Fears of global warming and its impact on our environment have left scientists scrambling to decrease levels of atmospheric carbon we humans produce. But Tel Aviv University researchers are doing their part to reduce humanity’s carbon footprint by successfully growing forests in the most unlikely place — deep in Israel’s Arava Desert.

With environmental “extras” such as a local plant species, recycled sewage water unsuitable for agriculture, and arid lands unusable for crops, a group of researchers including Profs. Amram Eshel and Aviah Zilberstein have discovered a winning combination.

In many parts of the world, including areas of India, central Asia and the Sahara desert, their new crop of plants would be not only viable in difficult terrain, but valuable in terms of carbon reduction. These standing crops, grown on land once considered barren, can soak up carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and convert it into oxygen.

Their research is soon to be published in the European Journal of Plant Science and Biotechnology.

Though maintaining our current forests is a necessary initiative, Prof. Eshel says, it is not enough to off-set human carbon output. In their quest to create forests that diminish carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, many countries have been converting fertile agricultural lands into forests.

But TAU researchers believed that encouraging growth on a piece of land that was traditionally barren, such as desert land, was a step in a better direction.

“When you take the overall carbon balance of converting agricultural land and freshwater into energy products, you may not gain that much,” says Prof. Eshel. “You’re investing a lot of energy in the process itself, thus releasing a lot of carbon into the atmosphere.”

To conserve fresh water, the researchers used water considered of low quality, such as recycled sewage water and salt water that was the by-product of inland desalination plants. The final piece of the puzzle was to find a plant hearty enough to successfully grow in the desert.

The researchers turned to Tamarix, a botanical genus that includes salt cedar trees and is indigenous to the old-world deserts. Some 150 different varieties of the botanical genus were used, grown in both a common garden setting and in densities that mimicked commercial crops.

With the first harvest of trees just last summer, researchers have much to process, including analyzing the amount of carbon dioxide the crops have successfully captured from the atmosphere. The answers will determine how much carbon such a crop can offset.

A source for biofuel?

The cut trees themselves might also be used as a source of renewable energy. These “biomass” or “biofuel” crops, derived from natural crops, could help to reduce dependence on traditional fossil fuels such as coal. But the question of where to grow crops dedicated to fuel production had to be addressed, since converting agricultural land could have the side effect of creating food shortages.

Arid and previously unused desert lands provide an ideal solution, Prof. Eshel says. To make his approach economically feasible, much more land would be needed than Israel can provide. But similar tracts of land, such as the Sahara Desert, are big enough to grow these types of crops on a larger scale. He adds that what has been done in the Israeli desert can be replicated elsewhere to great effect.

The post Salt Cedars are Carbon Sinks in the Desert appeared first on Green Prophet.

After a protracted battle over the Samar sand dunes, in the Arava Valley in Israel, the bulldozers may be revving their engines. Last year the Israel Lands Administration issued a tender for a mining operation there. The development company securing that contract plans to make concrete from the sand. Environmentalists cried foul shortly after the deal, citing the dunes’ unique features, rare wildlife and recreation opportunities. In January, an impassioned campaign to protect the dunes peaked when the Supreme Court green lighted the project.

With its superfine sands and almost surreal stillness, it is easy to see how locals fell in love with the Samar dunes, located in the Arava Valley just north of Eilat.

The site is home to many “endemic” species – plants and animals that are found only on the dunes like the leggy spiders. University of Haifa professor Uri Shanas discovered a new species of spider there less than two years ago. Measuring 14 centimeters, it is the largest arachnid of its kind known to dwell in the Middle East.

The spider saves the day?

Its discovery exemplifies the mantra of Israeli ecologists – we don’t know everything living in our backyard. The Samar dunes have become a haven not just for wildlife, but also nature enthusiasts. With their wide open spaces and ample opportunity for wildlife viewing, the dunes are quite popular.

Unfortunately, the same qualities that attract wildlife and visitors have piqued the interest of developers – superfine sands that make for high quality concrete.

Read Also: Can you believe the earth is running out of sand?

Environmentalists began a protest campaign in earnest upon learning of the mining plan. It quickly picked up steam, garnering the support of environmental groups Megama Yeruka, Adam Teva v’Din and local NGO Sababa. A study looked at potential alternatives to the project.

It concluded that using sand from quarries in Dimona or mine waste from Timna Park would result in only modest price increases (about $8 USD per ton). But the developers, having received the blessing of the courts, aren’t biting.

The case itself was decided on a technicality – environmentalists filed too late. As a result, the court could not consider the government’s alleged failure to complete a comprehensive environmental impact statement.

Lost in the rancor between environmentalists and developers is a rational conversation about land use planning in the Arava region. Certainly the dunes are worth protecting.

When the 1994 armistice lines were drawn between Israel and Jordan, most of the dunes ended up in the latter’s territory. The new political border made these features rare in Israel.

The remaining dunes were developed or mined – except Samar. The dilemma over its future is a prime example of Israel’s obligation to steward rare and dwindling natural areas.

Development versus conservation

Beyond that simple concept, however, and perhaps more importantly, Israel must appreciate the “ecosystem services” provided by places like the Samar dunes. The value of wildlife, tourism, shade, and minerals, for example, can be measured. And it can be measured in dollars.

Undoubtedly, however, Israel’s bulging center will need the relief of additional housing. The vast expanse of southern desert is a natural choice. In addition to the Samar mining, a proposed hotel within the boundaries of the beloved Timna Park has locals bristling but others citing economic development in the area.

Add to that the prospect of utility-scale solar fields and suddenly the Arava Valley seems quite small indeed. It appears a traffic jam is forming. The rush to build hotels, mines, and solar fields militates for a clear and concise land use plan. Interested parties should develop the plan, fully considering the inherent value and ecosystem services of the area.

The Jewish theologian Abraham Joshua Heschel said “there are three ways in which we may relate ourselves to the world – we may exploit it, we may enjoy it, we may accept it in awe.”

How will we relate ourselves to the Arava Valley? In truth, we must invoke all three perspectives to balance the competing interests of conservation and development. They are not mutually exclusive, but they do require careful thought. The rise and fall of civilizations throughout history has taught us that stewardship is necessary for human survival. Many people have called Israel “the promised land.”

But there is a deeper covenant here, formed before our time and etched in sand. Perhaps we can only know that promise when we walk below the steep, orange cliffs of the Arava Valley. But we must keep it all the same.

Joshua is an environmental attorney and writer living in Tel Aviv. He has worked for several conservation groups in his native United States, including The Nature Conservancy and Defenders of Wildlife. Joshua specializes in laws and policies aimed at protecting natural areas. He has a particular interest in freshwater and marine habitats.

Growing up in the suburbs of Middle America, Joshua learned to escape into nature and leave the strip malls and parking lots behind. He has hiked and explored around the world, from South America to Australia to Thailand. Joshua is fascinated by the often polarizing worlds of tradition and modernity. He thrives on studying the intersection of environmental conservation, religion, and human culture. And he may have found his greatest challenge yet in Israel.

Read more about the Arava Desert here:
Will Solar Fields Cover Israel’s Last Open Spaces?
Arava Power to Electrify the Desert
A Leggy Spider in the Sands of Samar

The post Clearing the Arava Dunes to Make Way for Concrete appeared first on Green Prophet.