Here is the briefing report for the Biospheres for Research Campaign. As formal as it is, I hope it is still enjoyable to read and helps you understand the mission of the campaign!
The Importance of Modular Biospheres: Briefing Report
Sparing the Earth:
We currently only have one biosphere to study, Biosphere 1, Earth. In our current state we see that “every year, more people die from unsafe water than from all forms of violence, including war” (United Nations). Modular biospheres could be the answer to discovering solutions for the environmental crises our planet faces. Miniature biospheres provide opportunities to explore new methods of investigating the governing laws and mechanisms of such systems as planet earth. Biospherian, Mark Nelson, writes about the importance of minibiospheres in his book Pushing our Limits: Insights from Biosphere 2. “Minibiospheres could be studied in far greater detail than is possible with our planetary system” (Nelson, 4). As brought up by Abigail Alling from the Biosphere Foundation, incorporating minibiospheres in peoples’ lives will give people the ‘ah-ha moment’ of how we are integrated with our biosphere (Odyssey in 2 Biospheres).
Origins of Biospheres:
Biospheres are defined as materially closed and energetically open life systems (Allen, 1991). Many modular biospheres have been built around the world and used for research. From 1972 to 1984, a Russian closed ecological facility, Bios-3 was beginning studies in food production, human habitation and nutrient recycling (Nelson, M., et al, 789). In 1980 NASA initiated their Closed Ecological Life Support Systems (CELSS Program). Of the many life support systems owned by NASA, the Advanced Life Support System Test Bed is the largest and first in the US to involve humans in bioregenerative studies (Wheeler, 17). The Japanese Closed Ecological Experiment Facility (CEEF), Biosphere 2 and the Biosphere 2 Test Module are among many of the up and coming mini biospheres in the industry today.
Current Status:
The biospheric projects of the past have given rise to several organizations made up of the people who once gave years of their lives to modular biosphere living. The Institute of Ecotechnics, directed by John Allen and chairman Mark Nelson, is working to “establish and develop the new discipline of Ecotechnics which deals with the relationships between ethnosphere, technosphere and the biosphere” (Innovative Ecotechnic Projects). The Biosphere Foundation, founded by Abigail Alling, Mark Van Thillo and Sally Silverstone, has a goal to “inspire intelligent use of the earth’s natural resources and empower individuals to become leaders in biosphere stewardship” (Biosphere Foundation).
The Biosphere 2 Test Module is currently still at Biosphere 2. However, the facility has not been used in years and lacks the ability to function at full capacity. It is unclear if the University of Arizona has the capacity to work with it (van Haren). The University does have a controlled environment agriculture center (CEAC), which has several facilities used for the education of sustainable farming methods. This includes the more interesting Mars/Lunar greenhouse, which is built to be set up on Mars for humans to grow their own food when they get there. Despite having innovative methods on controlled environment agriculture, the CEAC does not have facilities or programs focusing on whole controlled ecosystems (Controlled Environment Agriculture Center).
Recommendation:
Modular Biospheres provide a contained testing grounds to perform accurate research on what environmental challenges our planet faces, without destroying it. I propose that the University of Arizona expand its work at Biosphere 2 to include controlled environment building and testing beyond an agricultural scale and to the ecosystem scale. Students interested in controlled environments, such as Biosystems Engineers, as well as students interested in conservation, ecology, and renewable resources would thrive in an immersive research experience incomparable to any other. “The biosphere is as important as life itself because it is all of life. Without the biosphere, Earth would be a lifeless planet such as Mars or Venus” (Sharma, 1). Building more modular biospheres for research may be imperative to the salvation of our planet.
Works Cited
Allen, John. “Definitions.” Biospherics, www.biospherics.org/biospherics/definitions/
“Biosphere Foundation Homepage.” Biosphere Foundation, biospherefoundation.org/.
Biosphere Foundation. Odyssey in 2 Biospheres. YouTube, YouTube, 12 Oct. 2015,
“Controlled Environment Agriculture Center.” Controlled Environment Agriculture Center, ceac.arizona.edu/about.
“Decade, Water for Life, 2015, UN-Water, United Nations, MDG, Water, Sanitation, Financing, Gender, IWRM, Human Right, Transboundary, Cities, Quality, Food Security.” United Nations, United Nations, 23 Oct. 2014, www.un.org/waterforlifedecade/quality.shtml.
“Innovative Ecotechnic Projects and Biospheric Design.” Ecotechnics, ecotechnics.edu/.
Nelson, M., et al. “‘Modular Biospheres’ – New Testbed Platforms for Public Environmental Education and Research.” Advances in Space Research, vol. 41, no. 5, 2008, pp. 787–797., doi:10.1016/j.asr.2007.03.002.
Nelson, Mark. Pushing Our Limits: Insights from Biosphere 2. Tucson, Az: The University of
Arizona Press. Print.
Sharma, Binod. “Saving the Biosphere.” Millennium Alliance for Humanity and the Biosphere, 27 June 2017, mahb.stanford.edu/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/MAHBBlog_SavingBiosphere_BSharma_Jun2017.pdf.
Van Haren, Joost. “Biosphere 2 Test Module.” Biosphere 2 Test Module, 12 Sept. 2018.
Wheeler, Raymond M. “Agriculture for Space: People and Places Paving the Way.” Open
Agriculture, vol. 2, no. 1, 2017, doi:10.1515/opag-2017-0002.
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