Can We Terraform the Sahara to Stop Climate Change?

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Narrator/Director: Brian McManus

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[TheRealPafnucy]

How about not transforming rainforests into sahara v.2? Sounds even easier.

[Skyer]

If they want to plant that many trees, a Monoculture would be a horrible idea, A minimum of 4 tree species would be needed

[federivero]

Seems amazing that turning a desert into a forest would have negative consequences overall, clearly shows how complex this systems are

[theanhoe]

It needs to be done in stages: bind clay to the sand, then create hardy grass and shrub land. Only then plant trees.
But to be honest, using marine phytoplankton would be a lot faster.

[MrTekkido]

is it just me or did he say that the eukalyptus tree is the habitat for these cute little shits

[vineshpendurthi]

Find it so funny he calls koalas "These cute little shits."

[benjaminschreifels]

I could be doing homework and finals but I feel like I learn more from these videos then from school. Keep up the good work.

[jimgraham]

The Australian outback, mainly as a consequence of La Nina weather patterns, periodically floods leading to a temporary but measurable reduction in global sea levels and downward pressure on global CO2 due to vegetation growth.

To have a measurable global impact it is likely an additional 4000 Gigaltrs per year would-be required in the Australian outback.

[FutureNow]

Sounds easier than terraforming Mars as our planet B.

[qhtsput]

It would be a bad idea to do this with only a single species of tree.

[mathewrupp]

The Sahara was once green, I watched a interesting documentary that stated the Sahara became a desert due to climate change thousands of years ago. However, it didn't turn into a desert due to a hotter climate but was due to a cooling climate in the area. This caused the monsoons to stop it's yearly rains and created the Sahara desert.

[stickynorth]

You had me at "cute little shits"... #BRILLIANT

[schlix]

Eucalyptus trees? They are some of the biggest water sucking trees known in the forestry industry. Plus the Eucalyptus tree (aka gum-tree) is highly flammable, hence the incredibly vast and uncontrollable forest fires that often occur in Australia. These trees, while converting Carbon into Oxygen also release a highly flammable oily gas, which hangs in the air around the tree tops and when ignited, burns like petrol! This is also why a Eucalyptus forest fire tends to spread rather quickly, especially at the top of the trees, rather than at the bottom. I am not convinced Eucalyptus is the best option for such a solution. If your Sahara Eucalyptus Forest, catches fire, you'll be contributing to global Warming like no-one has ever contributed before!

Another problem with Eucalyptus trees, as mentioned, is their enormous thirst for water. I have seen this with my own eyes here in South Africa where we have a pretty large Forestry industry. Mountainous areas which once had plenty of fresh water springs, have become dry after Eucalyptus Forest have been established on them. Other areas that I have become known to be dry as a kid, suddenly produce sprawling water springs as soon as the Eucalyptus Forests there are being chopped down again. Sadly, only to cause erosion, since the natural flora has been destroyed and cannot be re-established because the Eucalyptus trees have turned the ground acidic.

Eucalyptus can be a real problem when taken out of it's natural environment and planted elsewhere. Sure the tree comes from Australia and thus you can use it in the Australian Outback if you want, just be careful when taking it elsewhere. Eucalyptus can have terrible side effects for the ground it stands on and it is probably the most flammable tree we know! For all you know, the Outback could once have been full of Eucalyptus trees a few thousand years ago, only to turn it into a desert after a huge fire. And now nothing else will grow in it's place due to high acid levels in the ground.

Since you are the one talking about facts, perhaps you wanna check ALL your facts first, before making such a video, suggesting the possibility of planting Eucalyptus trees in deserts everywhere. I really cannot see how it can be the best tree (or plant) for the job. I am pretty sure there are other plants better suited and even better adapted for this job. Perhaps the Namib Desert can inspire you? It is quite an incredible place and I believe, it is also the oldest desert in the world?

[MusicNinjas]

"These cute little shits" This went from professional to funny and back to professional in a second. That was awesome.

[KipIngram]

This seems like a complex enough problem that I find it highly dubious all factors have been considered. There would almost certainly be unintended consequences that have not yet been predicted.

[AutismTakesOn]

Great video, but I have some questions:

Do we specifically need trees to capture carbon? There are other plants that can capture more carbon with less water, like bamboo and camelina.

There are also plants that require large amounts of water, but said water doesn't need to be freshwater, like algae and seaweed, which can thrive in wastewater or saltwater.

There's other technologies that may be more profitable, practical or simpler than solar panels or wind turbines.

There's the trompe, which can make compressed air using just water and with no moving parts. (Besides the air pressure valves)

Then there's a type of engine invented by a Spanish man in the late 1860's-early 1870's which could boil water into steam using a combination of zinc (for some reason), manganese dioxide (as a catalyst) and potassium chlorate (the main fuel, the same material used for percussion caps). The byproducts, from what I understand, are oxygen and potassium chloride (a type of salt which can be converted back into potassium chlorate, and is the major feedstock for potassium chlorate in the first place).

I'm not saying that carbon capture is the golden nugget, nor am I denying your research. I'm simply suggesting that the above mentioned technologies may be worth researching.

[baldieman]

Ironically, the Sahara was green with lakes and rivers the last time the Earth's temperature rose.

[TheArmouredGamer]

I support this project, i hate sand it's coarse and rough and it gets everywhere....

[gaussmanv]

You can also look at wood char sequestration. You grow trees, char the outside and bury them. It keeps them from breaking down for a long time and takes carbon out of the cycle. You could probably do this with all of the Christmas trees sold each year.

[kiwibob]

Australian bush fires say .
NO YOU DONT C--T !…..
HOLD MY F---ING BEER !.