[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
{snip}
> Actually we don't have the technology for a closed ecosystem.
not yet....
> Biosphere was a horrible failure.
??? no it wasn't. it was an excellent success, a lot was learned
about what does not work for building a small self-contained
human-habitable ecosystem. the only way to describe it as a failure is
to use the hubristic yard-stick of assuming that we already knew all
there was to know about building such habitats.
> I think the key problem with
> trying to build an environment in near earth space is that there is nothing
> to build it with. Space is empty. So we have import all materials from the
> moon or earth which requires huge outlays of cash and energy.
so? build things on the moon, asteroids and Mars first. then when
sufficient energy is available at reasonable prices build significant
habitats in orbit.
{snip}
> Our own environment grew
> organically over billions of years. We have no idea of how to make a
> self-sustaining environment from scratch even if we could get the materials
> where we want them.
ah, but we do know how to build a self-sustaining environment from
scratch! what we need to figure out is how to do it on a smaller than
planetary scale and without waiting millions or billions of years for
things to reach a useful equilibrium.
cheers,
christopher
--
Christopher Gwyn
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
