[aprssig] Arizona Heat/Electronic Equipment

[Mark Fellhauer]

At 09:57 AM 9/5/2006, J. Gary Bender, WS5N wrote:

>See you at TAPR DCC John!
>I am hoping to stop by Biosphere 2 as a side trip.  I think it is a great 
>idea, even if it didn't work last time.  Maybe with the moon and Mars back 
>on the horizon they will give it another go.




Having lived in Arizona/Phoenix for 14 years I would not recommend leaving 
any electronics in your vehicle.  Not because of the heat, but because it 
will be gone, leaving you with nothing but a smashed window or two.

BioSphere 2 is fun to look at, but the concept will NEVER work.  Land-based 
plants do not produce a net surplus of oxygen, nor can you stock 3.5 acres 
with enough biodiversity to provide real food for a human.  While the 
Biospherians ate capsicum peppers for their vitamin content, most people 
would develop cancer after doing that for more than a year or two.  It took 
something like 50,000 gallons of sodium hydroxide to scrub the air of CO2 
in the BioSphere.   And that wasn't enough.

Moon and mars on the horizon for what?  17% and 38% of the Earth's gravity 
respectively.   No atmosphere, no water, not enough gravity.   The 
atmosphere of Mars is 6 millibars of mostly CO2, the earth 1013 millibars 
(at sea level) of air.   Water cannot exist on the surface of Mars, even in 
ice form it would sublimate.   Humans treveling to Mars would probably 
never be able to return to Earth due to bone calcium loss.


Regards,

Mark