Syrian Crops Added to Arctic ‘Doomsday’ Seed Vault
- Posted on February 28, 2012 at 12:16pm by
Buck Sexton
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(AP)- Chick peas, fava beans and other seeds from a facility in Syria are among the 25,000 new samples being deposited this week in an Arctic seed vault built to protect food crops from wars and natural disasters, officials said Tuesday.
(courtesy of Svalbard Global Seed Vault)
The latest additions mean that the Svalbard Global Seed Vault – a master backup to the world’s other seed banks – has now secured more than 740,000 samples since it opened in a remote Norwegian archipelago in 2008.
That represents an estimated three-quarters of the biological diversity of the world’s major food crops, said Cary Fowler, executive director of the Global Crop Diversity Trust, which maintains the vault with Norway’s government and the Nordic Genetic Resources Center.
With the shipment from the Syria-based International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas, almost its entire collection is now backed up in Svalbard, Fowler told The Associated Press.
“I think the events unfolding in Syria obviously underline the importance of having safety duplication outside of a country,” he said, adding the facility had not been damaged in the military crackdown on an anti-government uprising.
(image courtesy of interestingfacts.org)
He noted that wars destroyed seed banks in Iraq and Afghanistan. Another one in Egypt was looted during last year’s uprising.
The Svalbard Global Seed Vault – sometimes referred to as a doomsday vault – is designed to withstand global warming, earthquakes and even nuclear strikes.
Samples shipped this year also included wheat from a range of climates and conditions in Armenia and the Pamir mountains of Tajikistan – the first seeds from the two former Soviet republics.
Wild crops – ancient relatives of domesticated crops – are of particular interest because of their resilience to harsh climatic conditions.
(courtesy of Svalbard Global Seed Vault)
“They are very tough – they have to be to survive,” Fowler said. “They have traits such as drought tolerance or ability to withstand pest and disease, which we think will be very valuable in the future in breeding climate-ready varieties.”
The U.S. seed bank is the biggest national contributor to the Svalbard vault. This year it is sending 12,801 samples, including amaranth, once a nutritious grain for Aztecs and Incas; and subspecies of barley that took root in the U.S. Pacific Northwest after being imported from Poland in 1938.
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miren
Posted on February 29, 2012 at 10:37amLook at the map. If there is a Nuclear war, the Soviets will be the first to raid the seed bank.
Report Post »OperationNorthwoods
Posted on February 29, 2012 at 10:23amThe real reason for this is the genetically modified crops that the elite are hell bent on sowing throughout the world. They need these species to start again once the GMO totally ruin the worlds food supply and all the useless eaters have been sterilized or starve to death.
Report Post »saltwater
Posted on February 29, 2012 at 2:07pmI have my own collection of heritage seeds that I plant and collect seeds from as the growing season progresses. The heritage vegetables taste much better that the genecticaly altered veggies. I have yet to have any blight affect my veggies. I also give seeds for planting to my neighbors who have been convinced about heritage veggies.
Report Post »sillyfreshness
Posted on February 29, 2012 at 12:56amThe people in the Arctic Seed Vault might get declared “potential terrorists” since they are storing up on food supplies. I wouldn‘t be surprised if Homeland Security doesn’t invade that vault looking for terrorists. After all, terrorists are everywhere! In fact, I bet there’s one sneaking around your house right now as we speak. But all seriousness aside, if we get to that point of having a doomsday, who is going to walk up to the arctic circle to pull out some seeds? People would die trying to walk to it and they wouldn’t have a key to open the doors, so I don’t see the point of having it.
Report Post »tmplarnite
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 11:31pmThey know not how stupid they are …if mother earth has a major upheaval this will go down as another of mans exercises in futility and will be another of man’s follies!
Report Post »tmplarnite
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 11:40pmP.S. Read up… on the elite‘s long term ’true agenda’. As soon as they crash the world into chaos and depression; they are going to a take complete control and kill off 90% of the worlds population to have the earth all to themselves for their new utopia…beware fools the cool aid is poison! And please don‘t fall for their hooey and ’shoot the messenger’!
Report Post »elkslayer
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 5:02pmIf you want to save seeds from a nucular blast of radiation, put them four feet under grouond.
Report Post »elkslayer
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 4:58pmI am a avid gardner. I save seeds and teach others how to do the same. I encourage all to grow, even on a balconey with half a day of light. I have seeds that came out a ruin in the southwest that no one else has. I am going to make sure it doesn’t get a patent or alterd. When the time comes I will share.
Report Post »Ruler4You
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 4:31pmThis vault thing “IS” a huge waste of resources.
Who has the key? And ‘who’ has authorization to enter in ‘need’? This “IS” government hocus pocus designed for elites and off limits for EVERYONE else. Period.
What moron would believe that in the event of a catastrophic global disaster CAUSED by governments of the world that the remains will even be habitable? for anything?
Please. This “IS” a (another) useless self aggrandizing measure for small minded tools of government too incapable of working to prevent such an event in the first place. And all too capable of contributing to it instead.
Report Post »lcltcc
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 3:48pmBill Gates foundation had a huge hand in this seed vault,you know, the guy that has stated that we should be able to create a super vaccine for population control, and since Buffett is giving the bulk of his wealth to the Gates Foundation, they don’t lack for money for this venture.
Report Post »This vault has tighter security than Fort Knox.
Ruler4You
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 4:26pm“Syrian” crops, Gracie?
Are those the same crops that have been murdered over the last few months? or are we actually talking about Syrian weeds?
Report Post »blackstone22
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 3:25pmwow, didn’t know about this, interesting story.
