Biosphere 2

Monday, January 26, 2015
We visited Biosphere 2 at the base of the Catalina Mountains, north of Tucson.

                                                                 

                                We toured through the different eco-systems of the biosphere.

This is one of two "lungs" in the biosphere.                                   
The lung is connected to underground air tunnels to maintain the pressure inside Biosphere 2. Without these chambers, the expansion and contraction of air inside Biosphere 2 would cause the sealed structure to explode as inside temperatures reacted to changing temperatures outside.

This is an outside view of the "lungs".

Power plants of the biosphere

    The Omani Falaj Water Oasis was developed through an international partnership with the Sultanate of Oman. "The Falaj water symposium and exhibits highlight how an ancient technology – still in use today – can contribute to the global conversation on water usage and conservation," said Kathleen Ridolfo, executive director of the Sultan Qaboos Cultural Center. "It is our hope that in showcasing this Omani feat in engineering, we can inspire others to rethink current water systems and policies. Sometimes the oldest ideas are the best ideas."

Ocean habitat:

                     http://news.stanford.edu/news/2004/july21/cortez-721.html

Seri Leatherback Turtle Ceremony 

http://www.environment.nau.edu/international/SeriTurtles.htm
http://seaturtlestatus.org/sites/swot/files/swot1.pdf

Having recently visited two zoos, these photos deeply affect me. The Seri community interacts with the animal then returns it to the wild, unharmed. A zoo puts a wild animal in an enclosure for its' life span. Scientists have contained nature within the biosphere to better understand it but should the focus be on conservation with a study of eco-systems in the natural environment?