Terrible tornadoes, extreme temperatures, tsunamis, snow storms. The consequences of climate change are in sight and there are those who predict a black future.
That is why some engineers with a foot in ecology are looking for new ways to protect the environment, creating novel state-of-the-art infrastructures. It is the case of Eden Project, the largest greenhouse in the world.
A titanic project
The name refers to the garden inhabited by Adam and Eve and the choice is not accidental: the makers of this dream have created a superb greenhouse protected from the world that houses more than 1 million plants and has been recognized by the Guinness Book of Records. as the largest in the world.
It is situated in a former clay mine of Cornwall, in the United Kingdom, and its structure is made up of three balloon-shaped sections called biomes, supported by tubular steel frames that support hundreds of hexagonal glass panels made of a very light polymer. In each of the sections a differentiated garden: Mediterranean, Jungle and Exterior (the latter is connected to the outside).
A greenhouse with different climates
The person in charge of the project is Tim smit, who has designed differentiated sections to house different species of plants.
The Biomo Selva has the jworld's largest artificial glaze and it has an important waterfalls in addition to numerous species of tropical plants. The climate is achieved from an automatic system that maintains the ambient humidity and the soil is irrigated by tubes. The waterfall also helps conserve moisture and also recycle water. In the Mediterranean Biome, the temperature is drier and it is possible to find plants from California, South Africa and the Mediterranean region, while in the Outer Biome the plants are typical of the United Kingdom.
In order for the greenhouse to function, an underground drainage system has been designed that works from 162.7 million liters of rainwater drained inside the mine.