Terranium

They were built of terranium, a superhard metallic material that had the ability to feed on the earthy crust, making it amenable to growing fauna.

How might an environmental regulatory system operate in order to control the risks associated with terranium? What standards might be applied and what regulatory instruments used? What further information about terranium would you want ...?

It also happened to be rich in terranium, the metal that was once used to build the vast majority of the buildings on Tri. A hundred years ago, mine owners and metal exporters from Tri had come to Deva eager to stake their claim.

Build a terranium, if you wish. That is, let the boys build it. Don't do the work yourself, for half the interest is in making the thing. Have the boys bring an old berry crate; cut out the slats and take off the top; cover it with fine wire netting […] Put in one or two small plants or shrubs for landscape effect and the terranium is ready. […] Begin on that terranium. […]

A terranium which has a bog environment contains various species of snakes, frogs, turtles and salamanders and a bio-temperature incubator where such variables as temperature and humidity may be controlled for experiments.