictly local governments. This type of restoration would be forced to reform the political ecology of this region as well in order for these proposed efforts to sustain themselves.

By: Mark

Mark — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 22:42:24 +0000

In framing this topic in terms of social inequity and a zero-sum calculation, I think Luke misses a critical opportunity for these regions, areas that have been naturally (though only episodically) forested in the past – or at least that were rangeland rather than desert.

Not only would there be significant transfers of wealth to these regions in the form of land rents, but new natural resources and habitable areas would be created for the people there. At the same time, biodiversity would be significantly increased (even as certain desert species would be marginalized). The same trend would apply for economic diversity.

For me, the critical social issue in an equatorial forestation plan is instead assurance of democratic governments in these areas, so that profits from such massive annual investments are not squandered or held by a minority of the population (as so often with oil profits today), and so that the transfered wealth truly reaches and benefits great numbers of people in these regions.

By: Craig Hullinger

Craig Hullinger — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 22:14:49 +0000

Interesting Idea. It could be combined with a major effort to create additional agricultural areas for the poor parts of Africa – a major need.

Would likely require nuclear plants to power the desalinization and pumping of sea water into the interior.

Would be much easier to do politically in Australia – Get it started there, and expand into other deserts when it is proven.

http://economicdevelopmentnews.blogspot.com/

http://ruhu12.com/

By: lyle

lyle — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 23:28:17 +0000

luke,

Parts of the Sahara were quite lush at one point in time. Overgrazing, and deforestation for firewood brought down more than a few north African or middle Eastern society.

The current generation may not have been responsible for what their ancestors did, but they’ve certainly paid the price. Reforestation would only be giving back to them what their own forebears took away.

By: Wahday

Wahday — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 19:26:29 +0000

An interesting idea, but I think the largest obstacle may be that much of the infrastructure would require growing on or traversing territory that is experiencing tremendous conflict, turmoil and displacement. It is likely that such a large scale project would be met with sabotage (for political purposes) or simply raiding for materials that can serve a more immediate needs in local, struggling populations. This has been the case with other large scale, multinational projects, particularly in Saharan Africa where a great deal of turmoil is taking place. I have a hard time seeing any of this taking place in Sudan or Somalia, for example.

But the concept is interesting. It was only a little more than 10,000 years ago that the entire Sahara was a lush grasslands that served as a center for instrumental crop development such as sesame, sorghum and millet.

By: Matt

Matt — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 02:50:53 +0000

You forgot to add in the cost of protecting all those trees from being cut down and used for shelter/firewood. Lets face it, the locals are going to use this resource if it is there. Wood is much more useful than sand. Last time I checked, when all you have is sand, all you can make is… sand.

By: Justin

Justin — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 02:03:58 +0000

agreed.