Heather Mace: How am I doing? Well, that's a loaded question

For those of you who closely monitor the state of the world, you know the simple question, “How are you doing?” can feel loaded. For me, the answer often varies wildly by the hour, or even minute. Sometimes, I’ll wearily respond that the weight of the world is so immense, I’m afraid it will crush me under its mass. Other days, I fume that the government’s careless wielding of power is so upsetting, I feel like I could explode. But this week, the unlucky folks who inquire about my well-being are likely to be met with a question in return: “How much do you know about Biosphere 2?”

I’d lived in Tucson nearly two decades before visiting this remote research facility north of the Catalina Mountains. After navigating a long stretch of winding desert road, the sprawling patchwork of glass and steel that comprises Biosphere 2 came into view. It was magnificent. Mysterious. Otherworldly. While touring the facility, I learned that Biosphere 2 is considered the world’s largest Earth science experiment. Standing an impressive 91 feet tall, it houses samples of ecosystems such as a rainforest, mangrove, and even a mini ocean. Essentially, it’s a microcosm of our vast planet. Of all its many wonders, however, the feature that filled me with the most awe was The Lung.

When temperatures rise and fall inside Biosphere 2, its enormous glass panels are at risk of either exploding or imploding. That’s where The Lung comes in. It’s an expansion chamber — a giant tank with a flexible membrane covering and sealing the top — that connects to Biosphere 2 through an underground tunnel. As air in the biosphere expands, The Lung’s membrane rises to accommodate it. As air contracts, the membrane falls. In other words, The Lung acts as a pressure release mechanism that keeps the whole facility from shattering.

That’s precisely why, when someone asks how I’m holding up these days, the inner workings of the biosphere come to mind. Every day, we watch the world’s political, social, and economic climate fluctuate. Images of war, man-made starvation, masked abductions, political assassinations, and mass shootings fill our screens. High housing prices, medical costs, and grocery bills squeeze families who are struggling to get by. We shrink with despair and hopelessness one minute, then billow with rage the next.

But whereas Biosphere 2 has a pressure release mechanism, many of the safety valves our country has crafted over centuries are disappearing. The President uses his power to slash Medicaid, defund public schools, and impose tariffs that raise prices for consumers. He directs government agencies to prosecute his enemies, and fires anyone who refuses. Then he goes on social media to call opponents names, share racist deep-fake videos, and divert attention to anything other than his low approval ratings. The checks and balances among government branches are dissolving. American troops are being directed to use our own cities as training grounds. Internet bots are feeding us steady streams of propaganda. All the while, we’re watching in horror as conflicts across the globe claim millions of lives. The pressure keeps rising, and we desperately need a release.

At night, I lie awake wondering, what will happen next? Will Americans find ways to correct course, to use the levers of democracy to achieve a more equal balance of power? Will we convince legislators to fund programs that provide financial relief — and hope — for families? Or will the pressure become so unbearable that the current system simply explodes?

But enough about that. Where are my manners? Here I am rambling on about existential dread and science metaphors, and I haven’t asked you a single question. So please, I must know, how are you doing?