ADRECS
From Energy-Experts
[edit] Aerially Delivered Re-vegetation and Erosion Control System
(Originally “Solutions to Desertification and Dust Storms in Northern China“– since starting this in -Jun-04, the problem seems to have got far worse –
“While these officials have experienced some measure of success in reclaiming land over the past few years — primarily through the imposition of strict grazing and planting regimes — this latest call to retreat is an implicit admission of defeat for an increasingly beleaguered Chinese government. According to researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, China has had an average annual land loss of close to 950 sq. miles to desertification — which, in combination with the country's rapid residential and industrial development, has resulted in more than 10,500 residents having to relocate over the next 3 years. -http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/08/china_losing_the_battle.php )
Introduction – the problem
(George Wallis has kindly edited this and made some cogent comments which I have counter commented on – grateful for any further advice and references where they are missing – DA. 22-May-08)
Gigantic dust storm, above. 1000 x 1500 km. Peking is only a few hundred miles from the storm. Korea (which experiences 7 extreme dust events each year) and Japan can be identified which gives an idea of the scale of the problem addressed in this article. Enormous sand dunes are now only 70 Km form Beijing, and are expected to overwhelm the city in the not too distant future.
The Basic Issue
Deforestation and over-cropping in Northern China / Mongolia has created an enormous dustbowl 100 miles by 400 miles centred on the Gobi Desert, which creates raging sandstorms of vast extent. One dust storm (in actuality a dust storm is comprised of light soil particles and could therefore arguably be called a soil storm) in March 2004, was over 1000 km in extent.
In a vicious positive feedback loop, the dust bowl and associated storms are increasing in size and power, and threaten to engulf ever larger areas of hitherto productive Chinese lands, since the larger sand particles are dropped on the perimeter, clogging and killing what vegetation remains, whilst the lighter soil particles are blown elsewhere.
Wikipedia sums it up well: [edit] Effects of the Gobi Desert China has seen 3,600km2 (1,390 miles2) of grassland overtaken every year by the Gobi Desert. This loss of farmland has caused an estimated $50 billion in losses each year for China's economy.[2] Dust storms, which were once a rarity, are springing up all over China, and could cause even further damage to China's agriculture economy. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Wall_of_China
