- [Narrator] It was a
sunny day like any other in Costa Rica's Guanacaste
Conservation Area back in 1997. The vegetation was flourishing. Animal species were thriving. And the land had never looked better. But all of a sudden, several trucks appeared on the horizon. They tracked their way through the park, and then unbelievably, dumped all the cargo they'd been carrying right in the middle of the
area and just drove off. But it wasn't just any cargo. It was... orange peels? Over the next year, more than a thousand trucks would drive to this
otherwise beautiful site, dumping a massive 12,000
metric tons of orange peels over the land. Was the owner of these trucks
trying to ruin the landscape? Was dumping them here some sort of super weird
act of vandalism or protest? Were they trying to clear the area of its flora and fauna for their own means using a weird all natural deterrent? Well, get comfy, because
we are about to dive deep into this strange story
of man versus nature, and many others like it. (upbeat music) Okay. To get to the bottom
of this orangy mess, we need to rewind all
the way back to 1976. That's when Daniel Janzen
and Winnie Hallwachs graduated from Princeton University, and began focusing their
careers on ensuring a future for endangered tropical forest ecosystems. They became ecologists at the
University of Pennsylvania, and worked as advisors for many years at Guanacaste Conservation Area. Though the country only covers
0.03% of the Earth's surface, Costa Rica accounts for a massive 6% of the entire world's biodiversity. And Janzen and Hallwachs were
keen to keep it that way. However, in 1995, fruit
juice company Del Oro set up a large factory in extensive groves near this conservation area in the borderlands between
Costa Rica and Nicaragua. The conservation organization had initially wanted to acquire this land, keen to keep its forests safe from the hazards and pollutions
of industrialization. But Janzen and Hallwachs suddenly realized there was the deal to be made, one that both sides would benefit from. In exchange for the borderland, Del Oro would be permitted
to dump their waste in the conservation park. From the outside, a deal allowing a corporation
to turn a conservation area into a dump site seemed utterly insane, but Janzen and Hallwachs were confident that securing this borderland for the conservation organization, regardless of the
drawbacks, was a huge win. Before this juicy deal
could go ahead though, certain conditions had to be met. First, Del Oro could only
dump agricultural waste. Mainly it's orange peels and pulp. Second, it was not allowed
to use any pesticides on its crops, so no nasty chemicals on the peels could harm the native plants. The pulps also had to be
rinsed in their limonene oil, which Del Oro did happily as it could sell this off for use in household cleaning products. And finally, the orange
waste could only be dumped on parts of the park previously
used for cattle grazing. These were areas where the soil quality was poor and degraded. For Del Oro, it was a weird
but small price to pay for being able to rid themselves of the otherwise useless
orange peels and pulp for free. And so they agreed. Janzen and Hallwachs' plan was in motion, and they were so confident
they were doing the right thing that they struck a deal to
receive a thousand truckloads of Del Oro's peels annually for 20 years. In total, this would mean around a quarter of a million
metric tons of peels and pulp would be dumped on the land. What on earth were they thinking? But the plan was interrupted
when jealousy struck from a rival juice company, TicoFrut. Previously having had to overhaul their entire waste disposal system, TicoFrut envied the ease Del Oro had just dumping their waste
peels in the national park. And so they launched a
lawsuit to stop them. They alleged the dumping was dangerous, with piles of rotting peels and flies causing hazards to
locals and wildlife alike. TicoFrut also began an all out media war decrying that the orange peel project was destroying the national park, even though this was all pulp fiction. TicoFrut's smear campaign worked and turned the whole
country against Del Oro. The public outcry was so great, the case ended up in the
Costa Rican Supreme Court. Despite evidence from
environmental groups, like the Rainforest Alliance, assuring the project
was ecologically safe, the Supreme Court ruled against Del Oro. In the end, the project was shut down, but the 12,000 metric tons of
orange peels already dumped over three hectares of
land, were left behind. Over time, the project was
completely forgotten about, until 16 years later. A team of researchers
from Princeton University having read up on the
orange peel experiment, decided to return to the site
to find out what had happened. But when the team arrived,
they couldn't find the site. The orange peels had
completely disappeared. While searching for any
trace of the missing peels, the team found themselves lost in the thick overgrown rainforest. That was until they stumbled
across an old yellow sign wrapped up in giant jungle vines. It was strange. It was the same style of sign the researchers had
