DOMED WORLD GETS NEW LEASE ON LIFE : STUDENTS ARRIVE AT BIOSPHERE 2.Byline: Arthur H. Rotstein Associated Press Associated Press: see news agency. Associated Press (AP) Cooperative news agency, the oldest and largest in the U.S. and long the largest in the world. Two dozen college students and two high schoolers will spend four months studying at Biosphere biosphere, irregularly shaped envelope of the earth's air, water, and land encompassing the heights and depths at which living things exist. The biosphere is a closed and self-regulating system (see ecology), sustained by grand-scale cycles of energy and of 2, where a series of changes announced Wednesday may improve the facility's tarnished reputation. The students were introduced as the first group who will spend the next semester under Columbia University's Earth Semester program at the 3.15-acre glass-and-steel domed ecological center. Biosphere officials also announced that William Harris William Harris may refer to:
The facility is now managed and operated by Columbia, which is using it to study the Earth's environment. That's what attracted Nicole Forrester This article is about the Canadian athlete. For the actress, see Nicole Forester. Nicole Forrester (born 17 November 1976 in Toronto, Ontario) is a Canadian high jumper. Her personal best jump is 1.97 metres, achieved in July 2007 in Thessaloniki. , 22, a graduate of Randolph-Macon Women's College in Lynchburg, Va., and one of the students who will live on the Biosphere grounds for the next several months. ``I've seen the environment become progressively worse, people not caring,'' said Forrester, who plans to attend medical school. ``I wanted to come out here with people who do care, go back and hopefully contribute to my community.'' Officials showed off changes inside the sealed compound, and spoke of plans to remove tons of soil from a half-acre area once used to grow crops for two crews that lived inside. The soil's excess organic matter led to high carbon dioxide carbon dioxide, chemical compound, CO2, a colorless, odorless, tasteless gas that is about one and one-half times as dense as air under ordinary conditions of temperature and pressure. buildups and will be replaced within a year. The farm area will be divided into three sealed sections and planted with three varieties of trees to study long-term exposure to three varying levels of carbon dioxide. Increased levels of the gas are expected to alter the Earth's environment in the next century. Harris, a chemist and an assistant director of the foundation for mathematics and physical sciences, was named executive director and president of the facility. ``The Biosphere 2 Center is now a Columbia University Columbia University, mainly in New York City; founded 1754 as King's College by grant of King George II; first college in New York City, fifth oldest in the United States; one of the eight Ivy League institutions. institution,'' Harris said. ``We are celebrating a partnership that will work closely with Arizona's communities, its universities and colleges, and will reach out to outstanding universities throughout the world.'' Amy DeCrew, in her junior year as a biology major at Barnard College Barnard College: see Columbia University. in New York City New York City: see New York, city. New York City City (pop., 2000: 8,008,278), southeastern New York, at the mouth of the Hudson River. The largest city in the U.S. , saw Biosphere 2 as ``a chance to do something hands-on, a different experience from what we get at Barnard. I hope I will get a better understanding of a sustainable environment, the impact of humans and what we can do about it.'' Workers are renovating the area where the two former Biosphere crews lived during their missions. The living quarters will be part of a public visitors center for viewing other parts of the complex, including a rain forest, miniature ocean and savannahs. Columbia took over research control of the $200 million facility in January under a five-year agreement with financial backer and owner Edward Bass The Right Reverend Edward Bass (November 23, 1726 – September 10, 1803), was the first American Episcopal bishop of the Diocese of Massachusetts and second bishop of the Diocese of Rhode Island. Bass attended Harvard University, graduating in 1744. . In 1994, Bass made management changes to bring in respected scientists, which eventually led to the Columbia affiliation. CAPTION(S): Photo Photo: William Harris of the National Science Foundation wi ll take over operations at Biosphere 2, now managed by Columbia University. Associated Press |
|
||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion