Biosphere 2 – Where is Biosphere 1?
32540 S Biosphere Rd
Oracle, AZ
⦁ Adults = $21, Children 5-12 = $14, Children under 5 = FREE
⦁ Your entry fee includes an approximate 1 hour guided tour of the facility. This tour is currently only offered in English. You’re given a headset so you can hear the guide through the fans and general noise in the Biosphere
⦁ This is about a 1 hour 45-minute drive south of Phoenix. We incorporated this visit with a trip to Saguaro National Park.
⦁ The tour inside the Biosphere isn’t stroller or wheelchair friendly, but other areas are more accessible.
This “project” began back in 1987 with a 150 million dollar donation from a guy who believed in the Apocalypse.
In 1991 eight researchers and doctors were sealed into the Biosphere for two years. Now I know where the idea for Pauly Shore’s movie, Bio-Dome, came from!!! The goal was to replicate all of Earths functions and research the possibility of supporting human life on other planets. I wonder if U-Haul has moving rental rates for that? 😉
During the tour, you will walk through a rainforest, see a 700,000-gallon “ocean” with coral reef, mangrove wetlands, savannah grasslands, a fog dessert and living quarters. You will learn how the researchers were able to produce bananas, papayas, sweet potatoes, beets, beans, to name a few. FYI, they did not grow any sugar because there is no nutritional value. NO chemicals were used to avoid the risk of contaminating nutrients and the soil. They did have coffee plants, but the plants only yielded enough coffee for 1 cup every 2 weeks per person. A half a cup per week?? That would be a deal breaker for me!!
Pros: They grew over 80% of their diet. As a result, their health increased dramatically. They saw improvements in cholesterol, blood pressure, and overall immune system. So don’t eat any processed foods and grow your own food with no chemicals…crazy concept, huh?
Cons: They eventually started having low oxygen levels, which contributed to the deaths of the goats, hens, pigs, and fowl that they originally brought into the Biosphere.
These days the Biosphere is used for climate change studies. For instance, the Great Barrier Reef has decreased by 50% due to warmer water temperatures and increasing acidity of the ocean. They’re working hard at that amongst other projects.
BTW, In case you’re wondering where Biosphere 1 is…it’s the Earth!!!