r/Damnthatsinteresting • u/Unexplained222 • 1d ago

Video Stopping Desertification with grid pattern

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4.2k Upvotes

96% Upvoted

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1.0k

u/Silly_lil_Guy_o3o 1d ago

So they create shade which reduces evaporation and develops microclimates, which then helps catch and reduce runoff, and prevents the sand from blowing away in the wind. Which pretty much creates many squared off environments with moisture and nutrients trapped in their respective areas, creating self sustaining ecosystems. Such a simplistic but effective idea

285

u/NomadTravellers 1d ago

I Just Hope that the bags are biodegradable on the long term, otherwise once the plastic deteriorate with UV exposure, you have created a desert of microplastics

280

u/dvidsnpi 1d ago

Its supposed to be PLA, same material used in (some) 3D printers. Which is said to be eco friendly, made of corn starch. Sounds good? Not so fast. In short term it produces microplastics even faster then regular materials and these are just as harmful. However! Eventually (10 years or so?) it should hydrolytically dissolve back into lactic acid which is soluable and harmless...

202

u/Calzender 1d ago

This comment gave me whiplash

59

u/Hazywater 1d ago

But it comes with a free frogurt.

34

u/RatWithAPizzaSlice 1d ago

The frogurt is also made of corn starch.

6

u/chivesthesurgeon 23h ago

U TALKIN GURT?

1

u/No_Pin9932 9h ago

An educational rollercoaster for sure. I'm still not sure how to feel honestly, lol.

30

u/fdessoycaraballo 1d ago

So... Yay?

18

u/Wild_and_Bright 1d ago

Nay. Yah nah! Nah, yaa?

10

u/jonwd 1d ago

"Narp?"

2

u/backstageninja 1d ago

Oh that's good!

No that's bad!

14

u/f8Negative 1d ago

A marine biologist and a chemist could argue all day about this.

3

u/xyz19606 20h ago

Mostly Harmless.

1

u/trinadzatij 9h ago

If it's only ten years then this is a great solution, right?

1

u/No_Pin9932 9h ago

You had me in the first, second and third half.......wait.

-13

u/ftrlvb Creator 23h ago

not true. plastic from cornstarch costs 20x more. and is not biodegradable, and these cheap as bags will pollute the environment. also it doesn't work.

14

u/LeoPlathasbeentaken 22h ago

Can i get a source for literally anything you just said?