There are quite a few projects across the world that are trying to turn the desert in to farming space both because the remaining planet is struggling to find new land for agriculture and the number of mouths the world needs to feed is growing at a blurring rate. This has forced engineers and designers to turn to deserts to try and eek out anything that is possible. One of the theoretically simple solutions has always been to desalinate the water from the oceans and to make use of the newly available fresh water. But it is one thing to write that day and a whole different ballgame in execution.

The Sahara Forest project would marry huge greenhouses with concentrated solar power (CSP), which uses mirrors to focus the sun’s rays and generate heat and electricity. The installations would try and turn deserts into lush patches of vegetation. The greenhouses work by using the solar farm to power seawater evaporators and then pump the damp, cool air through the greenhouse. This reduces the temperature by about 15C compared to that outside. At the other end of the greenhouse from the evaporators, the water vapor is condensed.

Some of this fresh water is used to water the crops, while the rest can be used for the essential task of cleaning the solar mirrors. The greenhouse produces more than five times the fresh water needed to water the plants inside so, in addition to producing water to clean the CSP mirrors, some of it can be released into the local environment and that would be a very sensible thing to do. I guess before thinking about if we can make Mars inhabitable or Venus human-friendly, I guess we must look at the vast stretches of land right here on earth that could use a facelift. Sahara Forest Project is a brave venture in that difficult direction and we wish nothing but the best for the ingenious men at the heart of it all.

Via Guardian

The brunt of global warming as seen in form of climate change is getting harsher below the Earth’s mighty oceans. Coral reefs of Pacific are facing survival threat in manners more than one. The rise in temperature above the ocean surface owing to massive CO2 emissions is resulting in a change in the pH levels of water bodies. Primarily basic in nature, oceans are now becoming acidic by the day. The increasing acidity could be disastrous eventually, as it is hindering the formation of Corals which have an intricate calcium carbonate skeleton. Moreover, the results of new research indicate that the glue which holds coral reefs together and tethers it to the ocean floor may not form with the increase in oceanic acidity levels. A higher acidic level means a lower pH-at lower levels of pH the process which results in formation of cementing binder gets substantially affected! The formation of coral is a slow process. The calcium carbonate precipitated out of ocean water forms the binder. This binder rushes through the pores of coral’s skeleton.

These results are an outcome of the comparison studies wherein, scientists studied CO2 levels in eastern tropical Pacific Ocean, near the Galapagos Islands (the region is known for its naturally varying oceanic carbon dioxide levels) and compared them with western Pacific’s data. According to researchers, the eastern Pacific is essentially nature’s own laboratory to study the how’s and why’s of coral reef ecosystems. Although the waters of Galapagos are upwelled by the incoming currents of colder water and this may be one of the factors in the cementation difference as noted by the scientists during their studies. But, the findings of this research definitely add up to the devastating effects (as Scientist predict) of rising CO2 levels both above and below the oceans. Thus oceanic acidity affects coral reefs in two ways:1) slows down the coral skeletal formation by hindering carbonate formation and 2) affecting the process of glue-formation which is very important for the survival of coral reefs.At this corrosive rate, ocean acidification should not be ignored by the global community.World leaders are actively addressing  issues of global warming and climate change but forgetting that the triangle gets completed with the third place getting occupied by ocean acidification!

Via: Discovery

Its holiday season and the internet, newspapers & magazines are rife with travel options and eco-tourism offers. For those who like to spend their money on quality deals like a concern for nature and like to opt for a LEED certified hotel, here’s another option-Blue (tourism) if you are bored with ‘green’ one!

Blue tourism is the latest offering to the environmentally concerned vacationers. This new concept in world travel is an initiative taken by Kerzner Marine Foundation. The latter is a private, non-profit foundation by Kerzner International that owns and operates the Atlantis on Paradise Island (Bahamas). The foundation is dedicated to the preservation and enhancement of endangered global marine ecosystems which have become the poor victims of over-exploitation by humans. It has started The Blue Project in the newest hotel there, The Reef and to ultra luxurious Cove Atlantis hotel (already a preferred choice among tourists).

