The Sahara Forest Project is one of the latest exploration projects that could turn deserts into thriving patches of vegetation. The design will use sea water and solar power in order to grow food in greenhouses in desert areas.
Test plants are already running in Tenerife, Oman and the United Arab Emirates , with several more countries interested in trying the demonstration plants. The Sahara Forest Project foresees large greenhouses that will use mirrors to focus the rays of the sun, and create steam to drive the turbines to generate electricity. The project will eliminate the need to dig deep wells for water, and could be the answer to growing vegetation in desert areas.
Although plants need light in order to grow, many species cannot tolerate high heat. The Sahara Forest project will run sea water evaporators which will pump cool damp air into the greenhouse reducing the outside temperatures by about 15 C. The project is believed to be able to grow all forms of vegetation, with the test plants already growing lettuce, peppers, cucumbers and tomatoes. The greenhouse is said to produce more than five times the fresh water that is needed for the vegetation, which will mean that water will be released to the outside aiding the hardier plants that are already growing.
Tags: desert, greenhouse, plant, power, project, Sahara Forest, sea water, solar, temperature, test, vegetation
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