BIOLOGISTS DIG DEEPER Frontlines SCIENCEBUSINESSNATURETECHNOLOGYCULTUREPOLITICS I EARTHY SECRETS Now night BA battens b. &Wetted by global warming') Canada's new Biotron superlab contains miniature chunks of the natural world that will help us predict the impact of climate change on living organisms BY LINDSAY BORTHWICK GROUP OF PLANT SCIENTISTS GATHERED IN VIENNA IN 2005 AT THE httenvitional Botanical Congress. The meetingwaspretty much whatyou would expect until its conclusion, when the congress declared: "As a matter of urgency, facilities for controlled, ecosystem-scale experiments are required now." Waltout a better toolbox to study how the natural world responds to global climate change. "sustained human habitability of Earth" would be at risk. Fortunately, just such ii toolbox was already being designed by Norman Winer, a Canadian biochemist and plant biologist. Honer had begun work or. his Biotron Institute for Experimental Climate Change Research in 1999 In early 2008 it wit open its doors, the first facility in the Peace in The Garden Annual per capita water consumption in the United States: 660,430 gallons. In China• 184,920 gallons WINTER 2008 UST FALL IN THE GERMAN city of Kassel, a group of about 15 women harvested a bumper crop of pumpkins, squash, and wine grapes from a small community garden. Nothing unusual there. perhaps—except that the women were from Morocco. Afghanistan, Somalia. arid the former Yugoslavia. The -intercultural garden" in Kassel is one of about 100 in Germany, but the only one run entirety by women. lAnd alter the gardeners had long discussions about the hazards of pesticides, its produce will be totally organic.) The gardens began in 1995, after a group of Bosnian women in Gottingen, waiting out the Balkan conflict, told social workers how much they missed the famous plum and apple orchards of Bosnia's Drina Valley. There has been adversity along the way. A garden in Berlin had to be placed under police protection alter it was targeted by neo-Nazi protesters In Cologne the gates of another garden have been destroyed three times. And it isn't always easy to coax traditional crops such as Afghan mint. coriander, and Iranian leeks from the mineral-rich German soil. Yet the gardens thrive. Says Behoumi, a 31-year-old from Morocco, 'Without the beauty of the garden I could not survive.' —ANOELA BOSKOVICH WINTER 2002 unearth 13 EFTA00601918 RONTLINES researchers allow will that world com- a how study and recreate to Arctic as such ecosystem, plete responds forest, boreal or tundra Biotron, The change. climate to you as close 'as is says. Hither labl." a lin nature to get can integrate help will Biotron The of study scientific the into biology climate Existing warming. global are Miner, says models, change biology; than physics about more changes descriie they moreover, planet the to happening are that habitats, particular to than rather Scientists individuals. or specks, pre- create to able been haven't example, for models, dictive and rainfall in changes how of sepa- two in tested researchers humans whether 'missions rate sealed. a in sustainably live could as environment self-contained outer colonizing to precursor a scientifically Biotron, The space. league. different a in is speaking, a is superlaboratory The of University the of project joint University the Ontario, Western Agricul- and Ontario, Guelph, of a Canada, -Food Agri and ture nondescript The agency. federal the in located building, -story ve fi south- of heartland agricultural engineer- 211 is Ontario, western just at bargain a yet marvel, ing maim $2S U.S fa. state-of-thean are Inside into research support that Waits and insects, microorganisms, geneti- be can which of all plants, - research suit to modified cally the in Temperature needs. en' to access for vie will Researchers compete physicists as much Biotron the particle few world's the use to and latest the astronomers or accelerators telescopes optical biggest soybean affect will temperature or belt grain U.S. the in yields basin, Amazon the in butterflies exceptions, few a with because, to tools the had haven't they climate of impact the measure organisms living on change where place a there's Now scrupu- be can ecosystans whole organisms and recreated lously to DNA their from scrutinized, organ- other with interaction their data. complete more With isms. make to able be will scientists ex. their —and predictions better better could ndings fi perimennl might who makers, policy inform for subsidies provide example, for emerg- to well respond that crops patterns. climate ing mind to call may Biotron The artificial large the 2. Biosphere years 20 down plopped habitat where desert. Arizona the in ago can chambers climate Biotron's Fahr- degrees -40 from varied be simulate to dtprCS, 122 to enheit to winter Arctic the boat anything maid the On rainforest opical tr a siebioniesa—air- buidiag the stuchres greathousehice locksd. designed custom been have that environmental control precisely to UV temperature, as such factors pre- wait intensity. light radiation, is biome Each . s CO and cipitation, nay trees house to enough large for allow to and tall feet 30 than biologi- complex of recreation the extend can that communities cal to canopies tree highest the from layers. soil underground end- seem possibilities the If is plan The are. nearly they less, to scientists worlesleadilg the for space, lab e th of out and in rotate regularly be will biomes the and will setup such One reconfigured. penna- sectionsolAnxic aces use northern from transported frost study can researchers so Canada, tempera- rising to reacts it how thaws, permafrost the As tures: be will gas methane much how and bacteria will How released? affected be insects overwintering cycles? -thaw freeze changing by study and design will Scientists ecosystems, temperate more changes how learn to well, as affect CO, and temperature in photosynthetic of growth the and crops including organisms, forest. boreal be also MI] researches &CODY' risks and benefits the study to able agriculture, in biotechnology of examin- by medicine and forestry, geneticaly of biology basic the ing the is What organisms modified - trans from transfer gene of rate Can ones? wild to plants genic manufac- to be plants that compounds medicinal ture humans? benefit will equipped be will Biotron The and imaging sophisticated a with control system—avirtual analysis reach its expand ail —that room researchers allowing globally, moni- and manage to anywhere over remotely experiments tor scien- A time. real in Internet the impact the studying India in tist could rice on change climate of the raise to Biotron the instruct concentra- I CO or temperature simulate to up set biome a in tion he paddy.Then rice Asian South a impact the monitor could she or images through change this of col- autocratically data other and supercom a in stored and lected network. puling access for vie will Remembers same the much in Biotron the to to compete physicists that way aced- particle few world's the use latest the astronomers or erators telescopes. optical biggest and frontier for place a is it them. like fal aJ models old where science. will ones unexpected and new and not is goal the that —except arise origins cosmic our understand to destiny. our influence to but Through personal care products, the average American child is exposed to 27 chemicals daily that have not been proven safe Nihon/ From Far Nirvana YORKCITYSANITABHA NEW good of full are Buddhists stammer Last intentions. bought group the of members and frogs, eels, of hundreds China- citys the from turtles released and markets town Pas- Jersey's New into them from them save to River saic problem: The table. dinner the of Department states the has Protection Environmental of release the for rules strict watersheds. its into animals fines faces now group the and iriVa- introducing illegally for matters make To species. sive not may animals the worse, SPANGLER —ADAM survive. Didn't They That Mean 2007650E. FALL OUR GE the of Frumkin Howard Control Disease for Centers warming global that warned largest the "perhaps was chal- health public looming On face.' we that lenge Prumkirls 23, October Julie director CDC boss. about testified Gerberding, Sen- the to change climate Public and Environment ate the By Committee. Works administration Bush time review- done were officials had it draft, -page 12 her ing Among six. to stashed been COC The - cut: statements the a change climate considers concern. public serious S 8 a j et 8 8 I ll p K „x.; kivrimaysir”sweammzetsn"...misx 7 tuw,,,4, •3= ;,“1 . 2008 WINTER onearth 14 EFTA00601919