Project Eden

[Iron]

Opened in March 2001, the Eden Project consists of two enormous greenhouses built into a 50-metre- (164ft-) deep claypit overlooking St Austell Bay in Cornwall. Through plants, the dome promotes environmental awareness enabling visitors to understand ‘the vital relationship between plants, people and resources’. The most impressive of the two giant domes is the Humid Tropics Biome that's filled with towering plants from the tropics, including balsa teak and mahogany, and there is also a Malaysian stilt house and garden as an example of how one culture uses its natural resources to survive. The second dome, the Warm Temperate Biome, contains plants from California, the Mediterranean and South Africa, such as lemon groves and olive trees. Visitors follow a path around the biomes, stopping to hear talks and sketches on the plants and learn about their uses from interactive displays; for those with a particular interest, there are themed trails, such as plants and medicine and plants and sport. Outside, 10 hectares (25 acres) of landscaped rockeries and gardens provide the setting for various events, including puppet shows and storytelling for children; visitors of all ages can discover more about natural products through chocolate days, tea-tasting and dyeing workshops.
Contact Addresses
Eden Project, Bodelva, St Austell, Cornwall PL24 2SG, UK
Tel: (01726) 811 911



More than just a green theme park, then? Eden is about connecting plants, people and places. We are a living demonstration of regeneration and we aim to reconnect people with their environments locally and globally. We don't have all the answers, we don't want to tell others what to think; what we do is invite people to explore their world afresh.

What do you guy think?

Read more at http://www.edenproject.com

[Dimentio]

It is interesting in two aspects:

1. To learn how emergence in human societies appear under controlled forms, and 2. to learn how to utilise scarce resources energy-efficiently and ecologically. It was also important for geodesic domes, which NET happens to advocate.

[Comrade Rage]

I've been thinking about this lately, and we probably will see biome habitats in 60-75 years. We'll probably come close to destroying the planet beforehand though, thus necessitating biome development.

[Iron]

Originally posted by COMRADE [email protected] 04, 2007 11:47 pm
I've been thinking about this lately, and we probably will see biome habitats in 60-75 years. We'll probably come close to destroying the planet beforehand though, thus necessitating biome development.
that was kind of my thinking when i 1st saw this

[MarxSchmarx]

They tried something like this in the Southwestern U$A, called the biosphere (http://news.mongabay.com/2007/0627-biosphere.html). Most organisms in it died out and it ended up being overrun by cockroaches.

So much for Noah's Ark.

[ComradeR]

Originally posted by COMRADE [email protected] 04, 2007 11:47 pm
I've been thinking about this lately, and we probably will see biome habitats in 60-75 years. We'll probably come close to destroying the planet beforehand though, thus necessitating biome development.
Sorry i don't see us rendering the planet uninhabitable anytime soon if ever.

[Dimentio]

The Biosphere seem to have fucked up, but Project Eden worked quite satisfactory.

[ÑóẊîöʼn]

Originally posted by Serpent+--> (Serpent)It is interesting in two aspects:

1. To learn how emergence in human societies appear under controlled forms, and 2. to learn how to utilise scarce resources energy-efficiently and ecologically. It was also important for geodesic domes, which NET happens to advocate. [/b]

Unlike Biosphere 2, I don't think the Eden Project is intended to study closed ecosystems. After all, they give the public tours through the place.


MarxSchmarx
They tried something like this in the Southwestern U$A, called the biosphere. Most organisms in it died out and it ended up being overrun by cockroaches.

What I hope the outcome of this is that instead of looking upon at a "failure" and never doing something like this again, I hope we learn from our mistakes (this is the point of experimental failure in proper science) and do better next time.

At least now we know that if we're using concrete in a closed ecosystem, we need to take into account it's atmospheric effects, namely CO2 (or was it O2?) absorbtion.

I hope more experiments like this are carried out, for it very important for us to know how to manage a clsed ecosystem if we are to colonise space.

[MarxSchmarx]

At least now we know that if we're using concrete in a closed ecosystem, we need to take into account it's atmospheric effects, namely CO2 (or was it O2?) absorbtion.

What is this "concentrate"? I suppose if we cut off the O2 the roaches would begone and we'd end up with a world of dandelions/red tide.



The Biosphere seem to have fucked up, but Project Eden worked quite satisfactory.

Oh congratulations, we built an ecosystem that embodies stability, equilibrium, self-regulation, and other civic virtues.

Well, at least so far... wait until it develops sentient life with three-colored tooth paste and hydrogen bombs.

Just in case my sarcasm is misunderstood, I denounce primitivism in all its forms as counter-revolutionary.

[ÑóẊîöʼn]

What is this "concentrate"? I suppose if we cut off the O2 the roaches would begone and we'd end up with a world of dandelions/red tide.

I've no idea what caused that particular problem, But I'm sure if an environmental scientist were to look into it we'd find a solution.


Oh congratulations, we built an ecosystem that embodies stability, equilibrium, self-regulation, and other civic virtues.

Well, at least so far... wait until it develops sentient life with three-colored tooth paste and hydrogen bombs.

Just in case my sarcasm is misunderstood, I denounce primitivism in all its forms as counter-revolutionary.

What's with the "don't care, let's call it a failure and forget about it" attitude then?

[MarxSchmarx]

What's with the "don't care, let's call it a failure and forget about it" attitude then?

My apologies if I was being opaque. Nor do I want to sound preachy about it.

It's just that I'm not sure I understand the scientific novelty of something like this. First, there are plenty of examples of self-sustaining artificial ecosystems (http://www.eco-sphere.com/care_manual.htm) alreay.

Second, I doubt projects like these are an accurate reflection of how real biomes operate. This is why I am skeptical of the importance of creating a "closed" or "self-sustaining" system. Real ecosystems just don't work like that. Hence, what we can learn from them (much less teach people) doesn't seem much better than what we can learn from a computer model or a petri dish.

Third , the whole thing just strikes me as a glorified botanical garden. Its education mission is much like what most modern zoos have.