Tech | July 26, 2009 | 8 comments

Bacteria could help to 'glue' Sahara sands together

source: http://www.greenwala.com/community/blogs/all/1464-Bacteria-Could-Help-Glue-Sahara-Sands-Toge...

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sfinfgeld2
I applaud brilliant minds and their wildly ambitious eco-brainstorming efforts because we might just figure out how to dig a whole out of our environmental mess after all...but the notion of using bacteria to save the world? Well, that's a new one, even to me!!
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8 comments // Bacteria could help to 'glue' Sahara sands together

  • royulery
    • 0
      royulery  

    • with the average world population doubling rate of about 40 years, it will have to be done eventually. unless revelations is right, then any effort saving the enviornment is a waste of time. hey! mabey thats why the right has little intrest in anything green.

    • 2 years ago
  • akamaial
  • ultravphunter
    • 0
      ultravphunter  

    • I've seen some of the stuff they've done at UC Davis using this method. It's really impressive stuff! But I do remember there being some kind of CO2 or other gas created by the process. I don't remember the numbers, but I would assume that doing one of these large-scale projects might not be something you just want to jump into without testing these bugs first to see how much of an impact they would have.

    • 2 years ago
  • Ish05
    • 0
      Ish05  

    • If Africa was actually allowed to develop itself, maybe it's population could actually have a healthy standard of living.

    • 2 years ago
  • NeogenesisFortuna
  • ras_menelik
  • ChrisWT
    • 0
      ChrisWT  

    • This is a great and very forward idea. My only question is, how are you going to get 24 African countries to work together?

    • 2 years ago
  • plusaf
  • sfinfgeld2
    • 0
      sfinfgeld2  
    • plusaf:

      I wish I could find the info you're craving because I'm in the same spot as you...wanting more. It really is a fascinating proposal. This is all I could find:
      1) The bacterium that Larsson is proposing to "infect" Saharan sands with, bacillus pasteurii, chemically produces calcium and carbonate (a type of natural cement).
      2) That bacteria is already being used in the states to solidify the ground in earthquake prone areas.
      3) Another suggestion he had was to fill massive balloons with bacteria and then strategically pop them over specific areas.
      4) His idea is definitely meant to work in tandem with the Great Green Belt so that the trees are offered additional support.
      5) This 3,700 mile (6,000 kilometer) architectural sand structure could do double duty as a desert oasis complete with plants and water.

    • 2 years ago
  • aadinko
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