Doomsday Seed Vault...this is interesting

Chuck · #1 02/26/08, 01:30 PM

This video shows the opening of the Doomsday seed vault - established to save samples of billions of seeds to keep them from going extinct.

They mention that we lose a variety of some crop every other day. Does that sound right?

My biggest question though, is what do they define as "doomsday?"

seedspreader · #2 02/26/08, 01:40 PM

Yes, and who holds the keys during doomsday?

Honestly, the isolated location of this thing leads me to believe that the "doomsday" they are thinking more in the terms of genetic dooms day than anything else.

culpeper · #3 02/26/08, 04:11 PM

Who's to say that any of the seeds will still be viable after Doomsday? Or that there will be anyone left to care!

Wouldn't it be better to plant some of those seeds to ensure that more of the seeds will eventually be produced?

Brea · #4 02/26/08, 05:10 PM

I was under the impression that the country that puts in seeds still owns those seeds. I wonder how things would work out politically etc. in some 'doomsday' situations.

NWoods_Hippie · #5 02/26/08, 05:19 PM

It is actually called "The Global Seed Vault".

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/...sday-Vault.php

"doomsday" is a nickname of sorts I would think.

Margie

cowkeeper · #6 02/26/08, 05:23 PM

You can find the answer to those questions at www.croptrust.org

It's called the Global Crop Diversity Trust. Some of the seeds will be grown out periodically. They will be mechanically frozen, also the area is naturally below freezing. I think it is a good idea to have as many seedbanks as possible, and this one is state-of-the-art.

Deacon Mike · #7 02/26/08, 05:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chuck

This video shows the opening of the Doomsday seed vault - established to save samples of billions of seeds to keep them from going extinct.

They mention that we lose a variety of some crop every other day. Does that sound right?

My biggest question though, is what do they define as "doomsday?"

Global warming is one issue of concern, but that is a general chat topic

Aintlifegrand · #8 02/26/08, 05:37 PM

I am always interested in the arrogance of man thinking they can forestall natural occurences in nature. To me...if in fact doomsday does arrive genetically or otherwise I believe that we will be shown we are not in control and no seeds in a vault will matter...JMO

**ladycat** · #9 02/26/08, 05:45 PM

I noticed this is all over the news today, and I posted it here over 2 months ago.

http://homesteadingtoday.com/showthread.php?t=222050

charles burns · #10 02/26/08, 06:46 PM

In 1066 William the Conqueror commissioned an inventory of every landholding, animal, building, community etc. in England. It was the mother of all inventory lists, the entire contents of the country recorded and catalogued.

The list was so extensive it was likened to the day of judgement (Doomsday) in the bible, where the recorded actions of all Christians would be brought before God for evaluation.

The book was, and still is, known as the Doomsday book.

I would imagine the seed bank to be the mother of all collected and catalogued seed banks and so, likened to the mother of all inventory lists commissioned by William the Conqueror.

Of course, I could be wrong.

charles burns · #11 02/26/08, 06:49 PM

Here's a link for the Doomsday Book if you're interested - though nothing to do with the seed bank.

http://www.domesdaybook.co.uk/book.html

rzrubek · #12 02/26/08, 07:04 PM

If we-"the U.S.A" think that those seeds are going to be accessable to usin a case of emergency-we are sadly mistaken. They're in GREENLAND. We should have a seperate vault for our own country.

Jeff54321 · #13 02/26/08, 08:08 PM

"Interesting" is a gross understatement with regards to this.

Take a look at who is behind this project: "Bill Gates, the Rockefeller Foundation, Monsanto and Syngenta"

http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.p...xt=va&aid=7529

charles burns · #14 02/26/08, 08:38 PM

Oh dear, the whole thing just went south.

cowkeeper · #15 02/26/08, 10:19 PM

I heard a radio interview a few days ago. They addressed the funding issue. The interviewee said Monsanto was not involved. I was listening carefully, and I was reassured.

