Infinite Unknown

· Green energy glasshouses may transform arid areas
· Fresh water will end need to dig wells, say architects

The Sahara forest project will use seawater and solar power to grow food in greenhouses across the desert. Photograph: Exploration Architecture

Vast greenhouses that use sea water for crop cultivation could be combined with solar power plants to provide food, fresh water and clean energy in deserts, under an ambitious proposal from a team of architects and engineers.

The Sahara Forest Project, which is already running demonstration plants in Tenerife, Oman and the United Arab Emirates, envisages huge greenhouses with concentrated solar power (CSP), a technology that uses mirrors to focus the sun’s rays, creating steam to drive turbines to generate electricity.

The installations would turn deserts into lush patches of vegetation, according to its designers, and do away with the need to dig wells for fresh water, an activity that has depleted aquifers across the world.

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Tags: desert, electricity, Environment, Government, Middle East, Oman, Sahara Forest Project, Solar Energy, Solar Power, Technology, Tenerife, United Arab Emirates, water

Contrary to some claims that the Bush administration will allow diplomacy to handle Iran’s nuclear weapons program, a leading member of America’s Jewish community tells Newsmax that a military strike is not only on the table - but likely.

“Israel is preparing for heavy casualties,” the source said, suggesting that although Israel will not take part in the strike, it is expecting to be the target of Iranian retribution.

“Look at Dick Cheney’s recent trip through the Middle East as preparation for the U.S. attack,” the source said.

Cheney’s hastily arranged 9-day visit to the region, which began on March 16, included stops in Israel, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Oman, Turkey, and the Palestinian territories.

Tensions in the region have been rising.

While Israel was conducting the largest homefront military exercises in its history last week, Israel’s National Infrastructure Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer warned Tehran about expected attacks on the Jewish state.

“An Iranian attack will prompt a severe reaction from Israel, which will destroy the Iranian nation,” he said.

He predicted that in a future war, “hundreds of missiles will rain on Israel,” but added that Iran “is definitely aware of our strength.” Continue reading »

Tags: Al-Qaida, Binyamin Ben-Eliezer, Biological weapons, Bush administration, chemical weapons, David Petraeus, Dick Cheney, Future, Haaretz, Hezbollah, intelligence, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jewish community, Lebanon, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Middle East, Missiles, Natanz, North Korea, nuclear fallout, nuclear technology, Nuclear weapons, Oman, retribution, Saudi Arabia, strike, Tehran, Turkey, U.S., War, Washington Post, William Fallon