Collarspace Discussion Forums


Home  Login  Search 

This is pretty cool.....A Doomsday Vault for Seeds


View related threads: (in this forum | in all forums)

Logged in as: Guest
 
All Forums >> [Casual Banter] >> Off the Grid >> This is pretty cool.....A Doomsday Vault for Seeds Page: [1] 2   next >   >>
Login
Message << Older Topic   Newer Topic >>
This is pretty cool.....A Doomsday Vault for Seeds - 2/25/2008 9:53:35 PM   
Muttling


Posts: 1612
Joined: 9/30/2007
Status: offline 		As odd as it may sound, Norway has build a vault to hold seed stocks of many of the plants of our world.   When I first read the story, I thought it was pretty bizarre but now that I think about it I really like the idea.    This thing could provide a protection against a wide variety of devestating scenarios.


http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/02/25/norway.seeds/index.html
Profile   Post #: 1
RE: This is pretty cool.....A Doomsday Vault for Seeds - 2/26/2008 1:38:20 AM   
Zensee


Posts: 1564
Joined: 9/4/2004
Status: offline 		It's not a panacea but it is a good thing to have. At least one per continent would be better.

Such high tech seed vaults must be part of a greater strategy of heritage seed collections, amateur and professional breeders and more modest seed banks. Seeds can simply be stored as a sort of record (and recourse) but they also need to be grown in current conditions (of climate, pests and diseases) to improve survivability.


Z.




_____________________________

"Before enlightenment, chop wood and carry water. After enlightenment, chop wood and carry water." (proverb)

(in reply to Muttling)
Profile   Post #: 2
RE: This is pretty cool.....A Doomsday Vault for Seeds - 2/26/2008 1:45:16 AM   
airborne92


Posts: 62
Joined: 1/11/2004
Status: offline 		I heard about this around a year ago. I still think that the overall concept is a great idea, but the implementation has several major flaws.

1) The location of the vault is in a difficult area to reach, with harsh weather to deal with.

2) Those that will need the seeds will probably not be able to access them in the vault.

3)Anyone that survives whatever Doomsday scenario occurs, and knows about this vault will kill to secure the contents for themselves.

If you have any doubts about this, stop and think about it for a few minutes and take into consideration human nature.

(in reply to Zensee)
Profile   Post #: 3
RE: This is pretty cool.....A Doomsday Vault for Seeds - 2/26/2008 5:52:51 AM   
Hippiekinkster


Posts: 5512
Joined: 11/20/2007
From: Liechtenstein
Status: offline 		Gene bank treaty:
http://www.fao.org/newsroom/en/news/2006/1000425/index.html

Me, I buy my garden seeds from Seeds of Change:
http://www.seedsofchange.com/

The threat to biodiversity is a serious problem, exacerbated by the indiscriminate release of Frankenplants into the world's food supply. Thank all that Rethuglinazi corporate welfare to Monsanto, ADM, etc. for that.

(in reply to airborne92)
Profile   Post #: 4
RE: This is pretty cool.....A Doomsday Vault for Seeds - 2/26/2008 5:58:48 AM   
kittinSol


Posts: 16926
Status: offline 		Was about to mention Monsanto but you beat me to it. Since companies are patenting genes and creating seeds with built-in auto-destruction after a single crop, seeds banks make a lot of sense.

Who'll have access, in case a catastrophe does occur?

_____________________________



(in reply to Hippiekinkster)
Profile   Post #: 5
RE: This is pretty cool.....A Doomsday Vault for Seeds - 2/26/2008 6:02:55 AM   
Aswad


Posts: 9374
Joined: 4/4/2007
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Muttling

As odd as it may sound, Norway has build a vault to hold seed stocks of many of the plants of our world.   When I first read the story, I thought it was pretty bizarre but now that I think about it I really like the idea.    This thing could provide a protection against a wide variety of devestating scenarios.


It's part of a strategy by Monsanto to step up their efforts in genetic engineering.
If you have a look at it, the parties include Monsanto, MS, etc.
They're just securing a rollback point.
In case they fuck up.

Reasonably good idea, but one should have secondary vaults on the other continents (secondary because the location of this one is excellent in terms of security) as Zensee suggested. Also, one should invest in automated sequencing of the genomes of the seeds in question. The idealist in me would like to make the genomes a matter of public record, but the pragmatist in me worries about the potential for targetted virii and such. Not that I'm more comfortable with handing that to Monsanto, either.

Anyway, excellent safeguard in light of the highly profitable option of making Africa dependent on their crops.
That'll be the first truly large scale deployment of engineered crops.
It could get out of hand, after all.

Health,
al-Aswad.

