Imagine you are an “interstellar explorer”, on a mission to the newly discovered “planet Zork” (of course you might want to come up with your own name for this new planet).
Zork has no food, no water, and is a steamy 60 degrees Celsius – too hot to survive outside for humans. What will you bring on your mission to build a self-contained community to allow you and others to survive, and for your mission to succeed? What services does nature provide us here on Earth that could help you survive on this inhospitable planet? Food, shelter, and water are a great start, but how will the nutrients be cycled and the wastes broken down?
What natural systems could help make things on Zork be more comfortable? What else do natural systems on this Earth of ours provide that allows civilization to prosper?