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 Editorials | Opinions | June 2008 
The Blessings of Global Warming
 Beth Goodtree
Despite the doomsayers, global warming can and is a blessing. But first, a little guilt reduction. Global warming is a natural phenomenon. It occurs periodically, to readjust sunlight and rain; to bring warmth and growth to lands having lain fallow, while giving those lands which were fertile and over-productive a chance to rest and recuperate. And humans, while probably speeding up the process, are no more responsible for global warming than is the cockroach. In fact, we humans are an essential part of the entire dynamic system we call Earth and her ecology.
So where are the blessings? Everywhere, if we dare to dream. And dream we must, if we are to survive at our level of wealth and progress. For the first time in recorded history, we have a true chance to make a world which we want. We have the chance to act pro-actively and not retro-actively. In fact, due to global warming, we are being forced from our complacency and dragged forward from our fears which have held us back.
Take the rising ocean levels, desertification, lack of food sources and diminishing energy supplies. Even dwindling fresh water. All these things can and may have to be related if we are to solve our global warming problems.
Let’s start with desertification. Year by year, more and more land is being turned into non-productive desert. But it doesn’t have to be. Where there is sand and light, there is potential. And where there is too much water, some of it can be diverted to quench the thirsty desert lands. So how can we make it work for us?
Suppose we take a small desert area and divert sea water to it. Not even a whole lot. Say, maybe 4 feet deep. Okay, maybe we haven’t lowered the sea level a whole lot yet, but now we have the potential of turning a non-productive desert into something that can produce both food and energy. Maybe even clean water, but I’ll get back to that later.
Regarding food, the water diverted to the desert can be planted with kelp and stocked with fish. And soon after, it will become a haven for birds and other wild life. It can also be planted with a type of tall grass known as elephant grass which can be harvested and converted into energy. All this can be done in a relatively short period of time and using strictly low-tech methods. We can use the power of the ocean waves running through pipes with one-way valves to fill our desert with sea water. And we are already expert at stocking waters with fish and kelp and other sea plants.
As to fresh water, suppose we find a desert sitting on top of basalt. This is no difficult trick, since basalt is everywhere. And it is basalt which is the basis for aquifers. Water flows down into the basalt layer of rock below the planet’s surface, gets filtered as it travels and reappears as fresh water. Sure, we may need to give it a hand to start, by cracking some of the basalt, but there too, we are expert. A few well-placed blasts should crack the basalt enough to turn it into a natural filtering system.
Now suppose we did this on a grand scale, instead of a small desert area. Could we lower the ocean enough to save the low-lying countries and coastal areas from being swallowed up by the ocean? I’ll leave it to the number-crunchers, but I’m betting that if we can’t save those areas permanently, we can buy them enough time to come up with a more permanent solution, all the while providing the planet with much needed food, fuel and possibly fresh water and thus reclaim useless land.
What we need is a push and to get rid of our fear. And, as it stands now, we should be desperately looking for alternatives to letting nature overtake us. What we were afraid to do 50 years ago, we are being forced to do now. All we need are a few visionaries and some guts.
Beth Goodtree was an award-winning writer on various topics until Metastatic Ovarian Cancer silenced her voice temporarily. This is one of the first articles she has written since her diagnosis and treatment. She may be contacted at: BethGoodtree(at)Yahoo.com. |
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