they built the structure used in biosphere 2 at oracle, arizona.
they built the structure used in biosphere 2 at oracle, arizona.
where did they build the structure used in biosphere 2?
oracle , arizona
space biosphere ventures' biosphere 2 is another project in which the institute of ecotechnics was involved. i.e. served as an ecological systems consultant and managed the organizing of scientific and design workshops both at biosphere 2 and a series of international workshops on closed ecological systems and biospherics held at the royal society in 1987, at the institute of biosphysics (bios 3) in krasnoyarsk, siberia in 1989, at biosphere 2 in 1992 and at the linnean society of london in 1996. an earth system science research facility or closed ecological system in oracle, arizona, its inventor was institute of ecotechnics director john p. allen, and bankrolled by texas financier, ed bass, who also served as an i.e. for many years. at the time, the biosphere 2 project was the subject of much media attention, and there were allegations that this was not science but a stunt, and that the project had been a failure. some of the controversy may have stemmed from the radical goals of the project - to develop methods of harmonizing its technosphere and living systems including a non-polluting, non-toxic farming, a challenge to business as usual which is damaging the earth's biosphere. also it fell into the contentious divide between analytic (reductionist) and integrative (holistic) science though the project employed both to create the world's first mini biosphere. these allegations have been strenuously denied and refuted by some of those involved, including ecologist and author mark nelson, the chairman of the institute of ecotechnics and a biosphere 2 crew member from 1991–1993, and bill dempster, the biosphere 2 director of systems engineering until 1994. a wealth of scientific results have been published from the early closure experiments, 1991-1994, including a compendium of research papers published in the journal ecological engineering in reprinted as an elsevier book, "biosphere 2 research past and present edited by h.t. odum and bruno marino.
institute of ecotechnics
the biosphere 2 science advisory committee, chaired by tom lovejoy of the smithsonian institution, in its report of august 1992 reported: "the committee is in agreement that the conception and construction of biosphere 2 were acts of vision and courage. the scale of biosphere 2 is unique and biosphere 2 is already providing unexpected scientific results not possible through other means (notably the documented, unexpected decline in atmospheric oxygen levels.) biosphere 2 will make important scientific contributions in the fields of biogeochemical cycling, the ecology of closed ecological systems, and restoration ecology." columbia university assembled outside scientists to evaluate the potential of the facility after they took over management, and concluded the following: "a group of world-class scientists got together and decided the biosphere 2 facility is an exceptional laboratory for addressing critical questions relative to the future of earth and its environment."
biosphere 2