The Bold Experiment That Taught Us About Our Planet

In the Arizona desert, a unique project called Biosphere 2 once stood as a testament to human ambition.

A Self-Sustaining Environment

• Massive, sealed facility
• Designed to mimic Earth's ecosystems
• Included rainforests, deserts, and a coral reef
• Goal: Create a self-sustaining environment separate from Earth

The Vision and Preparation

• Led by a group of theater artists
• Driven by a vision to understand our planet better
• Built a three-masted ship called the Heraclitus
• Traveled the world to study different ecosystems
• Collected specimens and learned about ecological relationships

The Experiment

• Cost: Around $200 million to build
• Duration: Eight people lived inside for two years
• Tasks: Farming, managing resources, dealing with challenges of a closed environment

Challenges and Setbacks

• After 16 months:
• Oxygen levels dropped to 70%
• Fatigue and irritability among inhabitants
• Most vertebrates and pollinators died
• Trees struggled to survive
• Lesson: Creating a self-sustaining ecosystem is incredibly complex and takes much longer than a few years

Valuable Lessons Learned

• Demonstrated the complexity of ecosystems
• Highlighted the importance of Earth's natural environment
• Inhabitants gained a deep understanding of their interconnectedness with the planet
• Realized that every breath they took was shared with the plants around them

Legacy of Biosphere 2

• Today: Open to the public as a research site and tourist attraction
• Stands as a reminder of human ambition
• Contributed significantly to our understanding of ecosystems
• Emphasized the importance of preserving our natural world