Doomsday Seed Vault

[farmboy]

I saw this in the Suday paper. It says the final design has been completed to "protect seeds against plant diseases and catastrophes such as nuclear war, asteroid strikes and climate change". It will "house seeds from all know varieties of food crops".

There was actually very little information given but there was a map showing the location to be in the arctic on an island above Norway and between Greenland and Russia. I think it may be Norwegian territory.

A 400' tunnel will be drilled into rock and the temperature will be kept stable at 0 degrees F. Capacity for 3 million seed samples. Construction to start in March and scheduled to open in 2008.


farmboy

[Smoky]

Well, it can't be a bad thing. I mean you can't have too many seeds, ever, right? I think they should spread them out and put 100 of these all over the planet. Any of the above-mentioned bad circumstances might take out the one and there you are!
Better yet, we can all save a bunch of seeds, we won't ALL die in the worst shtf scenario.
Speaking of which, what about a "nuclear" or "volcano" winter scene? How many seeds for sprouts would get a person thru that for say, one year? With a light source, etc, you could make sprouts when you can't garden outside.

[leera]

I remember reading about that some time last year.........It's being organized and funded by a bunch of countries........They are gathering all types of seeds and saving them in what they are calling The World Seed Bank...........if I remember right anyway.

[farmboy]

Well, it can't be a bad thing. I mean you can't have too many seeds, ever, right? I think they should spread them out and put 100 of these all over the planet. Any of the above-mentioned bad circumstances might take out the one and there you are!
Better yet, we can all save a bunch of seeds, we won't ALL die in the worst shtf scenario.


I did a little googling and found some more info. There are many seed banks around the world but most of them are active and therefore not as secure or complete. They mentioned some countries had recently lost theirs, including Afghanistan.

I agree everyone should have their own "bank" too and I hope the USA has a good secure one.

Wonder if Monsanto is submitting their patented strains for storage?

farmboy

[Smoky]

"Wonder if Monsanto is submitting their patented strains for storage? "
Ugh :(.