Milestone for Global Seed Vault
Posted 3/10/2010 7:00:00 AM
Have any of you heard of the Svalbard Global Seed Vault? What do you think a seed vault is needed for?

It turns out the vault is there as a global insurance policy. It will ensure the survival of a diverse variety of food crops through threats such as droughts, natural disaster, global warming, pests, or disease. This is why this vault has the nickname the “doomsday” vault and it has been around only since February of 2008.

The seeds stored within this vault will also help in re-starting agricultural production at a regional or global scale in the case of a natural or man-made catastrophe takes place. The variety of food crops that is stored in the vault range from lettuce, rice, maize, and wheat; however, the variety of crops stored in the vault is in the millions. Currently a total of 4.5 million varieties or 2 billion seeds are found in the vault.

This seed vault is a wonder in its own right due to its engineering, location, and security. There is a 410-foot tunnel in place before you get to the vault itself. It is then secured with four heavy steel doors, each with separate locks requiring varying levels of security clearance to unlock. It is located on a remote island in Norway's Svalbard archipelago, and sits at the end of a 410-foot tunnel dug into Arctic permafrost. When it comes to security no risks are being taken. Read more.

What are your thoughts on this global seed vault? Do you think it is even needed?
Posted By: Lauren Cook  
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