used all those years ago to label the barren, poor quality soil the peels had been dumped on. And then finally it dawned on them. The rainforest they
were stumbling around in was the original barren-soiled
orange peel site. Man, even M. Night Shyamalan couldn't come up with a twist that good. It turned out the orange peels had completely transformed
the barren landscape. After inspecting the area, the Princeton team discovered
a phenomenal 176% increase in above ground biomass
within the seven acre area. They measured a fig tree so large, it took three people to wrap their arms all the way around it. And among its branches researchers spotted a tayra, a rainforest weasel the same
size as a small dog. Cute. Though what stunned the team the most was the rich diversity of the tree canopy. They counted 24 tree species. The most common of which were associated with old growth forests, a stark contrast to the
untreated pastureland a little over 300 feet away, where the team counted
only eight tree species. That meant that on this
previously barren patch of land, a healthy, vibrant rainforest
had been entirely regrown. Some might think magic
beans had been sewn, but this was Janzen and
Hallwachs' plan all along. The site had been originally overrun with invasive grass species. However, the grasses were smothered under the tons of orange rinds and decomposed into a lomi-rich compost. The pressed oranges were
perfect for the task as they had been leached of limonene oil, which can prevent plants from growing. And the degraded peels packed the compost full of powerful nutrients like potassium, nitrogen, and phosphorus. This nutrient rich compost
provided lush ground for native plants to take hold and grow. Given a mere 16 years to thrive along with the perfect weather conditions Costa Rica had to offer, a whole new rainforest was born. Now, hold on. Before you go yeeting orange peels around your neighborhood
to try turning your town into a rainforest. This rainforest success is a special case. Costa Rica is near the equator. And that means it's warm
and humid all year round, providing a perfect temperate climate for things to decompose and grow quickly. Similar tactics used in
other parts of the globe where temperatures drop below freezing, would slow this process
or prevent it entirely. So this rainforest phenomena truly was a case of the
orange peels being dumped in the right place at the right time. The game changing
potential of orange peels doesn't just stop at
restoring rainforest, though. These zesty rinds are
being had up by scientists for a whole bunch of other uses. Leading the charge is the Orange
Peel Exploitation Company. And yes, that does sound
like a super niche, super villain society. Despite the name, the OPEC or OPEC aren't committing any fruity crimes, but they are dedicated to
finding ways to use orange peels to save the world. They've begun research
into using orange peels as a potential biofuel, a greener alternative to the fossil fuels our cars currently guzzle away. And to reduced waste produced
from single use plastics, The company Aimplas are
looking to use orange peels as a material for a range of bioplastics. So you could end up
drinking your orange juice out of a plastic carton
made from old orange peels. Orange-subtion. And the world saving
potential of orange peels doesn't stop there. As researchers from the
University of Granada have gone as far as to engineer a waste water filtration method using discarded orange peels. The chemical makeup of the peels means they can filter out toxins, such as ammonia, purifying the water and making it safe to drink. This can save the lives
of millions of people, ensuring they have access
to clean, fresh water. Man, is there anything
orange peels can't do? Well, did you see that
orange peel twist coming? If so, give this video a thumbs up. If you were just as surprised
as the Princeton team, then leave a comment down below and tell me what you thought
was going to happen next. And before we take a look at even more all natural transformations, why not go ahead and hit that
subscribe button down below. All done? Great. Now, what crazy transformations
have we got next? The Rainforest Cafe. There's nothing like a hot cup of coffee to wake you up in the morning. Although we're not the only
ones who enjoy a caffeine boost. Just like us, it turns
out forests move faster with a cup of joe in their system. Inspired by the orange peels experiment, the good folks over at
the University of Hawaii decided to put coffee to the test to see if it could restore
a depleted rainforest. Trees are big drinkers. So to regrow a rainforest,
you need a latte of coffee. But thankfully the researchers
weren't holding up the line at Starbucks, ordering
20,000 vanilla cappuccinos. Instead, they used coffee waste. Though we tend to think
of coffee as a bean, it actually begins life as a berry. After the coffee berries are harvested, almost 50% of them end up as waste because their bright
red flesh is discarded to get to the seed beneath. But this time, instead of
throwing the berry skins into the trash, they were
