The Ambitious Plan to Turn the Desert Green

Greenhouses are increasingly at the forefront of technology, with scientists believing they hold the key to securing world food supplies for the next century and beyond.

The latest big venture to be undertaken with the help of greenhouses is the Sahara Forest Project, a privately funded Norwegian company that aims to turn the deserts green with the aid of greenhouses and seawater.

Keeping a greenhouse cool reduces the need for fresh water – ideal in a desert landscape. This is where seawater comes in. Large solar desalination plants will process the seawater in order to make it suitable for both cooling and irrigation.

A prototype greenhouse has been built in Qatar, at the cost of $6m, and although the yields will prove to be expensive initially, if adopted on a large scale, these types of seawater fuelled greenhouses could prove to be the pivotal factor in unlocking the world’s deserts for agriculture purposes.

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http://nextbigfuture.com/2013/05/green-deserts-by-using-seawater-to-cool.html