The Blue project offers resort guests & visitors an opportunity to support the ocean and interact with marine life through a carefully crafted combination of ocean-based experiences that are also benefiting the marine conservation programs.

A portion of revenue collected from booking fees for the recreational programs and ocean tours and hotel stay per se is donated to the Blue Project. Both the project and the foundation lay stress on scientific research, education and community outreach to preserve the marine flora & fauna via eco-tourism.
The Reef spells innovation at many levels. It is the Atlantis resort’s 1st Condotel. The latter means that a guest can purchase an ultra-luxe suite (furnished and equipped by the hotel) for his/her use for any ninety days in a year and for the rest of the time, this condo remains in the hotel’s rental pool. The owner receives 50% of fee.

The condo suites are designed for an ultimate experience of luxury and relaxation. Every suite has a master bedroom, living spaces, gorgeous bathrooms, ocean view and Nassau harbor view and a personal kitchen all fully furnished! The Reef lacks a restaurant which explains the presence of your own kitchen in your suite. Besides, on rainy days one can explore a host of indoor facilities provided by the resort. These include a movie theatre, a pottery studio and an arcade.. At the Reef, kids can enjoy a 24-hour “Toy Room Service as well.

In case you like fishes and love to explore marine life there’s snorkeling to do at the 171 acres of beach area at The Atlantis. The latter also provides a stupendous view of aqua-life in its own aquarium which has more than 50,000 fish, a predator pool and a Dolphin Cay (Wow!).

One can participate in the Kerzner Marine Foundation’s efforts by visiting the fish hospital, fish nursery, special food-prep areas and state-of-the-art labs to monitor water quality. Bahamas is a heaven waiting for you and your family. For further details and more information on reservations, visit the Reef Atlantis but don’t be lazy for the resort runs choc-a-block with tourists across globe during the peak-season!

Via: roadandtravel

Rising CO2 levels is just not a nuisance for those living above the seas but for those dwelling underneath oceans as well. So far, the focus is shifted more towards the implication of increased levels of this gas in atmosphere; concerns on Global Warming thus being voiced by Governments and Public alike every other day. But oceanographers have warned that there’s another reason to check our carbon emissions as more carbon dioxide in the air means more of it in our oceans and seas. Most of us don’t realize that oceans are the absorbing-pits of this green house gas. As per an estimate, the world’s oceans have absorbed 40 percent of the carbon dioxide emissions produced by humans in the industrial age. And more and more CO2 in oceans is becoming a threat to Coral reefs - nature’s most lively and intricate architecture. Since the time Earth’s landscape comprised of nothing more than huge primordial soup in hot water bodies, these corals are being formed and today they are important for the healthy survival of other marine flora and fauna.

Some might say that, since oceans are there to suck up all that CO2 why should we bother about cutting back our emissions? The reason being ocean waters originally basic in nature (pH wise) are becoming highly acidic day by day, rendering it unfit for the creatures like corals. Already the acidity of ocean waters has shifted about 0.1 on the pH scale, or 10 percent, since pre-industrial times, and could get far more acidic by mid-century. So, besides aggravating global warming, increasing CO2 level is contributing towards ocean acidification. Scientists predict that if we continue to burn fossil fuels at this rate, the acidification process will acquire dangerous proportions. If the current carbon emission rate is not checked over the next decade, marine life including coral reefs will face extinction threat. Think about a scenario where the Great Barrier Reef (Australia) and other famous coral reefs get destroyed. Not only the loss would be incurred upon tourism industry but the ecological impact would far reaching and very drastic.

Already the situation is pretty serious with WWF clearly stating that G8 countries are unable to check their emissions. To overcome this problem measures taken by only G8 countries aren’t enough. People all over the world should unite and work synergistically to protect our natural assets for coming generations.

Via BlogWired