Svalbard Global Seed Vault

[friedaweed]

This is quite funky.

Svalbard’s mysterious ‘doomsday’ seed vault offers first glimpse inside with virtual tour

Buried in Arctic permafrost, the collection safeguards the world’s crop species – and is a magnet for conspiracy theories. Now the public can take a look around

www.theguardian.com

Svalbard Global Seed Vault Virtual Tour | Explore in 360°

Stunning, interactive experience created by The Virtual Tour Experts.

virtualtourcompany.co.uk

 

[campanula]

Ah, I started out being quite energised by the idea of seed keeping as a kind of insurance. Whilst I still think it has value, I think we are frankly insane to imagine these seed vaults are any kind of hedge against the environmental crisis coming down the pipe. I sow a lot of seeds...but, in itself, a seed library, without the symbiosis inherent in much of the biosphere (mycorhizae, nematodes, bacteria, even certain processes involving animal digestion) has less utility as a doomsday panaceae. Interesting as a scientific record but ambivalent about the overall utility.

 

[Cid]

Ah, I started out being quite energised by the idea of seed keeping as a kind of insurance. Whilst I still think it has value, I think we are frankly insane to imagine these seed vaults are any kind of hedge against the environmental crisis coming down the pipe. I sow a lot of seeds...but, in itself, a seed library, without the symbiosis inherent in much of the biosphere (mycorhizae, nematodes, bacteria, even certain processes involving animal digestion) has less utility as a doomsday panaceae. Interesting as a scientific record but ambivalent about the overall utility.

They're well aware of this I think:

While there may be a role for the Seed Vault in the event of a global catastrophe, its value is considered to lie much more in providing back-up to individual collections in the event that the original samples, and their duplicates in conventional genebanks, are lost due to natural disasters, human conflict, changing policies, mismanagement, or any other circumstances.

It's purpose is really to preserve genetics, and it does do that. It's less an idealistic attempt to provide a backstop for loss of plant species/varietals, more just making sure that they are recorded and at least some of that information remains for potential use in development of new crops.

 

[StoneRoad]

I think of this vault as an insurance policy, but various things mean that it is not really a "fully comprehensive" one. [yet]

I'm wondering if they will eventually include seeds that have had the natural precursors [eg. the trip via an animal's gut, stratification etc] as well as a supply of the various symbiotic partners ...

 

[SpookyFrank]

Ah, I started out being quite energised by the idea of seed keeping as a kind of insurance. Whilst I still think it has value, I think we are frankly insane to imagine these seed vaults are any kind of hedge against the environmental crisis coming down the pipe. I sow a lot of seeds...but, in itself, a seed library, without the symbiosis inherent in much of the biosphere (mycorhizae, nematodes, bacteria, even certain processes involving animal digestion) has less utility as a doomsday panaceae. Interesting as a scientific record but ambivalent about the overall utility.

It might be pretty useless if we somehow completely obliterate the rest of the biosphere but it could allow us to reverse extinctions due to monoculture, habitat loss, climate change etc.

If some genetic engineering project goes awry in a way that endangers food crops, a sample of the original recipe stuff could also come in handy.

 

[friedaweed]

It might be pretty useless if we somehow completely obliterate the rest of the biosphere but it could allow us to reverse extinctions due to monoculture, habitat loss, climate change etc.

If some genetic engineering project goes awry in a way that endangers food crops, a sample of the original recipe stuff could also come in handy.

They should of done that with Iron Bru.

 

[not-bono-ever]

Svalbard is heating up unfort. The bank in the permafrost should be ok for a while . The locals are worried about how warm it now gets in the winter when I was there. Short of some Malthusian death spiral, not sure things are going get much better