Greening the Desert

Tim Knowles
Sep 8, 2018 · 1 min read
Credit Energysage

I heard a story today about studies of large scale wind and solar power installations would cause local climate changes including bringing rain to the desert. Are we ready to take our control of the environment to that level.

I had wondered for years about using solar power arrays or just large fabric or Mylar sunshades to promote growth of vegetation in deserts. It caused me to be concerned about desert adapted species. I am not sure this can be done right and I doubt if we try it at the necessary scale we will get it right on the first go.

In science fiction, wizards who can control the weather know that if they bring rain to one place they are taking it away from another. If they bring hot air to cold areas then the cold air goes somewhere. We are no wizards but what was the saying, I just looked it up, Clarke’s Third Law “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.”

I fear our use of “Magic” every magic has its price. I am both excited and afraid.

TEK

Tim Knowles

Worked in our nations space programs for more than 35 years

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