collected by researchers, and in a study conducted in 2018, deposited on a plot of deforested land. This land had been exploited
for years to graze cattle and was dominated by
invasive palisade grass, which can grow up to 16 feet tall. You'd need a monster truck
lawnmower to tackle that yard. This super tall grass blocks
light from native trees and prevents them from growing. So to combat this, the researchers spread one and a half feet of the pulp coffee skins on
top of the pasture grasses, which smothered the foliage
and caused it to decay. The intense heat of the composting process destroyed all the root systems
of the invasive grasses too. Not only that, but the
decomposed grasses mixed in with the coffee pulp, created a nutrient-rich fertile soil. A perfect brew for plants. Less so for humans. Imagine a cup of hot soil and milk. Yuck. The trees loved their
coffee compost though, and shot up like they had
rocket fuel in their system. After two years, the researchers found the
barren plot was now 80% covered in new tree canopy. Some trees were more than 15 feet tall. This included tropical species that can grow as tall as 60 feet. The researchers compared the
trees with an adjacent plot that hadn't been covered with coffee pulp, and found the coffee fueled trees were a phenomenal four
times taller on average than the untreated plot. The caffeine in their system had kick-started a mega growth spurt. So if coffee can cause
trees to grow faster, could it be used on a larger scale to help combat the human
effect of mass deforestation? Well, not exactly. You see, this method has
its drawbacks as well. The decomposing coffee pulp attracts a lot of flies and insects, which affect anyone living nearby. Though, buying a fly swatter
may be a small price to pay for the benefit of the planet. However, coffee fertilizer can also cause watershed contamination. That is, the pulp can end up washing down into rivers and streams,
causing excessive algae growth, as the rich nutrients
that give trees a boost can also supercharge weeds as well. In the water, this can
trigger giant algae blooms, which can disrupt the delicate ecosystems of rivers and lakes. And not only that, but coffee pulp can contain
traces of harmful pesticides that could end up polluting our waterways. So yes, coffee fertilizer
has its benefits, but its best used in moderation. If we can strike the right balance, then we can keep the world's rainforest looking brewed-iful. The Green Wall of China. The great Gobi Desert covers 500,000 miles of Northern China. And thanks to climate change,
it's only getting bigger. The Gobi is the fastest
growing desert on Earth, consuming 2,250 miles
of grassland each year and turning it into dry,
arid, inhospitable wastelands. The cause for this rapid desertification is a result of China's
frenzied industrial revolution in the early 20th century. Though the country now has
the second largest economy in the world, it's come at the cost of mass
deforestation and overgrazing, which has ravaged the country's
timber and water resources. These depleted lands and forests are now being consumed by the desert, and are worryingly closing in
on major population centers, like Beijing. So to combat the Gobi, the Chinese government came up with a plan utilizing one of their greatest skills. They built a great green wall. While images like this, created through the latest
wonder of the world, that is Photoshop, might come to mind when I mention a great
green wall in China, the reality isn't another great wall built to withstand the desert. Instead, it's actually a
giant expansive greenery. In 1978, China began the ambitious Three North Shelter Forest Program. The goal of which was
to block the expansion of the Gobi desert by planting trees. In the past 40 years, more
than 19.47 million acres of forest have been created and around 130,000 square
miles of desertification have been reversed. For perspective, that's bigger than the
entire state of New Mexico. Whoa. And it's not done yet. The program is predicted
to spawn 87 million acres of new forest by 2050. It's so successful that by 2020, the Shelter Forest Program
had restored 93.24% of the Maowusu Desert to lush forest with fertile vegetation. Unfortunately, it's not
all bright and sunny along the Great Green Wall. During the early years of the project, monoculture was practiced. This is where only one variety of non-native fast growing
tree species was planted. Though these efforts look
impressive from above, these trees deplete the
soil of nutrients and water, causing native tree populations
to suffer and die off. Not only that, but these
single-species forests are at grave risk of being
wiped out by disease strains in a domino effect. Despite the Great Green Wall
having increased tree cover by 32%, between 2000 and 2015, there was a net loss of 6.6%
of native old growth forests. And investigation into
the area also discovered that farmers were
cutting down native trees in order to collect money
for planting new trees. If you tell a guy how
to make a quick buck, he'll start cutting corners. Or in this case, start cutting down trees. Ironically, the Gobi Desert has ended up boasting
