Biosphere 2. 
Biosphere 2 is right near the Catalinas. The picture doesn't nearly do them justice.
We spent two days at the Biosphere 2, participating in an ethics retreat. It was an amazing experience. I had never even thought of many of the topics we covered: Environmental ethics, medical ethics, research ethics, and many more. We had excellent lectures, discussions, delicious food, and a tour and history of the Biosphere 2 facility. To quote the ever-helpful Wikipedia, "Biosphere 2 is a 3.15 acre structure originally built to be a materially-closed ecological system in Oracle, Az by Space Biosphere Ventures...Constructed between 1987 and 1991, it was used to explore the complex web of interaactions within life systems in a structure that included five areas based on natural biomesand an agricultural area and human living/working space to study the interactions between humans, farming, and technology with the rest of nature. It also explored the possible use of closed biospheres in space colonization, and allowed the study and manipulation of a biosphere without harming the Earth's. The name comes from Earth's biosphere, Biosphere 1, Earth's life system and the only biosphere currently known". There was a savanna, desert, ocean, and rainforest all inside! They are also working on lots of scientific research in the Biosphere 2.
We spent two days at the Biosphere 2, participating in an ethics retreat. It was an amazing experience. I had never even thought of many of the topics we covered: Environmental ethics, medical ethics, research ethics, and many more. We had excellent lectures, discussions, delicious food, and a tour and history of the Biosphere 2 facility. To quote the ever-helpful Wikipedia, "Biosphere 2 is a 3.15 acre structure originally built to be a materially-closed ecological system in Oracle, Az by Space Biosphere Ventures...Constructed between 1987 and 1991, it was used to explore the complex web of interaactions within life systems in a structure that included five areas based on natural biomesand an agricultural area and human living/working space to study the interactions between humans, farming, and technology with the rest of nature. It also explored the possible use of closed biospheres in space colonization, and allowed the study and manipulation of a biosphere without harming the Earth's. The name comes from Earth's biosphere, Biosphere 1, Earth's life system and the only biosphere currently known". There was a savanna, desert, ocean, and rainforest all inside! They are also working on lots of scientific research in the Biosphere 2.
I love how you quoted Wikipedia! And that sounds so cool! I've never heard of the Biospheres!
ReplyDeleteof course! Wikipedia DOES contain the answers to all of life's questions, you know. :-P
ReplyDelete