I was really struck at Copenhagen at the scale of Chinese aforestation. Premier Wei said in plenary that they had added 20m hectares in the past 5 years; an independent expert told me that over the past few decades it is 50m hectares. They are low grade in many ways, being designed for landscape stabilisation and not for either timber production or maximising sequestration, but they are there and growing.
Oliver On Dec 20, 4:45 pm, Mike MacCracken <[email protected]> wrote: > 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 > athttp://pulitzercenter.org/openitemdropcol.cfm?id=1583 > > Best, Mike MacCracken > > On 12/20/09 11:34 AM, "Andrew Lockley" <[email protected]> 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_base... > >> 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_turbine... > > 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-fores... > > 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-fores... > > 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-fores... > > 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-fores... > > 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-fores... > > 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, > > ... > > read more » -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "geoengineering" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/geoengineering?hl=en.
