Dear Andrew‹I recently heard a presentation by Sean Gallagher, a photojournalist on China¹s programs to reverse desertification in China. He did not mention all the various approaches in the article you mention, but they have, for example, actually built a city that is trying to help reverse the trend. You can see his material at http://pulitzercenter.org/openitemdropcol.cfm?id=1583
Best, Mike MacCracken On 12/20/09 11:34 AM, "Andrew Lockley" <andrew.lock...@gmail.com> wrote: > I came across this on Wikipedia. I imagine that it's been uploaded by one of > the originators. Has anyone heard of this idea before? Is it taken > seriously? Does anyone know of any references to journal papers which > consider the idea, or variants thereof? I've proposed it for deletion from WP > as there appears to be no 3rd party literature which supports the idea. > > Nevertheless, it may have some merit, so I've posted it here. > > Pasted below for comment. > > A > > he Aerially Delivered Re-forestation and Erosion Control System (ADRECS) is a > proposal designed to counter and reverse desertification > <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desertification> in any arid > <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arid> area but in particular the Gobi Desert > <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gobi_Desert> and other deserts > <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desert> in central China > <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China> . The rapidly-growing Chinese deserts are > having an extremely serious effect on world food production > <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_production> and the environment > <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environment_(biophysical)> , due to > increasing agricultural land <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agricultural_land> > loss from overgrazing <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overgrazing> and water > shortages <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_shortage> . This phenomenon, > along with China's growing appetite for red meat > <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_meat> is causing it to import its food from > other countries, such as the Amazon rain forest > <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amazon_rain_forest> , to grow soya > <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soybean> ascattle > <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cattle> feed, putting pressure on food > resources and environment world wide. > China is planning several "mega river" diversion schemes[1] > <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ADRECS#cite_note-0> from the South to the arid > North, but these are merely "Robbing Peter to pay Paul"--no fresh water > <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fresh_water> is created. The ADRECS proposal > envisages similar levels of pumping but creates new fresh water. > Calculations show that using existing fleets of cargo aircraft > <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cargo_aircraft> , this grid could be laid in > only years arresting the vast sand storms > <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sand_storm> and dune > <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dune> movements. Reforesting > <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reforestation> the deserts and arid areas, > would of itself create and recycle moisture. > Contents > [hide <javascript:toggleToc()> ] > * 1 The ADRECS proposal > <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ADRECS#The_ADRECS_proposal> >> * 1.1 Basic concept <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ADRECS#Basic_concept> >> * 1.2 Hygroscopic nature of car tyres >> <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ADRECS#Hygroscopic_nature_of_car_tyres> >> * 1.3 Hygroscopic nature of sewage sludge >> <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ADRECS#Hygroscopic_nature_of_sewage_sludge> >> * 1.4 Self excavating wind turbine bases--Grand Slam >> <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ADRECS#Self_excavating_wind_turbine_bases--Gran >> d_Slam> > * 2 Concentrating Solar Power Plant > <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ADRECS#Concentrating_Solar_Power_Plant> > * 3 Area of wind turbines required > <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ADRECS#Area_of_wind_turbines_required> > * 4 Wind retarding effects of turbines and cables > <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ADRECS#Wind_retarding_effects_of_turbines_and_ca > bles> > * 5 Precedents: Great Plains Shelterbelt > <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ADRECS#Precedents:_Great_Plains_Shelterbelt> > * 6 Seawater Green house > <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ADRECS#Seawater_Green_house> > * 7 See also <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ADRECS#See_also> > * 8 References <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ADRECS#References> > [edit > <http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Aerially_Delivered_Re-forestation_a > nd_Erosion_Control_System&action=edit§ion=1> ]The ADRECS proposal > ADRECS[2] <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ADRECS#cite_note-1> [3] > <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ADRECS#cite_note-2> is designed to address this > issue by arresting the desertification and replacing it with a vast renewable > energy, water desalination (based on the Seawater Greenhouse > <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seawater_Greenhouse> and food production system > linked to Europe by HVDC <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HVDC> lines > and ammonia <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ammonia> production as a vehicle > fuel, which can be readily tankered <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tank_ship> > to Europe <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Europe> . Calculations based on > precedents such as the Berlin Airlift > <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berlin_Airlift> show that, using aeroplanes and > heavy-lift helicopters <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helicopters> , the > central Chinese deserts could be transformed in a matter of decades. > The proposal is to use low flying aeroplanes and the LAPES > <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LAPES> parachute load extraction system (the > standard method to drop food aid or weaponry by parachute) to