Can we turn deserts green?

Can we turn the world’s deserts green? CrowdScience listener Youcef is captivated by the idea of bringing water back to Earth’s driest landscapes. With sea levels rising and huge stretches of land drying out each year, he wonders whether redirecting seawater inland could offer a solution to both problems. Presenter Alex Lathbridge sets out to investigate starting with a kettle of salty water.

Alex speaks to scientists about how deserts form, and how human actions like overgrazing can tip a fragile grassland into a barren landscape. He learns how the brightness of bare sand affects loca...