Me and The Biospheres: A Memoir by the Inventor of Biosphere 2 by John Allen; Synergetic Press, Santa Fe, New Mexico; (paperback) $39.95; 2009.
The term “biosphere” was coined by geologist Eduard Seuss in 1875, which he defined as the place on Earth’s surface where life dwells. Our Earth is Biosphere 1.
Now fast forward to 1991-1993 and enter the glassed-in world of Biosphere 2, a unique structure covering three acres of Arizona desert.
During that period of time, eight people — dubbed “biospherians” – took up residence inside a cluster of biomes: a 900,000-gallon ocean with coral reef, a rainforest, a savannah, a desert, a farm and a micro-city. This cutting-edge experiment in human life-support, as well as how humans impact the environment, also yielded some important clues on long duration space travel.
Writer, actor, philosopher, inventor, and scientist John Allen — the intellectual muscle behind the effort — has written a captivating chronicle of the origins of Biosphere 2.
“Besides the importance of eventually building Biosphere 2 to facilitate the understanding of our own biosphere, I emphasized the possibility of sending biospheres to other worlds, such as the Moon or Mars, even to a star with the right kind of planet,” Allen writes.
This exceptional and “airtight” memoir also blends in the role played by artisans from around the world, clearly an eclectic gathering of creative individuals that contributed to the making of Biosphere 2 – including astronauts and cosmonauts and NASA experts.
While there are those that have called to question the output from this adventurous, privately-funded enterprise, the reader will find this account uplifting and jam-packed with human spirit, drive and perseverance.
As a trip-tip, there are public tours of Biosphere 2 situated north of Tucson, Arizona at the base of the stunning Santa Catalina Mountains. It must be a visual luxury to see the International Space Station fly over the impressive facility.
From the perspective of the author, the project was a triumph and underscored his concluding perspective: “Humans have the power to create new biospheres as well as to restore what has been ruthlessly plundered in Biosphere 1.”
For more information on this book, go to:
http://www.synergeticpress.com/biospherics.html#me_and_the_biospheres
By Leonard David