The Sahara Desert across North Africa was once a green and verdant place where animals roamed in large numbers. It has undergone several climate changes owing to Earth’s tilt shifting and affecting the path of the North African Monsoon. The next green cycle is due to commence in 15,000 years’ time. However scientists are suggesting it happen much sooner with abundant wind and solar power.
How Wind and Solar Could Increase Rainfall.
This research is now in the public domain, thanks to a report in Science Mag. In the report, there are statements about how wind farms draw down warmer air from above increasing humidity, while solar panels reduce reflection of sunlight causing a positive albedo-precipitation-vegetation feedback. This can increase precipitation by up to 50%.
This increase could more than double the amount of rainfall in the region according to BBC News. Moreover, a massive installation in the desert would generate more than four times global energy consumption. Vegetation would return to 20% of the semi-arid Sahel region in the south, following this wind and solar intervention.
What About the Long-Term Environmental Impact?
We already have evidence of rainfall improvement over small wind farms in the region. However we would need a massive installation to achieve significant results. The researchers say the improved rainfall would increase production of livestock and so the local community would benefit too.
“The local warming by wind and solar farms is much smaller compared with the reduced future warming from greenhouse gases that renewable power at this scale would imply,” the researchers say. “We hope that, in the light of our findings, and because of the primary climate effect we could transform our energy sources.
“Furthermore, reduced levels of greenhouse gases could mitigate climate change as we transform our energy sources. That can lead in turn to sustaining freshwater, food, and life on our planet.” Could it really be that simple to turn climate around?
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Effects of Climate Change: Transpiration
Size Matters in the Wind Power Industry
Preview Image: Ennedi Plateau on Border of Sahara and Sahel
Link to Science Mag: http://science.sciencemag.org/content/361/6406/1019