Report Post »thegreatcarnac
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 2:10pmI read there was trouble at the seed storage plant. The new Syrian seeds had a rebellion and now they are fighting in several areas. The main seeds are bombarding the rebellions seeds in a sack called the Hom sack.
Report Post »Kirby-man
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 2:00pmJust five questions: Who pays for this? Who determines the time of need? Who controls the distribution? How is that managed? Are the seeds resistant to Progressives?
Report Post »db321
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 7:48pmKirby – if you don’t know – your not one – best bet is rely on God not man to save you.
Report Post »kyheadhunter
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 1:53pmSomeday you might be buying your next vehicle with those seeds.
Report Post »christos
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 1:47pm…This is not going to amount to a hill of Beans,,,When +JESUS+GOD+ throw 100 lb. rocks from Heaven,,,man can not fix any problems as long as they reject +JESUS+GOD+ there will no place for them to hide or their Seeds,,,TA
Report Post »meeester
Posted on February 29, 2012 at 12:45amit won’t work Christos. You’ll have to build your own shelter – they want seeds not nuts.
Report Post »christos
Posted on March 1, 2012 at 1:51am@MEEESTER,,,Confusion what won’t work,,,they have their seeds and they have proven they are NUTS,,,what won’t work for them is 100 lb. rocks thrown from Heaven,,it may scatter their neatly filed seed collection,,,
Report Post »MonkeyBeagle
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 1:28pmHow do they power this place?
Report Post »GMP
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 1:47pmSolyndra
Report Post »ANOTHERCONSERVATIVEBRONY
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 6:16pmSvalbard is a big coal producer. The bank is powered by some of the coal produced there. However, if the coal stopped arriving, the extreme cold there would keep the seeds viable for decades, at least.
Report Post »BurntHills
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 1:21pmnothing like letting islam and the rabid communists know exactly where the world’s emergency doomsday food seeds are.
Report Post »tharpdevenport
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 1:40pmWell, if it can withstand a nuclear blast, then unless these extremists got something more powerful than a nuclear bomb, they aren’t getting it.
Oh, and:
Report Post »“Human to animal,“ ”collapse,“ ”infection,“ ”outbreak,”, and “illegal immigrants.”
encinom
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 1:41pmits not as if this place was a secret.
Report Post »Gonzo
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 1:14pmI just hope Anthony Weiner didn’t donate any seed to that bank.
Report Post »Gonzo
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 1:08pmI hope the Syrian seeds don’t throw rocks at the Israeli seeds.
Report Post »SoupSandwich
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 1:29pmNooooooooooooooooooooo. Stop man. I come here for serious newsie stuff and dammit if you don’t make laugh at half the crap. Thanks Gonzo.
Report Post »Gonzo
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 1:41pmYou gotta laugh Soupie or you’ll cry at half this stuff.
Report Post »SpankDaMonkey
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 12:52pm.
Report Post »If there could be a bigger waste of money, I can’t think of it right now…………
Gonzo
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 1:13pmChevy Volt? Come on Monkey, you’re slipping.
Report Post »JP4JOY
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 12:44pmInteresting they choose such a remote place. During the early years of WWII the Germans had outposts on some of these islands to look for ship traffic into the far north Russian ports. Wonder if they are using facilities that were built in those years.
Report Post »Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 12:42pmDoes anyone other than me wonder if this ‘seed vault’ is being prepared for some other crisis than a massive extinction event? Say genetically modified crops and plants that are designed to fail after so many generations of harvests?
Also, if warfare commences around the world, what makes people think this place will not become a priority target at one point or another?
Report Post »TyrannyNoMore
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 3:30pmThere is a new, patented type of seed that is resistant to alumina toxicity. What is falling from Chemtrails?? That’s right….aluminum ! Aluminum is the main ingredient in that toxic soup they are spraying overhead every day. Recent measurements of the snow pack on Mt. Shasta are 60,000 times normal for aluminum. EPA action is required by law above 1,000 times normal. They are not lifting a finger to stop the GEO Engineering that has been going on since the 90s.
Control the food supply and you control the population. They know they can’t beat us in a straight up fight because most of us are armed. This is how they will attempt to gain control of the masses.
US Patent 5003186 Stratospheric welsbach seeding for reduction of global warming (spraying with aluminum)
Report Post »cemerius
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 12:40pmHmmm USA is the biggest contributor of seeds?…..I wonder how many tax dollars per seed they are charging us?!?!?
Report Post »SpankDaMonkey
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 12:48pm.
Report Post »I don’t think we want to know……….
mooskie
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 12:23pmI need your help!!… I am a police officer in Utah and entered an essay contest for Chris Stewart (for congress.) If I win I get to have dinner with Glenn Beck this Friday… I need your facebook votes please!!! I’m currently in 2nd place and I need 1st to win.
I was in 1st last night and then the guy that took the lead this morning apparently went to his “clan” on The World of Warcraft to vote and is up by about 100 votes. I wanted to barf when I saw this .. Please help me out!!!
To help me, click the link below and “like” Chris Stewart, then, view the essays and click on the Eric from West Jordan. It will ask you to have access to your basic info (age, gender, etc) click accept and then vote.
If you don’t know Chris Stewart (for congress)… PLEASE read up on him… He will do such a great job… Please vote!!!
http://apps.facebook.com/offerpop/Contest.psp?c=77114&u=19637&a=254553244581393&p=172764672811067&rest=0&v=View
Report Post »UBETHECHANGE
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 1:11pmWill do. Good luck!
Report Post »BurntHills
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 1:27pmwe love LEOs. we voted. dinner with GB would also be an honor. Good luck!
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