January 11, 2007

January 11, 2007

There is a lot to see and do in the Arizona area so we are thinking we need to step up our tourist activities while we are out here. Last week we stopped at the local visitor’s center and picked up a Tucson passport that gives two for one admission to most sites.

Late this morning we head north of Tucson towards Oracle and the site of Biosphere II. This facility, hidden in the desert, became famous in 1991 when it locked up four men and four women in a giant sealed terrarium for two years. The experiment was supposed to mimic a self-sufficient space station where plants were grown to supply food but more importantly keep the atmosphere in balance by converting carbon dioxide into oxygen for the crew. The facility became infamous when it was discovered that fresh air was secretly leaked into the building to reduce carbon dioxide levels.

After paying our admission, we are told to meet our guide at noon for a tour under the glass. Since it is only 11am, we have time to first watch their film (mediocre) and also peruse their exhibits on global warming (interesting). Once we meet up with our tour guide he explains during his introduction that Biosphere I is planet earth, hence the number “2” for this one. We then proceed inside the glass through an airlock for a quick walk through the five biomes within: rainforest, savanna, desert, marsh and ocean reef. As soon as we enter we are hit with high humidity which fogs up our camera lens and prevents any picture taking. So far this is just a fancy greenhouse, albeit one that can be sealed airtight. The difference lies underneath on the next part of the tour. Our guide shows us the mechanical systems for air-conditioning and water recycling. In addition, there are two giant balloons (the lungs) connected to it that allow the inside air to expand and contract with temperature change.

I have to admit my expectations today were low, so I wasn’t disappointed. I assumed this place was built to lure tourists and would be hokey, it wasn’t. The facility is actually quite impressive and well designed. Unfortunately it is now a rusting, expensive, white elephant that is barely used by a few scientists for environmental experiments. Aimee found it boring. I thought it was somewhat interesting. It needs better tour guides to make it more appealing.