< Message edited by Aswad -- 2/26/2008 6:04:52 AM >

_____________________________

"If God saw what any of us did that night, he didn't seem to mind.
From then on I knew: God doesn't make the world this way.
We do." -- Rorschack, Watchmen.


(in reply to Muttling)
Profile   Post #: 6
RE: This is pretty cool.....A Doomsday Vault for Seeds - 2/26/2008 6:04:18 AM   
Hippiekinkster


Posts: 5512
Joined: 11/20/2007
From: Liechtenstein
Status: offline 		Can't remember where I read it (I'll look 'cause I need it for my Science and Tech bookmark file), but a couple years or so ago a plant pathogen was almost released into the environment that is/was so virulent it could have wiped out all plant life on the planet.

And your point about suicied genes is a good one, kitten. (BTW, TY for your comment on the Iran/Israel thread. I will probably revisit that thread. My POV is one that my fellow Progressives/lefties do not at all like)

(in reply to kittinSol)
Profile   Post #: 7
RE: This is pretty cool.....A Doomsday Vault for Seeds - 2/26/2008 6:07:56 AM   
Aswad


Posts: 9374
Joined: 4/4/2007
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: kittinSol

Since companies are patenting genes and creating seeds with built-in auto-destruction after a single crop, seeds banks make a lot of sense.


While Monsanto hasn't always played nice, this is actually a commendable move. It isn't just something that makes good business sense, but one that also makes ecological sense. If Monsanto crops make it into the wild, they die off right away, whereas if they didn't have this thing, they could fuck everything up. This modification limits the scope of the potential damages to the planet's ecosystem from engineered crops in the wild.

Health,
al-Aswad.



_____________________________

"If God saw what any of us did that night, he didn't seem to mind.
From then on I knew: God doesn't make the world this way.
We do." -- Rorschack, Watchmen.


(in reply to kittinSol)
Profile   Post #: 8
RE: This is pretty cool.....A Doomsday Vault for Seeds - 2/26/2008 6:19:47 AM   
Hippiekinkster


Posts: 5512
Joined: 11/20/2007
From: Liechtenstein
Status: offline 		The destruction of Mexico's in-situ corn gene bank is already well under way:
http://www.docudharma.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=3705

This is really a drag because US-made tortillas really suck.

(in reply to Aswad)
Profile   Post #: 9
RE: This is pretty cool.....A Doomsday Vault for Seeds - 2/26/2008 6:20:42 AM   
kittinSol


Posts: 16926
Status: offline 		In the light of all the bad PR Monsanto received in recent years, it would make sense for them to try and get some public affection with a seeds vault... cunning plan! Looks as though they're trying to protect something they've actually sought out to destroy: what a spin!

Public relations gurus are geniuses, no doubt about it.

_____________________________



(in reply to Aswad)
Profile   Post #: 10
RE: This is pretty cool.....A Doomsday Vault for Seeds - 2/26/2008 6:27:07 AM   
Aileen1968


Posts: 6062
Joined: 12/12/2007
From: I miss Shore, New Jersey
Status: offline 		It's only good if I'd be able to grow a nice crop of Panama Red to deal with all the stress of new world order.

_____________________________



(in reply to Muttling)
Profile   Post #: 11
RE: This is pretty cool.....A Doomsday Vault for Seeds - 2/26/2008 6:34:50 AM   
Aswad


Posts: 9374
Joined: 4/4/2007
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: kittinSol

In the light of all the bad PR Monsanto received in recent years, it would make sense for them to try and get some public affection with a seeds vault... cunning plan! Looks as though they're trying to protect something they've actually sought out to destroy: what a spin! Public relations gurus are geniuses, no doubt about it.


Actually, it's a good plan for tons of other reasons. For instance, they have a rollback point when this is done, allowing them to play more fast-and-loose with their engineering. And Africa provides a perfect testing ground: no matter what they do, it will most likely be seen as an improvement, and there's no pesky FDA to contend with, in practice. Also, it gives them access to lots of seeds that they can sequence and experiment with. Worst case, their crops go haywire, wipe out everything else, then die off, leaving Monsanto as one of the companies that need to give their approval in order to reseed, pretty much.

Health,
al-Aswad.


_____________________________

"If God saw what any of us did that night, he didn't seem to mind.
From then on I knew: God doesn't make the world this way.
We do." -- Rorschack, Watchmen.


(in reply to kittinSol)
Profile   Post #: 12
RE: This is pretty cool.....A Doomsday Vault for Seeds - 2/26/2008 6:36:26 AM   
kittinSol


Posts: 16926
Status: offline 		Nod nod nod. It makes one wonder what the drug companies are up to :-( .

