Monday, June 8, 2015

Industrial-scale deforestation fixed by industrial-scale reforestation: science solves the problem

Came across this video on the website springwise:

From the article:
     The UAVs [drones] will first map the terrain of effected areas and then carry out precision planting of pregerminated seeds. Two operators are expected to employ multiple UAVs, which can shoot the seeds at a rate of 10 pellets per minute, totalling 36,000 trees in a day. The seeds would be covered with a nutritious hydrogel, making them more likely to flourish and BioCarbon Engineering hope to collaborate with local reforestation organizations to ensure they satisfy the biodiversity needs of each region, restoring ecosystems rather than creating fragile monocultures. The startup suggests that their method could cost 85 percent less than traditional methods.