deposit lines of > self erecting sand fences <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sand_fence> [4] > <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ADRECS#cite_note-3> at a sufficient density - > at about 30 m lateral spacing, to first arrest the sand storms and sand > movement, and then to allow the growth of hardy desert plants. > Calculations show that using existing fleets of cargo aircraft, this grid > could be laid in only years, arresting the vast sand storms and dune > movements. > [edit > <http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Aerially_Delivered_Re-forestation_a > nd_Erosion_Control_System&action=edit§ion=2> ]Basic concept > The basic concept is to use parachutes to extract a continuous string of used > motor tyres <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tyre_(automotive)> attached and > spaced at 30 m intervals. These are modified to automatically deploy a coiled > spring post, released soon after landing which carries a second line at the > pole tip, from which is hung a light plastic sand fence--basically the same as > a snow fence <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snow_fence> . (The same type of > mesh is commonly seen as a lightweight barrier to road works > <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Road_works> and consists of a mesh of thin > plastic with large holes, with a roughly 50:50 ratio of space to solid.) These > fences work by slowing down the wind causing it to drop sand/dust or snow, but > conveniently, not at the site of the mesh (which would otherwise be rapidly > buried). In fact, a pile is formed both in front of and behind the fence, > which once it has formed, becomes its own self propagating snow/sand barrier. > Ground crews in four-wheel-drive vehicles moving along the fence lines would > correct any misplacement. > [edit > <http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Aerially_Delivered_Re-forestation_a > nd_Erosion_Control_System&action=edit§ion=3> ]Hygroscopic nature of car > tyres > The known hygroscopic nature of motor tyres means they would provide a > self-replenishing source of water. Tyres, due to their shape, tend to collect > rain water which then does not evaporate, and dew tends to condense within > tyres and not evaporate. > [edit > <http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Aerially_Delivered_Re-forestation_a > nd_Erosion_Control_System&action=edit§ion=4> ]Hygroscopic nature of sewage > sludge > Tyres would also be filled with moist Surplus Activated Sludge > <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surplus_Activated_Sludge> (SAS). SAS is a > variety of sewage sludge contained in a plastic pouch which is also > hygroscopic, due to the presence of the tough bacterial cell wall. Sewage > sludge is largely composed of dead bacterial cells, and is notoriously > difficult to dry, since one of the functions of a cell wall is to retain > moisture. This sludge would allow specially-selected plant species to grow, > which would further act as wind-blown sand traps and take over from the sand > fences. SAS is a concentrated source of nutrients. > [edit > <http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Aerially_Delivered_Re-forestation_a > nd_Erosion_Control_System&action=edit§ion=5> ]Self excavating wind turbine > bases--Grand Slam > It is then proposed to drop from high altitude self-planting wind turbine > tower bases. These would be in the manner of high altitude ground-penetrating > earthquake Grand slam bomb <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_slam_bomb> > or Bunker Buster <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bunker_Buster> -type bombs > which were used in World War II <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_II> > to penetrate up to 33 ft of reinforced concrete > <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reinforced_concrete> , or 100 ft into the ground > without exploding.[5] <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ADRECS#cite_note-4> Thus, > without exploding, similar projectiles could effectively drill the basis for > the foundation of a wind turbine <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wind_turbine> > tower. > Heavy-lift helicopters would then be deployed to lower turbine towers onto the > holes made by the projectiles, which would then be infilled with concrete > delivered by the helicopters. The Mil Mi-26 > <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mil_Mi-26> can carry 20 tonnes, which is quite > enough for a single turbine base or nacelle > <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nacelle> components. > Use of remote geophysical surveys by satellite and global positioning systems > means that the correct weight and drop height of the initial "bomb" could be > selected for each point, depending on soil and rock type. As stated above, > "bombs" do not need to be explosive---merely dense and hard. However, shaped > charge <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaped_charge> explosives and > or explosively formed penetrators > <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Explosively_formed_penetrator> may be needed to > get the correct depth. This would also be done using remote surveys, if the > ground is hard rock, but this is possible using existing military and > demolition technology. > [edit > <http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Aerially_Delivered_Re-forestation_a > nd_Erosion_Control_System&action=edit§ion=6> ]Concentrating Solar Power > Plant > Concentrating solar power > <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concentrating_solar_power> plants could also be > built in areas of low wind as an alternative. > Both these renewable energy technologies, in the appropriate economic > quantities, as determined by detailed surveys and planning, to suit local > topography and conditions, would be used to generate power exported to > China, India <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/India> and Europe by means > of high-voltage direct current > <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-voltage_direct_current> (HVDC) lines. Also > energy could be converted to hydrogen then liquid ammonia > <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ammonia> which is already a viable engine > fuel[6] <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ADRECS#cite_note-5> [7] > <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ADRECS#cite_note-6> and shipped in liquid form > to the current liquid fossil fuel markets worldwide. > [edit > <http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Aerially_Delivered_Re-forestation_a > nd_Erosion_Control_System&action=edit§ion=7> ]Area of wind turbines > required > An area about 700 miles x 700 miles of wind turbines would be sufficient to > generate the entire world usage of electricity and about 3 times this to > entirely cover liquid fossil fuel demand. > [edit > <http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Aerially_Delivered_Re-forestation_a > nd_Erosion_Control_System&action=edit§ion=8> ]Wind retarding effects of > turbines and cables > Once built, wind turbines would clearly have some wind retarding effect due to > the inherent extraction of the wind energy. This wind retardation can be > enhanced by stringing stout cables between the towers, also hung with sand > fence type material. Some of these cables can double as HVDC connectors. > [edit > <http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Aerially_Delivered_Re-forestation_a > nd_Erosion_Control_System&action=edit§ion=9> ]Precedents: Great Plains > Shelterbelt > There are precedents for such large scale climate modification practices. > The Great Plains Shelterbelt > <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Plains_Shelterbelt> project, led by > the United States <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States> Works Progress > Administration <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Works_Progress_Administration> > during the administration of President > <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President_of_the_United_States> Franklin Delano > Roosevelt <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franklin_Delano_Roosevelt> , was > launched in 1934 as an ambitious plan to modify weather and prevent soil > erosion <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soil_erosion> in the Great Plains > <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Plains> states > <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._state> . By 1942 the project resulted in > the planting of 30,233 shelter belts containing 220 million trees that > stretched for 18,600 miles.[8] > <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ADRECS#cite_note-7> > [edit > <http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Aerially_Delivered_Re-forestation_a > nd_Erosion_Control_System&action=edit§ion=10> ]Seawater Green house > The Seawater Greenhouse <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seawater_Greenhouse> > would subsequently be used to desalinate seawater pumped thousands of miles, > and allow the production of enormous amounts of food. The evaporation of this > seawater would limit global warming by increasing the amount of moisture in > the atmosphere and reflecting solar energy back into space. This could be a > far more practical proposal than the current plans [9] > <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ADRECS#cite_note-8> to pump fresh water from > various river basins to the north, since this is merely re-distributing a > scarce resource - river water - whereas the ADRECS / Seawater green house > proposal is creating fresh water and fresh agricultural land. > [edit > <http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Aerially_Delivered_Re-forestation_a > nd_Erosion_Control_System&action=edit§ion=11> ]See also > * Afforestation <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afforestation> > * Agroforestry <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agroforestry> > * Deforestation <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deforestation> > * Desert rose project <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desert_rose_project> > * Environment of China <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environment_of_China> > * Green Wall of China <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Wall_of_China> > * List of proposed geoengineering projects > <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_proposed_geoengineering_projects> > [edit > <http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Aerially_Delivered_Re-forestation_a > nd_Erosion_Control_System&action=edit§ion=12> ]References > > This article's citation style may be unclear. The references used may be made > clearer with a different or consistent style of citation > <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citing_sources> , footnoting > <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Footnotes> , or external linking > <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:External_links> . (September 2009) > 1. ^ <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ADRECS#cite_ref-0> > http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/video/2009/may/19/china-yellow-river > 2. ^ <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ADRECS#cite_ref-1> > http://www.claverton-energy.com/how-to-rapidly-convert-the-central-deserts-of > -china-to-agricultural-regions-producing-huge-amounts-of-renewable-energy-for- > europe.html > 3. ^ <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ADRECS#cite_ref-2> > http://www.claverton-energy.com/?dl_id=138 > 4. ^ <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ADRECS#cite_ref-3> > http://www.louispage.com/blog/bid/8155/How-To-Install-Snow-Sand-Fence-Guideli > nes > 5. ^ <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ADRECS#cite_ref-4> > http://nl.netlog.com/go/explore/videos/videoid=nl-3673371 > 6. ^ <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ADRECS#cite_ref-5> > http://www.claverton-energy.com/download/159/ > 7. ^ <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ADRECS#cite_ref-6> > http://www.claverton-energy.com/energy-experts-library/downloads/alternativef > uels > 8. ^ <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ADRECS#cite_ref-7> R. Douglas Hurt, > "Forestry on the Great Plains, 1902-1942." > 9. ^ <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ADRECS#cite_ref-8> > http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/may/18/china-water-crisis > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "geoengineering" group. > To post to this group, send email to geoengineer...@googlegroups.com. > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > geoengineering+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/geoengineering?hl=en. > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "geoengineering" group. To post to this group, send email to geoengineer...@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to geoengineering+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/geoengineering?hl=en.
