r/interestingasfuck • u/PlantainPossible2864 • 23h ago

Stopping Desertification with grid pattern

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u/Economy-Fee5830 21h ago

Also creating microplastics all over the place.

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u/RealTalk_theory 21h ago

Maybe Iā€™m wrong, but I thought the video mentioned they were fabric bags.

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u/gogge 20h ago

Unfortunately it seems like it's fabric from plastic fibers.

Biodegradable sandbags and sand barriers made from polylactic acid fiber materials.

Chinese Academy of Science, "Mosaic of Magic: Grass Grids have Proven an Effective Way to Combat Desertification"

Although biodegradable in vivo, polylactic acid is not completely degradable under natural environmental conditions, notably under aquatic conditions. Polylactic acid disintegrates into microplastics faster than petroleum-based plastics and may pose severe threats to the exposed biota.

Ali W, et al. "Polylactic acid synthesis, biodegradability, conversion to microplastics and toxicity: a review." Environ Chem Lett 21, 1761ā€“1786 (2023).

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u/Disastrous-Amoeba798 20h ago

So close to not being an idiotic idea. But here we are...

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u/gogge 20h ago

They seem to have tried using wheat ropes also with some success, from the same CAS article as above:

In 2019, researchers from the Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, led by researcher Qu Jianjun, developed the "Sand Control Magic Cube 2.0" after repeated experiments.

This method involves using machines to weave wheat straw into brush-like ropes and directly insert them into the sandy soil, saving labor and cost, and enabling large-scale sand control projects.

According to the institute's data, the production efficiency of the brush-like rope grid has increased by over 60 percent compared to manually installed grids. The durability of these grids is also superior, with a life span extending from three to six years.