Doomsday Seed Vault Update
Norway’s Doomsday Seed Vault Hits 1/2 Million Mark
In November 2008, Forced Green posted an article on the Svalbard Global Seed Vault. The “Doomsday Seed Vault” lies 620 miles (1,000 kilometers) from the North Pole, in Norway’s remote Svalbard archipelago, quite literally an Arctic island. The vault complex is designed to withstand global warming, earthquakes and even nuclear strikes. A safeguard against wars or natural disasters wiping out food crops around the globe. A master backup to the world’s other 1,400 seed banks, in case their deposits are lost. A wise move especially in the face of such events as the war wiping out seed banks in Iraq and Afghanistan, and another bank in the Philippines was flooded in the wake of a typhoon in 2006.
Days after celebrating its second anniversary, the trust that oversees the seed collection announced on Thursday (March 11), the vault now houses half a million seed samples, making it the world’s most diverse repository of crop seeds. Since it opened for “deposits” two years ago the facility amassed at least one-third of the world’s crop seeds. Since it opened for “deposits” two years ago the facility amassed at least one-third of the world’s crop seeds
The bank still has gaps in its collection such as unique seeds from Ethiopia, China, and India. The most recent additions include a mold-resistant bean from Colombia, a collection of nearly every agricultural soybean species developed in the U.S. in the last century, and a third seed shipment sent to Norway by the U.S. Agricultural Research Service earlier this month that included a wild Russian strawberry which an expeditionary team braved bears and volcanoes to collect.
… as the green future unfolds.
Tags: agricultural research service, arctic island, crop seeds, doomsday, earth, earthquakes, environment, Environmentalism, food crops, global warming, half a million, Kids and Teens, master backup, money, natural disasters, north pole, nuclear strikes, recent additions, School Time, seed banks, seed collection, seed samples, soybean, Sustainability, Sustainable living, svalbard archipelago, svalbard global seed vault, wise move
March 13th, 2010 at 3:22 pm
This is most excellent news! In the event of a global disaster, we would be able to survive!
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March 13th, 2010 at 6:20 pm
The fact that we need a seed vault scares the crap out of me.
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March 13th, 2010 at 10:21 pm
Well THAT is good news.
Who funds it?
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March 13th, 2010 at 11:36 pm
Hi Westwood …. It is the Global Crop Diversity Trust and here is their site…. http://www.croptrust.org
March 14th, 2010 at 12:29 am
I’ve heard that in the UK, the authorities are sending down the old books from the library into a vault deep in a mine. It’s not just seeds they are conserving….
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March 14th, 2010 at 12:34 am
Hi Termites … Yes, you are correct! Storing for the future generation.
March 14th, 2010 at 8:11 pm
Being prepared – not just a Boy Scout/Girl Scout motto
Actually this is a great idea, unless of course a disaster struck where no one could reach it. That would be a bummer. Also, with all the freaks out there, I wonder if posting a layout of it is a good idea?
Anyway, looking on the brighter side, in the event it never becomes necessary to access, think of what whoever it might be will feel when they make this huge discovery 1000 years from now
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March 14th, 2010 at 9:14 pm
It sounds like a good idea to me
March 14th, 2010 at 10:46 pm
Hi Theresa … The layout should not hurt as it would be very hard to get to…
They would of hit the jackpot!!!
Hi P … it certainly is a great idea!
March 17th, 2010 at 4:45 pm
You know what your blog has some interesting stuff on here. I never even heard of these seed vaults and now I do and after reading some of the comments it is kind of scary. I mean I am sure that these vaults have space for a couple thousand humans.
March 17th, 2010 at 7:13 pm
Hi Salvage Antiques … There are vaults everywhere for humans. This one is for seeds and yes, if there was a disaster, I am sure that it could be used as well.
March 20th, 2010 at 8:38 am
I’m hoping that there will be a way for the world’s population to have access to these plant varieties, as we’ve lost so much diversity in our food supply due to industrial farming techniques.
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March 20th, 2010 at 1:14 pm
Hi Global Patriot … It is due to the industrial farming techniques that seeds have been passed down from generation to generation thus the seed vault.