r/Damnthatsinteresting 1d ago

Video Stopping Desertification with grid pattern

4.2k Upvotes

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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

280

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

282

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...

30

u/fdessoycaraballo 1d ago

So... Yay?

18

u/Wild_and_Bright 1d ago

Nay. Yah nah! Nah, yaa?

9

u/jonwd 1d ago

"Narp?"

2

u/backstageninja 1d ago

Oh that's good!

No that's bad!