[Prev][Next][Index][Thread]
Re: Desert restoration, effect on atmospheric CO2 levels
As a Baha'i I am happy to see Richard St. Barbe Baker's ideas and
movement mentioned here. However I must ask if our understanding
of the global climate supports the possibility of seeding the
Sahara with large areas of drought resistant trees and crops?
Presumeably these would be irrigated for a number of years to
become established, then would cause microclimate changes so that
enough rainfall would be generated to allow them to hang on
through drier and (relatively) wetter years.
My concern: the latitude band of the Sahara is an area of sinking
air currents and persistent high pressure areas. Dry air sinks in
this latitude band after rising (and dropping precipitation) in the
temperate and equatorial bands. Of course I may be confused about
this point, any comments? But if accurate, then an enormous and
continuing supply of water might be needed to maintain even
drought resistant vegetation in this region. The energy cost
could also be quite large, although this is a natural area for large-
scale photovoltaic conversions, unless we change the climate too
much. :-)
Certainly humanity would benefit from the political cooperation
needed to even contemplate a project on this scale. All the
countries of North Africa and the industrialized nations would
have to work together just to collect the data to determine
project feasibility.
What an environmental impact statement this would require!
Tom Hodges, thodges@freenet.calgary.ab.ca
>From: rob & gill <robgil@yesyou.u-net.com>
>Subject: Re: TH: mix them together, and scatter
>
>To which M.Lake responds with, "I feel bound to inform ... that such a space
>really does exist and afforesting land must be considered a viable option!
>It was the vision of Richard St Barbe Baker, forester, environmentalist,
>author, member of the Baha'i Faith and founder of the Men of the Trees - now
>the international Tree foundation - that the Sahara desert should be
>afforested..."
>
>Lake continues by describing Baker's vision as an "embryonic Gain
>hypothesis" since he regarded our planet as a "...sentient being, one third
>of whose 'skin' should be growing trees."
>
>The second piece of information was in the excellent book Forest Gardening
>by Robert A de J Hart. In a fitting tribute to the man, Hart describes
>Barbe's magnificant vision of restoring the million square miles of desert,
>with tree roots tapping into an underground ocean the size of France which
>supposedly exists beneith the sand, in order to " ... create a mosaic of
>protective zones, comprising forests of draught resistant trees and crops,
>which would eventally merge."
>Looking for the perfect millenium project which would unite the peoples of
>the planet, and reinstate an earth caring culture, I would say that the
>reafforestation of the Sahara would be a project hard to top !
>
>Rob.
Follow-Ups:
References: