EDITOR’S PICKS
Biospherian shares water stories from ‘spaceship earth’
Through a radical two-year experiment living inside a mini- Earth, ecologist Dr Mark Nelson developed a deep understanding of humans’ connection with the planetary biosphere and their impacts on the water cycle.
Biosphere 2 was a 1.2 hectare (3.1 acre) virtually air-tight ecological system containing five areas, modelled on Earth’s biomes, and an agricultural system. Built in the southern Arizona desert in 1991, Biosphere 2 was designed to study basic processes that occur on Earth – Biosphere 1 – and serve as a prototype for large-scale support systems that would be needed if humans were to live in space and on other planets.
Nelson will share his extraordinary story during a BlueNote address at water innovation event BlueTech Forum, taking place in Vancouver, Canada, on 6-8 June 2022.
Biosphere 2 contained a rainforest, fog desert, freshwater and mangrove marsh and mini ocean with a coral reef. Air, water and nutrient recycling systems were interconnected, and innovative wastewater treatment and reuse systems created.
Nelson was responsible for managing a constructed wetland marsh recycling system for the wastewater produced by the eight crew members (“biospherians”). A transformative experience, it fuelled a passion for nature-based treatment systems as viable alternatives to energy and capital-intensive centralised plants, reinforcing his belief that ecological
engineering is essential in creating a sustainable and regenerative future.
Nelson is a co-founding director of the Institute of Ecotechnics (US/UK) which set its goal at developing theory and practice of how to better integrate human technologies and activities with restoration of ecological health. The institute was a key part of the Biosphere 2 research team.
He said: “Once regarded as worthless swamps because they can’t support agriculture, wetlands are now called the kidneys of the planet because they are so efficient at removing harmful compounds before these reach rivers, lakes or the ocean or pollute sources of drinking water.
Dr Mark Nelson
“The pioneers of this type of natural treatment can be traced back to the 1950s but Biosphere 2 was a great platform, as we were tracked by so many around the planet. People were fascinated by what happened to our pee and poo, so to realise
Biosphere 2 was a virtually air- tight ecological system
22
| March 2022 |
www.draintraderltd.com
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84
