If you’re concerned that you missed some major news story years ago, telling about the construction and experiments in Biosphere 1, quit worrying. You didn’t miss anything. Biosphere 1 is our home planet, Earth. In 1987, when the builders of Biosphere 2 began their industrious project in Tucson Arizona, they wanted to create an entirely self-contained environment: a “biosphere.” Since there was already a famous biosphere in existence, they opted to name their $200 million project, Biosphere 2.
Biosphere 2 has had it rough since day 1. In fact, even before it started to become a reality, it was being criticized. Why spend $200 million and two years to recreate an earthlike space on our planet? That was the main question being posed when news of the project went public. The idea was to create a sealed environment that reproduced earth’s, and then run tests and experiments. Using this small scale-earth, scientists believed they could make some determinations about what would happen if… Such research would be helpful in determining effects of conditions and activities on earth; see if things could be done to alter some of earth’s bio-factors; and also help with planning the possible terra-forming and colonization of other planets and worlds.
The construction of Biosphere 2 was completed in 1989, but it was not until September of 1991 that the first sealed experiment began. It was scheduled to run for two years, and it did. On September 26, 1993 – two years to the day after sealing them inside of the vast glass enclosure – the first biospherians/bionauts (?) were released from their voluntary, see-through prison.
Decisions Investments, whose president was Ed Bass, along with the involved scientific entities, decided to run another sealed experiment. In March of 1994, another group voluntarily entered Biosphere 2 expecting to stay locked inside for two years. Amid controversy, scandal, and criticism, the experiment was cancelled after only six months. No more sealed experiments have been planned or conducted since that failure.
During the first, quasi-successful sealed experiment, oxygen levels inside Biosphere 2 started to drop steadily, and at a predictable rate. This gave rise to valid concerns, but the project continued. Scientists were convinced that the soil contained microbes that were depleting the sphere’s oxygen. During the construction of Biosphere 2 areas such as the 'Rain Forest,' microbes had been used to stimulate plant growth and health, so this theory made sense – at least on cursory examination. It was later determined that if the microbes were indeed consuming the habitat’s oxygen, then why weren’t the levels of CO2 also elevated. Later it was found that the concrete underneath the facility had been absorbing the excess CO2.
The concrete so dramatically altering the conditions inside the Biosphere 2 enclosure added strength and momentum to those in opposition to the project. Biosphere 2’s credibility was already under serious scrutiny because of the use of some certain initial materials and devices – as well as electricity. Now, when oxygen had to be pumped in, and some additional supplies were required before the end of the originally scheduled two years, credibility suffered remarkably.
But all of the problems Biosphere 2 has experienced in the past pale when compared to its newest threat – housing and development. Developer Fairfield Homes is purchasing the land on which the 3.1 acre Biosphere 2 is constructed, and plans to use the approximately 1,600 acres to construct homes in the $300,000 range.
At this point, according to a statement made by Fairfield Homes Chief Executive, David Williamson, several of the Biosphere 2 buildings are slated to be torn down to clear areas for new construction. The Biosphere 2 project consists of some seventy buildings, which includes the world's largest glass terrarium. Mr. Williamson added ‘‘We’ve been looking at the Biosphere and been trying to integrate. There’s probably no way of making those building code requirements work, so we’re probably going to be shutting that down,’’ Williamson said. ‘‘If there’s anything we can save and utilize, we’ll save it.’’
Currently, the Biosphere 2 facility is one of the more popular tourist attractions in Tucson. The raw cost of keeping the massive, unique facility open, however, exceeds the income generated by eager tourists.
Hope ran high in 1996 when Biosphere 2 was sold to Columbia University, which vowed that it would be instigating new research and new programs for the facility. But in 2003 the university relinquished its interest in the project due to a lawsuit with Decisions Investments.
If you want to see Biosphere 2, now's the time. It appears the clearing of the land will begin in 2006. This will no doubt be closely followed by new construction. The Biosphere 2 project was a good idea that just never really got the chance it deserved. It was constantly plagued with problems of a technical nature, as well as public opinion and cost problems. As they say, it was an idea who's time has come – and gone…
End Notes:
Biosphere 2: Texas billionaire Edward P. Bass, Space Biosphere Ventures and some other organizations and companies. Back to article
"sealed" : In these experiments people were sealed into the Biosphere 2 environment. They were to survive using only what was available to them in the environment – without any outside influences or input. Back to article
