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Leanan
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Joined: May 20, 2004
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 Posted: Mon Jun 19, 2006 8:25 am Post subject: "Doomsday vault" to hold seeds: |
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World's agricultural legacy gets a safe home
| Quote: | The high-security vault, almost half the length of a football field, will be carved into a mountain on a remote island above the Arctic Circle. If the looming fences, motion detectors and steel airlock doors are not disincentive enough for anyone hoping to breach the facility's concrete interior, the polar bears roaming outside should help.
The more than 100 nations that have collectively endorsed the vault's construction say it will be the most secure facility of its kind in the world. Given the stakes, they agree, nothing less would do.
Its precious contents? Seeds -- millions and millions of them -- from virtually every variety of food on the planet.
Crop seeds are the source of human sustenance, the product of 10,000 years of selective breeding dating to the dawn of agriculture. The "doomsday vault," as some have come to call it, is to be the ultimate backup in the event of a global catastrophe -- the go-to place after an asteroid hit or nuclear or biowarfare holocaust so that, difficult as those times would be, humankind would not have to start again from scratch. |
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Don35
Heavy Crude
Joined: Feb 07, 2006
Posts: 127
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| Posted: Mon Jun 19, 2006 10:22 am Post subject: Re: "Doomsday vault" to hold seeds: |
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| Wow! Great idea and I'm thrilled it is happening, but what does it say about world events? |
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rwwff
Fission
Joined: Apr 28, 2006
Posts: 2897
Location: East Texas
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| Posted: Mon Jun 19, 2006 11:18 am Post subject: Re: "Doomsday vault" to hold seeds: |
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| Don35 wrote: | | Wow! Great idea and I'm thrilled it is happening, but what does it say about world events? |
I don't know whose really behind the idea, but it could be some folks are becoming a bit worried that we could make a really big mistake as we venture further into genetically modified food. (I don't dislike GM food, mind you.) Hopefully nothing will go to badly wrong, but theres always the chance that a really bad screw up might get out and irreperably harm rice, corn, or wheat production. Such a bank could be instrumental in an ultimate restoration effort.
Myself, I'll just stick with keeping air-tight metal boxes with annually purchased heirloom seeds. |
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anthem
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Joined: Apr 02, 2005
Posts: 103
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| Posted: Fri Feb 09, 2007 7:19 am Post subject: Norway demonstrates how to be proactive |
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At least a few intelligent people are planning for the future:
Norway Reveals Doomsday Vault's Design
For those who don't want to click through, this story is about seed storage in preparation for global climatic change. I'm glad to see this sort of thing. Seeing this article on Yahoo News so prominently displayed makes me wonder if the idea that the world is facing some very real and significant challenges is starting to sink in among the general public.
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Bas
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Joined: Mar 26, 2005
Posts: 3784
Location: over here
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| Posted: Fri Feb 09, 2007 7:24 am Post subject: Re: Norway demonstrates how to be proactive |
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I wondering if this is not money thrown away; I mean if there really is a nuclear war or a meteorite and 99% of the worlds population dies, who is going to get those seeds?...It's too cold to use them for growing up where they are building that thing. I think the Norwegians are just too rich to be sensible with their money...
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MrMambo
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Joined: Jul 22, 2005
Posts: 163
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| Posted: Fri Feb 09, 2007 9:11 am Post subject: Re: Norway demonstrates how to be proactive |
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I think its definately a good idea. Its not really all that expensive. And when you think of this as a "backup" solution similar to backing up computer files you should add a couple of seperate locations. So there might be one such unit in the gobi desert, in alaska, in australia etc.
Norway just wants to take some responsibility and it has the means to do it. Others around the world are in that position too and should do the same thing. |
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anthem
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Joined: Apr 02, 2005
Posts: 103
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| Posted: Fri Feb 09, 2007 9:20 am Post subject: Re: Norway demonstrates how to be proactive |
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| Bas wrote: | | I mean if there really is a nuclear war or a meteorite and 99% of the worlds population dies, who is going to get those seeds? |
In the highly unlikely event that 99% of the population is killed suddenly, I would say the 1% who are left will very much need these seeds.
| Bas wrote: | | ...It's too cold to use them for growing up where they are building that thing. I think the Norwegians are just too rich to be sensible with their money... |
I believe the idea is that the Arctic is a good place to store seeds, not necessarily that the seeds would eventually be planted there.
I save seeds myself, as did my father and his father before. The process is relatively easy and really, the seeds are like money in the bank. Who else here saves seeds?
