This is old news - last June - but I dont recall that we knew about it?? If we did then mods pls remove this thread!
“BBC reports that Norway is starting construction on a ‘doomsday vault’ in the Arctic which is designed to house all known varieties of the world’s crops. The vault’s purpose is to ensure survival of crop diversity in the event of plant epidemics, nuclear war, natural disasters or climate change; and to offer the world a chance to restart growth of food crops that may have been wiped out. ‘More than 100 countries have backed the vault, which will store seeds, packaged in foil, at sub-zero temperatures. … Norway’s Agriculture Minister Terje Riis-Johansen has called the vault a “Noah’s Ark on Svalbard.”’”
(p.s. link is to cool website - Science.Slashdot.org - news for nerds - stuff that matters
This was featured on an NPR story a few months back. I think it’s a great idea even without the threat of PF.
The seedbank is a old plan from the 80´s, finaly the treates needed are in place, and the bank will be finshed in 2007. They will collect agricultural seeds from all over world. The needs is many. Global warming, mono cultures in agriculturers, patents on life by the multinationals, pest etc. A international comitte will decide the useage of the bank.
I just hope they dig deep enough, the permafrost even on svalbard is beginnig to melt…
(Melting there too? :-( )I hope they take care of the staff that knows about his, and get those seeds in there quickly. I hope the Seed Savers Exchange is prepping for pandemic influenza… and there are some farmers that, if they die, they’ve been maintaining huge seed collections on their own farms that may be lost.
I have all my seeds in the freezer at my house. Most seeds will easily last 5 or 6 years in the freezer and atleast to next season in the basement. Its a good idea to be ready to build a simple tiny green house in front of your porch if only to get an early jump on food production. While you may not live entirely on what you grow. It sure makes for good nutritious adders.
We (the USA) already have seed storage facilites. In fact, where I live at CSU (Colorado State University) is one such place National Seed Storage Laboratory http://www.ars-grin.gov/ars/NoPlains/FtCollins/preserve/tour/Prestour.htm
NSSL stores samples in conventional storage at −18° C and cryogenic storage using liquid nitrogen at −196° C (−160° C in the vapor phase). Storage method is determined by the type of seed, the size of the seed, the number of seeds in the sample, the viability of the sample, and sometimes the instructions from the donor.
I wonder what the scientists plan to do if TSHTF and dry ice and liquid nitrogen deliveries stop.
It is sad/poignant to think because of ?global warming we worry about less permafrost to save the seeds…the seeds that are suppose to protect our crop diversity in the event of disaster, including climate change….circular.
I am up too late, clearly!
I’ve been wondering if you’re getting up too early, or staying up too late! (Ever have time during the day for lunch, or a walk around Walden Pond, jplanner?)
Doug Baker, what is their COOP if the grid goes down? Do they currently have any sort of grow-out rotation schedule, and are their staff and allies prepping their households in case of pandemic?
of topic..almost. Two links on the permafrost, the first is the one that got all this started, the hunt for 1981 flu in graves at Svalbard, their hope was that permafrost would keep the virus intact. Published 1998
second, on global warming and facts about permafrost.