Saharan Forest?

There are times when I consider global concerns and I wonder whether the problem will continue to outpace the solution. Will Monsanto destroy the global food supply before localized farming can take hold? Will economic policy continue sub-prime like meltdowns before microfinance reaches its stabilizing potential? Will oil prices hit $15 a gallon, will water reserves be completely depleted, will Bangladesh submerge in water from climate change resulting in 10's of millions in climate refugees before we do anything big enough to stop the devastation?
Then I read about the potential to turn the most inhospitable place in the world, a place that takes over arable land at an alarming rate annually, and turn it into an oasis capable of generating enough energy for Africa and Europe for the cost of what we spend in Iraq in a year... and life looks a little better.