What If You Lived In a Closed Biosphere?

Summary

The video explores the challenges and complexities of recreating Earth's biosphere in a closed environment. Using Biosphere 2 as a reference, it discusses the difficulties of sustaining life, from food production to oxygen balance. The experiment in 1991 faced issues like food shortages, oxygen depletion, and psychological strain, but valuable lessons were learned. The video highlights the importance of biomes, waste management, and technology in sustaining a mini-Earth, and how mastering these processes could pave the way for future space exploration and settlement on Mars or the Moon.

Takeaways

• 😀 Earth's biosphere stretches about 20 km (12 mi), from deep-sea vents to the atmosphere, supporting nearly all life on the planet.
• 😀 Recreating Earth's biosphere in space or on Mars would require building a complex, self-sustaining system like Biosphere 2.
• 😀 In 1991, eight scientists attempted to live in Biosphere 2, a sealed environment, but faced challenges such as insufficient food, oxygen, and pest control.
• 😀 Earth's biosphere is technically a closed system with energy from the Sun as the only external input, and it includes various biomes, like rainforests, oceans, and deserts.
• 😀 A successful biosphere would need multiple biomes, such as rainforests, savannas, and agricultural land, to support human life.
• 😀 Agriculture would take up a significant amount of time, with 35% of your day spent producing food, most of which would be vegetarian.
• 😀 Livestock, such as African pygmy goats, would be necessary for milk, while the rest of the food would mainly consist of crops like sweet potatoes and rice.
• 😀 Small-scale biospheres are vulnerable to crop failures due to imbalances in soil composition, pest invasions, or the death of pollinators.
• 😀 Maintaining the right balance of people and resources is crucial to avoid overwork or food scarcity in a closed biosphere.
• 😀 Oxygen levels in the biosphere must be carefully managed to prevent depletion, as seen in Biosphere 2, where microbes reduced oxygen levels by consuming organic matter.
• 😀 Waste management in a closed biosphere requires composting human and animal waste while preventing excessive buildup of oxygen-eating microbes.
• 😀 Powering the biosphere would rely on renewable energy sources like solar and nuclear power to maintain the system's technology and circulation of air and water.

Q & A

What is Biosphere 2, and why is it significant?

Biosphere 2 was an experimental research facility where eight scientists were sealed in a self-sustained environment to test the viability of creating a closed biosphere. It is significant because it was an early attempt to understand the challenges of creating Earth-like habitats in space or on other planets, specifically Mars.

What were the major failures in the Biosphere 2 experiment?

The major failures included a shortage of food and oxygen, the death of pollinators, and an infestation of roaches. These issues resulted from the small size of the facility and the difficulty in maintaining a balanced, self-sustaining ecosystem.

What role does energy from the Sun play in Earth's biosphere?

Energy from the Sun is the primary source of input to Earth's biosphere, driving the processes that sustain life. This flow of energy helps maintain the balance of ecosystems, but it is the only external factor that enters Earth's biosphere.

What is required to recreate a successful biosphere in a controlled environment?

To recreate a successful biosphere, you'd need a variety of biomes (like rainforests, oceans, and deserts), agricultural land, and facilities for living and laboratory work. The system must be able to recycle air, water, and food internally, and balance plant and animal life.

How much time would a person spend on agriculture in a self-sustaining biosphere?

In a self-sustaining biosphere, a person would spend about 35% of their time on agriculture, focusing on growing food to sustain themselves and the community.

Why is a vegetarian diet recommended in a closed biosphere?

A vegetarian diet is recommended because producing meat requires significantly more resources, such as water and food. It is more efficient to grow plants, which require fewer resources and are more sustainable in a closed environment.

What happened to the oxygen levels in Biosphere 2, and why did this occur?

Oxygen levels in Biosphere 2 decreased significantly due to the explosion of oxygen-eating microbes caused by too much organic matter being mixed into the soil. This process depleted the oxygen and caused a buildup of carbon dioxide, which plants couldn't use effectively for photosynthesis.

How would waste be managed in a self-sustaining biosphere?

Waste would be composted, including human and animal waste, to maintain a closed loop. However, this composting could increase the number of oxygen-eating microbes, so careful planning would be necessary to prevent issues with oxygen depletion.

What challenges would arise from maintaining the balance of biomes in a closed biosphere?

Maintaining the balance of biomes would be challenging because it requires constant monitoring of oxygen and carbon dioxide levels, ensuring enough plants for oxygen production, managing pests, diseases, and soil quality, and balancing food production with population size.

What technologies would be needed to manage a closed biosphere?

A variety of technologies would be required, including systems for air circulation, water pumping, and constant environmental monitoring. Power sources like solar or nuclear energy would be necessary to keep everything functioning within the biosphere.