a healthier ecosystem than the artificial forest
trying to halt its advance. It's home to a wide
variety of flora and fauna, such as the majestic snow leopard, or the two-humped bactrain camel. Man, it really says a lot when
a desert has more life in it than a manmade forest. Recognizing its problems, the Chinese government rolled out a series of nationwide bans on
felling natural forests between 2014 and 2017. And instead of solely
planting monocultures, they have adapted to
plant native tree species, shrubs and herbs,
increasing the biodiversity of the Great Green Wall's ecosystem. Farmers are now paid
to plant native plants and know to leave old
growth forests alone. And so the Great Green Wall
has turned things around and become a thriving
benefit to the planet. Looks like Beijing can
breathe easy, for now. Picnic On the Moon. The valley of Wadi Rum in Southern Jordan is a landscape so dry and barren, it's been nicknamed Valley Of The Moon. Though with its red
sands and rugged cliffs, you might think you had
been transported to Mars. Legendary film director, Ridley Scott certainly seemed to think so, as it was used as an
outside filming location for his movie, "The Martian." But you won't find Matt Damon
camping out there these days as it's located in the
second most water-poor nation in the world. Jordan has less than 150
cubic meters of water per person, per year. Meanwhile, the US has more than
9,000 cubic meters of water per person. And the Wadi Rum is even drier. Between March and December when the desert has its wettest season, the average rainfall is only
five millimeters per month. That's one teaspoon of water. Though you may never be
able to have a water fight in the Wadi Rum, it's a great place for a picnic, as amongst the barren desert
dunes, Rum Farm is flourishing. Jordan's largest farm stretches across almost
5,000 acres of land, producing 20,000 tons of potatoes, 10,000 tons of onions, and
thousands of tons of soft fruit, such as peaches, pears,
figs, and oranges every year. So how can you farm food
in a place without water? While seen from above, Rum Farm is laid out in a series of concentric circular fields, which kind of look familiar. Hold on. Are those crop circles? Did Ridley Scott bring
some alien extras to Earth when he was shooting the Martian? Only kidding. There was no extraterrestrial
intervention here. The water is drawn from
an underground aquifer, which draws up groundwater
from 100 to 1300 feet deep in the earth. Pumps draw water up to the surface where it irrigates the circular fields by using a pivoting ramp
with watering nozzles. To conserve water and prevent it escaping into the dry desert air, plastic poly tunnels encase
some of the less hardy crops, and help protect them from the
extreme desert temperatures. Farmers have also planted hardy succulents and legume plants to provide
ground cover for growing crops. The gel content of succulent plants lower soil surface temperatures and reduces the effect of shifting sands, while drawing very little water away from the crops themselves. These are similar to
the agricultural methods used thousands of years ago by the ancient Egyptians and Nabataeans. So it's a tried and tested technique. But where did they get the
idea from in the first place? I mean, I'm not saying it was aliens... Either way, turning the dry
desert into fertile farmland has been a huge win for Jordan. Currently, the country
imports 98% of its food, but now with booming
harvests in the Wadi Rum, this may mean the country can move towards being more self-sufficient. In the future, farming the desert may no longer be such an alien concept. It could become a method
other countries adopt as the global population keeps growing and the world gets hungrier. Worryingly, the Food and
Agricultural Organization recently calculated that food
production needs to be doubled to meet the demands of the
world's growing population. That means the world will
need to produce more food in the next 40 years than
has been previously produced in the last 8,000 years. With that said, does anyone fancy a trip to the farmer's market in the Sahara? However, we can't turn
all the deserts green. Although they may seem
like barren wastelands, deserts are rich resources that provide the world with vital minerals such as gypsum, nitrates, and potassium. Over 50% of the world's
copper comes from deserts in Mexico, Australia and Chile, while deserts in China and
the US are literal gold mines. Converting all deserts into farmland would compromise our access
to these treasure troves. As instead of water evaporating and leaving behind these precious minerals that are essential for fertile soil, it would be absorbed by the crops. So while humans are responsible for some of the most
extreme transformations to the world's natural terrain, we can't change everything
to suit our needs. Keep that in mind next time
you visit your grocery store. Which of these nature
transformations shocked you the most? And which places would you like to visit? Lemme know down in the comments below. And thanks for watching.
(upbeat music)
