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What's a megaproject you know is probably a bad idea, but would be sorely tempted to try if you were the leader of a wealthy country? (hexbear.net)

submitted 8 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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[–] [email protected] 28 points 8 months ago (2 children)

There's a depression in the middle of Australia that's lower than sea level. If we just built the right canal, we could change the climate and ecology of what is currently Central Australia by a wild degree.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 8 months ago (1 children)

With catastrophic effects on climate elsewhere, of course. Like how Greening the Sahara would kill the Amazon because the amazon is fertilised by saharan dust.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Absolutely. I am super curious tho

(wait, the Sahara isn't in Australia? What's the knock on effect?)

[–] [email protected] 4 points 8 months ago

The Sahara winds whip up fine desert dust into the upper atmosphere, it floats on the jet stream to the Amazon and fertilizes it with nutrients the rainforest would otherwise deplete.

I posit turning Lake Eyre into a sea would have similar effects.

[–] rottingleaf 1 points 8 months ago

I'm not sure but I think Jules Verne mentioned that somewhere with this very idea.