A new method developed by the scientist Moshe Elmero can turn the Negev into a flourishing oasis
Alex Doron
Computer simulation of bombing seedlings from the air
Courtesy of Moshe Elmero, MT (all rights reserved to Moshe Elmero)
Green trees, meadows, flowers - such a pastoral picture is rare throughout the Negev, the vast majority of which is arid and yellow. Now there is a surprising chance. The wild south may change its skin and put on new clothes that will remind of the green and forested Europe. This miracle will happen if a sophisticated technology developed by an Israeli scientist, who resides in the USA, is adopted. According to his method, the desert will be bombed from the air. Unlike conventional bombings, it is not smart bombs or deadly missiles, but seedlings. A rain of seedlings will fall from the sky and fertilize the yellow desert soil. This is not what will turn the Negev into a jungle, or a tropical forest area, but it will be enough to change the The nature of the desert is unrecognizable, and as a result the weather will improve.
Scientists have long emphasized that massive afforestation and the planting of shrubs in arid areas will help curb global warming, reduce the carbon dioxide trapped in the atmosphere (reducing the greenhouse effect) and improve the quality of the air we breathe. In short - it is very healthy.
The man behind the idea of "bombing the desert" is the scientist Moshe Elmero, a senior researcher in the Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences at MIT, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, near Boston. Almero says the idea also has economic aspects. Energy corporations may finance the project, in exchange for incentives such as a reduction in taxes.
"Actually, the idea came up for the first time 25 years ago," says Almero in an interview with "Maariv". "The former British Air Force pilot, Dr. Jack Walters from the University of British Columbia in Canada, tried it in Canada, using the helicopter. But it turned out that the operation was too expensive, and of course not economical. Canada is also not the Negev. I took his idea a few steps further. Two years ago I even discussed this with experts on Negev vegetation at Ben-Gurion University. I proposed to conduct a field experiment, a pilot, in 'aerial forestry' of large areas in the Negev and Sinai. It could be a multinational, Israeli-Egyptian-Jordanian mega-project. It is also possible to share it with Saudi Arabia. Such a project will benefit everyone
the nations in the region. Unfortunately, the plan has not yet matured."
Moshe Elmero was born in Italy, grew up in Magdiel (now Hod Hasharon), studied aeronautical engineering at the Technion and was an engineer in the aviation industry and the navy. In addition to his degrees in mechanical engineering and atmospheric science from MIT, he specializes in the physics of hurricanes and methods to inhibit evaporation from water reservoirs.
Almero explains that pods or shells carrying tree seedlings, saplings, bushes and shrubs, which will be dropped from the air over large areas, is a fast forestry method, much cheaper than the traditional planting methods. "A skilled worker can plant, manually, up to a thousand tree saplings and cuttings per day, while an airplane can plant 900-125 thousand per day, at a bombing rate of 3,000 'shells' per minute."
In order to drop the seedlings from the air, they will have to produce free pods (shells). They will break down from their biological cargo some time after they are introduced into the soil. The decomposition will be done with the help of bacteria. The method will allow extensive desert areas to be painted green, and of course may be an effective way to fight the desertification phenomenon that threatens many areas of the world.
Almero: "Aerial forestry can be carried out from military cargo planes, such as the Hercules or C-130. There are about 2,500 such planes in the world, in 65 countries. Many of them have recently been recovered from military use, due to their advanced age. I propose aerial forestry of the Negev in bush types , shrubs such as yams (mesquite), and carob-mitzoi trees. It is worth examining other trees and shrubs of the types that grow in the desert Nevada and Texas. The shells will be dropped from a height of 700-500 meters, the pod will hit the ground at a speed of 225 km/h. The bacteria inside it will help the seedling to be absorbed quickly and the roots to develop.
"The shells will also contain fertilizers, modern biological catalysts, and moisture-trapping materials. All of these will contribute to the rapid growth. The best time for such an operation is in the spring or early summer. The necessary planes can be leased from the army for a short period. Funding can come from international sources, perhaps from the United Nations . It will be necessary to choose seedlings that are suitable for desert conditions and do not require a lot of water and develop well even in saline soil. Israel has a large number of experts in this field, and scientists from the Volcanic Institute in Beit-Dagan can participate in the planning, for example. In order for the operation to be successful, it will be necessary to use military satellites, to precisely direct the planes to the targets, and then to monitor the development of the green areas.
"In the past, attempts were made at accelerated afforestation, but the projects failed because the planners and operators did not know enough about the great possibilities inherent in the use of airplanes. There was also a lack of knowledge in aeronautics, biotechnology, and tree science at the time. My plan has already come out of the computer. We already have a diverse team of experts - atmospheric scientists , agronomists, botanists, forestry researchers and materials scientists. We think there is also an economic idea here."
Indeed, many areas in the world now require reforestation, including the Middle East, which was affected by the massive cutting of forests and groves that began back in the Ottoman period. Europe is also suffering from a depletion of trees, while the USA has been hit hard by huge forest fires, not to mention cutting down trees for the paper and furniture industry.
Almero found out that a company called "Nexant", part of the giant construction corporation "Bachtel", is interested in aerial afforestation of mangroves (aquatic vegetation) in the swamps and coastal areas stretching from the western Arabian Sea to Southeast Asia. Nexent has started talks about the program with the Environmental Protection Authority in Pakistan.
"Aerial bombardment of seedlings" is not possible in mountainous areas such as the Carmel Ridge and the Jerusalem Mountains, which have suffered in recent years from forest fires and arson by hostile elements. Almero: "The solution that is suitable for mountainous areas is a pneumatic system for targeted afforestation.
Such a system injects the shells carrying the seedlings straight into the ground. They harness it to a bulldozer, or to a tank. 30-20 injectors are attached to the trailer. Each injector is equipped with a ground-penetrating radar. Before injection, the ground is scanned and the radar reports its findings. This way, the planning is meticulous and seedlings are not wasted by inserting them into hard rocky soil.
"It is possible to carry out an afforestation operation using both systems at the same time - the airborne and the pneumatic, all depending on the type of soil. The cost of testing the pneumatic system, for example in the Negev, is about 5 million dollars, and the aerial system - a few more millions. The final result will undoubtedly be worthwhile."
Although the project has not yet started, David Ben-Gurion's vision - "And the Negev will still flourish" - is finally seen in a rosy light.
What do you think in the Negev?
The head of the Ramat Negev Regional Council, Shmuel Rifman, is already ready to give 100 dunams as a start.
Negev residents and travelers think of the IDF's areas of fire when they talk to them about bombs. The idea of seedling bombs being dropped from the air sounds overwhelming to them. "The idea seems
Genius," said the head of the Ramat Negev Regional Council, Shmuel Rifman, after regaining his ability to speak. "I immediately offer 100 dunams for the purpose of carrying out the first trials of the project. This is a global breakthrough that may solve the desert problem. All over the world the desert bites into forested areas and so does ours. Bombarding the desert with saplings can help."
The enthusiastic Rifman began to engage in calculations in how long it would be possible to cover with green the hundreds of thousands of arid dunams in the council's territory. Rifman promises that the Ben Gurion University of the Negev, the Desert Research Institute in Sde Boker and the research and development personnel of the Ramat Negev Regional Council will be mobilized for the project.
Yankel' Moskovitch, Director of Research and Development at the Ramat Negev Regional Council: "The idea is interesting. We would be very happy to cooperate with the scientist."
Uri Binder
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