The sun can solve our problems in more ways than one

See that large red square at the top of the other smaller squares? That's how much of Africa's desert would need to be covered in concentrating solar plants to produce enough electricity to supply...... the world. The whole world (based on 2005 needs). Think about that for a moment.

While you're thinking about that, take a look at this ambitious concept to solve a bunch of problems at once - the Sahara Forest Project. It combines two established technologies – the Seawater Greenhouse and Concentrated Solar Power - to alter desert climate, replace desert with forest and agriculture, produce fresh water and electricity from the sun. Both processes just happen to work optimally in sunny, arid conditions.

This concept is being promoted by the Desertec Foundation, which is proposing to erect 100 GW of concentrating solar power plants throughout Northern Africa. The project being proposed would be scattered throughout politically stable countries. This qualifies as the world’s largest solar installation. They claim that this is how to fight back against climate change, and that in order to avoid an energy crisis in 2050 they have to start now. To build the 100 GWs worth of solar power a total of €400bn investment is needed.