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The Arctic Doomsday Seed Vault

Posted by samzenpus on from the who-replants-barter-town dept.

Anonymous Cow writes "A giant refrigerated genetic bank built into the island of Svalbard has been brought online. The Svalbard Global Seed Vault in Norway is designed to house up to 4.5 million seeds in the case of a catostrophic event. The bank is funded by the Norwegian government, Monsanto Corporation, and the Gates, Rockefeller, and Syngenta Foundations. The Global Crop Diversity Trust has completed construction of the doomsday vault and is getting the facility ready to preserve the genetic heritage of the world's agriculture for future generations. There will be no full-time staff, but the vault's relative inaccessibility will facilitate monitoring human activity. Spitsbergen was considered ideal due to its lack of tectonic activity and its permafrost, which will aid preservation. Locally mined coal will provide power for refrigeration units which will further cool the seeds to the internationally recommended standard 20 to 30 C."

4 of 322 comments (clear)

  1. Monsanto... by locokamil · · Score: 5, Insightful

    ... in charge of saving our agricultural bacon? The same people who tried to bring agricultural holocaust to the developing world with their you-can't-save-our-seeds-for-next-year's-crop shenanigans?

    Hopefully their influence will be counterbalanced by some of the less evil groups participating in the project.

    1. Re:Monsanto... by alshithead · · Score: 5, Insightful

      "Do I want Monsanto goons having access to the only safe seed left? Hell no. Ever hear of blackmail? What if the only viable unmodified corn was here, and Monsanto 'kidnaps' it. Maybe not for ransom, but for power."

      Wait while affix my tinfoil hat...okay, I can agree to a certain point. If you're really that worried then buy some Monsanto stock. That way you win too.

      "Now that I think of it, if you wanted to preserve DATA about the DNA, that would be easier maybe than preserving the actual DNA."

      With tinfoil hat still firmly in place...how does that save you in an apocalyptic scenario? Where does the technology come into play that gives us a good starting point with seed stock if the technology to manipulate DNA isn't available because of the collapse of civilization? :)

      --
      I reserve the right to think for myself. Others' opinions are optional. Puppy on lap = typos...not illiteracy.
  2. Old news and FUD by drunken_boxer777 · · Score: 5, Insightful
    This is old news.

    The linked article in the summary looks like a lot of FUD to me. Read at your own risk.

    From the article:

    The bank will have dual blast-proof doors with motion sensors, two airlocks, and walls of steel-reinforced concrete one meter thick. ... There will be no full-time staff...

    My question is, if there is a doomsday event, how do we get in?

  3. It's all relative by NotQuiteReal · · Score: 5, Insightful
    One species' "doomsday" is another species chance to thrive. I don't see any giant reptiles bitching over their fate now, do I?

    Just think how pissed you'd be if a bunch of velociraptors popped out of some jurassic "doomsday" vault next week and started chomping down on your homo sapiens brethren?

    Think about the long term. Modern Humans have been around for as few as 6000 years according to some folks, as long as a few hundred thousand years, maybe a bit more, according to more rational minds.

    The same rational minds that put the age of the universe several orders of magnitude greater.

    One way or the other, what's the difference?

    --
    This issue is a bit more complicated than you think.