_____________________________



(in reply to Aswad)
Profile   Post #: 13
RE: This is pretty cool.....A Doomsday Vault for Seeds - 2/26/2008 6:46:23 AM   
Aswad


Posts: 9374
Joined: 4/4/2007
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: kittinSol

Nod nod nod. It makes one wonder what the drug companies are up to :-( .


Heh... they've got their revenue stream all set up, so it'll be a while.

Health,
al-Aswad.


_____________________________

"If God saw what any of us did that night, he didn't seem to mind.
From then on I knew: God doesn't make the world this way.
We do." -- Rorschack, Watchmen.


(in reply to kittinSol)
Profile   Post #: 14
RE: This is pretty cool.....A Doomsday Vault for Seeds - 2/26/2008 6:58:45 AM   
kittinSol


Posts: 16926
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Aswad

quote:

ORIGINAL: kittinSol

Nod nod nod. It makes one wonder what the drug companies are up to :-( .


Heh... they've got their revenue stream all set up, so it'll be a while.

Health,
al-Aswad.



Ever feel that we're building a world that's beyond science fiction?

_____________________________



(in reply to Aswad)
Profile   Post #: 15
RE: This is pretty cool.....A Doomsday Vault for Seeds - 2/26/2008 7:05:39 AM   
Aswad


Posts: 9374
Joined: 4/4/2007
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: kittinSol

Ever feel that we're building a world that's beyond science fiction?


Art emulates life.

Now, building a world that's beyond fantasy...

Health,
al-Aswad.


_____________________________

"If God saw what any of us did that night, he didn't seem to mind.
From then on I knew: God doesn't make the world this way.
We do." -- Rorschack, Watchmen.


(in reply to kittinSol)
Profile   Post #: 16
RE: This is pretty cool.....A Doomsday Vault for Seeds - 2/26/2008 7:08:30 AM   
kittinSol


Posts: 16926
Status: offline 		Art emulates life, but I was trying to make the point that reality is becoming more 'out there' than fiction. It doesn't really matter... it's more a literary exercise than anything, and a diversion from the topic of the thread :-) .

_____________________________



(in reply to Aswad)
Profile   Post #: 17
RE: This is pretty cool.....A Doomsday Vault for Seeds - 2/26/2008 9:49:34 AM   
philosophy


Posts: 5284
Joined: 2/15/2004
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: airborne92

I heard about this around a year ago. I still think that the overall concept is a great idea, but the implementation has several major flaws.

1) The location of the vault is in a difficult area to reach, with harsh weather to deal with.

2) Those that will need the seeds will probably not be able to access them in the vault.

3)Anyone that survives whatever Doomsday scenario occurs, and knows about this vault will kill to secure the contents for themselves.

If you have any doubts about this, stop and think about it for a few minutes and take into consideration human nature.


....i sort of see what you're saying here Airborne.....seems to me that a better long term strategy would be to find a way to create smaller local seed-arks....to be collected and sealed locally. Why the hell should only one group of people hold the keys?

(in reply to airborne92)
Profile   Post #: 18
RE: This is pretty cool.....A Doomsday Vault for Seeds - 2/26/2008 1:39:35 PM   
slavebianca


Posts: 17
Joined: 3/24/2005
Status: offline 		Anyone who would trust Monsanto and do you know bill gates is involved, To be doing this for any other reason then to control us in very naive.

(in reply to philosophy)
Profile   Post #: 19
RE: This is pretty cool.....A Doomsday Vault for Seeds - 2/26/2008 1:56:35 PM   
Aswad


Posts: 9374
Joined: 4/4/2007
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: philosophy

Why the hell should only one group of people hold the keys?


Because they're the only ones actually doing it.
Go out and collect whatever seeds you might feel like; nobody is stopping you.
The direct hit proofed, passively cooled facility on a basically uninhabited island may cost a bit, but it'd be yours.

Didn't think so.

Health,
al-Aswad.


_____________________________

"If God saw what any of us did that night, he didn't seem to mind.
From then on I knew: God doesn't make the world this way.
We do." -- Rorschack, Watchmen.


(in reply to philosophy)
Profile   Post #: 20
Page:   [1] 2   next >   >>
All Forums >> [Casual Banter] >> Off the Grid >> This is pretty cool.....A Doomsday Vault for Seeds Page: [1] 2   next >   >>
Jump to:





New Messages No New Messages
Hot Topic w/ New Messages Hot Topic w/o New Messages
Locked w/ New Messages Locked w/o New Messages
 Post New Thread
 Reply to Message
 Post New Poll
 Submit Vote
 Delete My Own Post
 Delete My Own Thread
 Rate Posts




Collarchat.com © 2025
Terms of Service Privacy Policy Spam Policy

0.078