Some Ecological and Human Lessons of Biosphere 2

Abstract

The Biosphere 2 project, a 1.2 hectare materially-closed mini-biosphere that supported teams of biospherian crews from 1991-1994 provides a host of ecological and human-biosphere lessons relevant to our global biospheric challenges. Because of its high visibility through worldwide media coverage, the project advanced public understanding of what a biosphere is and the roles that humans can constructively play in keeping ecosystems and atmosphere healthy. The present paper reviews the fairly recent scientific understanding of our global biosphere and some of the intriguing results from Biosphere 2. It also examines some of the reasons that Biosphere 2 aroused controversy because of narrow definitions and expectations of how science is to be conducted. The cooperation between engineers and ecologists and the requirement to design a technosphere for Biosphere 2 that supported the life inside without harming it has enormous relevance to what is required in our global home. There was an unexpected and profound connection that the ‘biospherian’ crew inside Biosphere 2 felt to their living biosphere. Biosphere 2 also demonstrated new kinds of roles that can be played by people aware of a biosphere as their life support system.

Deevey’s Hare and Haruspex revisited: Why domestication dooms civilisation?

“…Can they have it? Yes, there is ample energy; science and technology can fix the food supply (Springmann et al, 2018); and scientists are already working on carbon extraction from the atmosphere, aerosols to stop global warming, and living in biosphere enclosures (Nelson, 2018). Genetic engineering will avoid diseases and prevent aging; cyborgs can join humans to electronic devices; and artificial intelligence will exceed our abilities.…”

The Politics of Deep Time

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Ad Astra pro terra: el futuro de la sostenibilidad está en el espacio exterior

“…El experimento sufrió graves imprevistos, como pérdida de cosechas y aumento descontrolado de los niveles de CO 2 , lo que obligó a romper el protocolo y recibir ayuda del exterior. De la experiencia se obtuvieron valiosos datos que han permitido una mejor comprensión de las complejas interrelaciones que influyen en la salud de un ecosistema cerrado, además de revelar factores no considerados en el plan original, como los psicosociales (Nelson, 2018).…”