Biosphere 2 : Terre promise ?

Biosphere 2 : Land of promise
While the fundamental ecological equilibrium of “Biosphere 1” (planet Earth) is threatened, “Biosphere 2” is attempting to simulate an ideal ecological society, autoregulated by science and technology. It does so first by means of a story, then by means of an experiment conducted in the United States.
The authors describe the story briefly and analyze the experiment. “Biosphere 2” is presented as a typical utopia of our times. It represents, they say, an awareness of the dangers incurred by “spaceship earth” and the consequent necessity of finding a new form of global governance.
They also point out how this vision of an “ideal world” is influenced by the American sense of being invested with the mission of saving humanity and leading it to the “promised land” (terrestrial or extra-terrestrial).
This text was presented at the International Colloquium of Fontevraud (“Long-Term Control and Democracy: What Environment in the XXI Century?”). It aims to provide us with an analysis of utopic literature on the ecosystem and, at a second level, a study of the utopian dimension in American culture.