Paquebot · #16 02/26/08, 10:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cowkeeper

I heard a radio interview a few days ago. They addressed the funding issue. The interviewee said Monsanto was not involved. I was listening carefully, and I was reassured.

You are quite correct. The Nordic countries started this in 1984. It's now expanded to an international venture involving more than 100 countries. With 130 people per square mile of world land surface, it is inevitable that the food supply will eventually collapse just as it's done many times before. When that happens, everything is lost since the last thing eaten is the last seed. Raising vegetables and grains are a relatively new thing in the history of Man. Virtually everything we now grow was developed in the past few hundred years but can be lost in a few seasons. In that deep freeze vault, some seeds may last 20,000 years.

I might also add that this expansion has been in the works for some time and discussed many, many times on gardening forums. The general consensus is that it's a great idea. A few years ago, a fire destroyed all of the rare seed stock of Abundant Life. All of the USDA seed holdings are reliant upon artificial means of temperature control. Many parts of the world wouldn't be able to support the means to save something for 5 years, let alone 5 centuries.

Martin

By the way, Rzrubek, don't tell any Norwegian that Svalbard has been taken over by the Danes!

**ladycat** · #17 02/27/08, 12:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cowkeeper

I heard a radio interview a few days ago. They addressed the funding issue. The interviewee said Monsanto was not involved. I was listening carefully, and I was reassured.

Are you certain there's NO linK?

AP press release:

'Doomsday' Seed Vault Opens in Arctic

The collecting of seeds is funded by the Global Crop Diversity Trust, which was founded by the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization and Biodiversity International, a Rome-based research group.

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5j...gts2gD8V23CUG0

Global Crop Diversity Trust, "Svalbard Global Seed Vault" on front page:

http://www.croptrust.org/main/

Global Crop Diversity Trust, sponsors:

FAO, Biodiversity International, CGIAR

http://www.croptrust.org/main/cosponsors.php

Mosanto gives $4.18 million to CGIAR (link to one of Monsanto's sites):

http://www.biotechknowledge.monsanto...6?OpenDocument

(before anyone jumps in and says that's a nice thing for Monsanto to do, remember this is how they worm their way in to a country to force their GM seeds on the farmers).

More Monsanto links to CGIAR:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=site%3Amonsanto.com+cgiar&btnG=Search
I would keep searching out stuff but it's late and I'm too darned tired.

Paquebot · #18 02/27/08, 12:31 AM

Amazing how the few remaining gloom and doom people are handling this. When Monsanto rescued the holdings of Seminis to bring ownership of their stock under US control, so many said that it was so they could eliminate that stock. Now that their intentions have proven to be the exact opposite, all gloom and doom again. Nullum beneficium impunitum!

Sorry, Ladycat, but none of your links tell us that Monsanto is more than just another minor participant in the Doomsday Seed Vault. They are one of many firms with seed holdings and are assisting in the availability of those seeds for many centuries to come.

Martin

**ladycat** · #19 02/27/08, 08:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paquebot

When Monsanto rescued the holdings of Seminis to bring ownership of their stock under US control, so many said that it was so they could eliminate that stock. Now that their intentions have proven to be the exact opposite, all gloom and doom again.

Monsanto PROMISED that they would leave the Seminis seed stock intact. They lied. They waited a year or two, and now they are busy converting it to GE seedstock.

unioncreek · #20 02/27/08, 08:41 AM

We do have a system set up in the US for this, I would at one of the stations. Our long term storage facility is in Fort Collins CO and is also made to withstand a nuclear blast, though I don't know how they determine that. At our locations in Pullman WA I work mainly with cool season grasses, we grown out seed samples on a rotating basis depending on germination rate and amount available. Seed is distributed to anyone on a free basis all they ask for is an update on how any information that you got from it.

Here's the link if you want to check it out: http://www.ars-grin.gov/npgs/holdings.html

Bob