Desert environments are
extremely good at preserving things, particularly technological devices.
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Mojave,+CA&hl=en&ll=35...
The above link shows an aircraft storage facility in Mojave, California. There are a number of such facilities in the US, and many more worldwide. It was discovered some decades ago that you can leave a plane in the desert for years at a time, and when you come back to it there's very little maintenance that has to be done to make them airworthy again.
There was a story that I read a few months ago that I sadly can't find a link to at the moment. Some years back during one war or another, there was a plane that had engine problems. If I remember correctly, this was in northern Africa. The crew radioed that they were coming back to base, but they never made it. They were flying over a desert area.
A lot of years went by, and some prospectors working for an oil company were driving around the desert looking for places to drill and they came across the wreck of the plane.
The tail of the plane had broken off during the crash, but otherwise the plane was in excellent condition. There was still fuel in the tanks and the batteries were still charged. The oil guys were even able to turn on the lights and get the engines to turn over (might be wrong about that, but I think I remember that). If the tail hadn't broken, they likely could have been able to fly it out of there with not so much work.
So anyway, putting stuff in the desert isn't no maintenance, but it is low maintenance.
I do agree with your assessment about the greenhouse. Deserts are already pretty hot and plants don't grow well there. I don't think 2-3x the temp will be a big improvement.
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Mojave,+CA&hl=en&ll=35...
The above link shows an aircraft storage facility in Mojave, California. There are a number of such facilities in the US, and many more worldwide. It was discovered some decades ago that you can leave a plane in the desert for years at a time, and when you come back to it there's very little maintenance that has to be done to make them airworthy again.
There was a story that I read a few months ago that I sadly can't find a link to at the moment. Some years back during one war or another, there was a plane that had engine problems. If I remember correctly, this was in northern Africa. The crew radioed that they were coming back to base, but they never made it. They were flying over a desert area.
A lot of years went by, and some prospectors working for an oil company were driving around the desert looking for places to drill and they came across the wreck of the plane.
The tail of the plane had broken off during the crash, but otherwise the plane was in excellent condition. There was still fuel in the tanks and the batteries were still charged. The oil guys were even able to turn on the lights and get the engines to turn over (might be wrong about that, but I think I remember that). If the tail hadn't broken, they likely could have been able to fly it out of there with not so much work.
So anyway, putting stuff in the desert isn't no maintenance, but it is low maintenance.
I do agree with your assessment about the greenhouse. Deserts are already pretty hot and plants don't grow well there. I don't think 2-3x the temp will be a big improvement.