The Delicate Balance, Part 1: Demography of Population Growth
Projecting population growth begins with three basic assumptions: everyone is born at age zero, everyone dies, and the earth is a closed system. Based on current fertility patterns, the world population will reach 296 billion people by 2150, compare...
Ecology: Biosphere 2: The Mechanics of a Closed System
Biosphere 2 was built as a living laboratory to help explain how humans interact with the earth's systems and gauge their impact on the environment. The structure, located in the Arizona desert, relies on huge inputs of energy, sophisticated electro...
Ecology: Biosphere 2: A Laboratory for Studying the Future
While Biosphere 2's efforts to duplicate earth's complex ecological systems were unattainable, this scaled-down model is ideal for studying the effects of man on ecosystems. It is possible, for instance, to elevate carbon dioxide to the levels predi...
Ecology: Biosphere 2: The Effects of El Nino
When an El Niño event occurred during the two year Biosphere experiment, it created surprising and unforeseen problems with food production. The unusually cloudy and rainy conditions resulted in drastically reduced crop yields. Many scientists beli...