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megawatt
Tar Sands
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Joined: Mar 23, 2006
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| Posted: Sat Feb 10, 2007 12:50 am Post subject: Re: Norway demonstrates how to be proactive |
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Reminds me of an old SF novel I once read looked it up published in 74. One of my favorites, “mote in gods eye” basically a specialized alien society that has gone through many generations of overpopulation and collapse, their version of a PO world, self destruction and war that reverts into a pre-tech lifestyle only to have to crawl back out generations later to the brink of space and fall back in. It seems to have happened many times when they begin to cache tech and knowledge into bunkers so it can be retrieved and used post destruction. It is done to get the motes’ into a tech era sooner with less consumption so they can break out into the next stage of expansion ----space. There was a sequel as well. I have thought of this book many times while reading these forums, just figured this was a good topic to bring it up….
Yes this is SF but they looked 20 generations to the future in order to break the loop that has gone on for thousands of generations, maybe we can do it in one????
I don’t think so, as humanity only learns lessons when they are directly affected by the consequences of their actions, and we the species have not been hit hard yet. What we need is a genetic memory, so at least the future may know what has past before. This theme has been represented in many movies and books, I saw the futility of it back way back then when the hustle was a dance ( did I just date myself?) and I think that was when my doomish tint was born. It affected the way I have been preparing since the 80s.
So back to the topic --- I say go for it, and save what you can, and protect it for the one of the possible futures. I see myself caught in the crossfire and in too deep and too late to be part of the optimistic utopia to come on the goodness of humanity. I will gladly give up my guns when they are the last ones left, until then, you will have to pry it from my cold dead fingers. I have my second amendment where I want it, so I am here now working on alt energy, and other aspects of survival. |
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skiwi
Intermediate Crude
Joined: Aug 23, 2004
Posts: 705
Location: Frost Free in New Zealand
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| Posted: Sat Feb 10, 2007 9:22 am Post subject: Re: "Doomsday vault" to hold seeds: |
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Final 'Doomsday' vault design unveiled
| Quote: | The final design for a "doomsday" vault that will house seeds from all known varieties of food crops has been unveiled by the Norwegian government.
The Svalbard International Seed Vault will be built into a mountainside on a remote island near the North Pole.
The vault aims to safeguard the world's agriculture from future catastrophes, such as nuclear war, asteroid strikes and climate change.
Construction begins in March, and the seed bank is scheduled to open in 2008... |
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Kylon
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Joined: Aug 12, 2005
Posts: 802
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| Posted: Sat Feb 10, 2007 9:37 pm Post subject: Re: "Doomsday vault" to hold seeds: |
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They're preparing for the march of the killer tomatoes  |
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Bleep
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mommy22
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Joined: Jul 22, 2005
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| Posted: Sun Feb 11, 2007 9:19 am Post subject: Re: "Doomsday vault" to hold seeds: |
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| I think we should all have our own seed bank at home, as that's a long way to go to get seeds in case of catastrophe! Incredible idea...each country should have a similar model, not unlike a Strategic Oil Reserve, there should be a Strategic Seed Reserve. Maybe Dennis Kucinich should make that part of his platform for President....at least that would get the word out! |
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grabby
Light Sweet Crude
Joined: Nov 08, 2005
Posts: 1328
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| Posted: Mon Feb 12, 2007 12:12 am Post subject: Re: "Doomsday vault" to hold seeds: |
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They should put a couple gallons of premium gasoline in there also, so we can remember what it was like.
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Battle_Scarred_Galactico
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| Posted: Mon Feb 12, 2007 4:44 am Post subject: Re: "Doomsday vault" to hold seeds: |
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Looks like we're not the only doomers about.
Good idea, nice to see someone doing something usful for a farking change.
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nocar
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| Posted: Mon Feb 12, 2007 6:57 am Post subject: Re: Norway demonstrates how to be proactive |
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From the comments, it seems like the real point of this seed bank has not been always understood. The problem is this: Today just a small number of varieties of different crops are regularly cultivated. Lots of varieties that are less commercially competetive are no longer cultivated. There is a danger in the small number of varieties, namely that if a new pest appears that attacks that particular variety, like the most common wheat strains, we might get global serious problems. Imagine that all wheat crops will fail! (Actually, right now there seems to be a problem with bananas - alas bananas do not grow from seeds). With all the different wheat varieties in storage, it will be a lot easier to find a variety that is resistant to the pest.
The seed bank is designed to save as much seed variety as possible.
nocar |
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