I am astonished that a facility like this didn't already exist.

Mark, Chelmsford, UK

Not a bad idea. Hope they added directions and information on where and how to grow them. After a catastrophic global event, not a lot of us will know what to do with them.

C., Atlanta, GA

2012 coming. Are we all not feeling it as yet.
And every ones sceptic as to who will be able to use it.
Y? George Bush is still there right.

gopal, mumbai, india

I don't think David Innes has thought this through. Storing the seeds off the Earth at first sight seems like a sensible precaution. But what about the possibiity of a wayward asteroid entering our solar system and impacting with the moon. The resulting explosion would not only destroy the moon, but could also have a dramatic knock-on effect on the Earth, with the resulting climatic change, tidal disruption and the residual moon particle impact. Much better to locate the seed store slightly further away, and WELL out of harms way. My suggestion is one of the moons of Jupiter.

Karl J. Bremner, Paris,

The reason this facility is safe from rising sea levels is that it is 130m above sea level, as clearly stated in this article.

Try reading before writing.

Jon Darrington, Leeds, UK

"is there somethign they know that we don't?"

This is a safe statement in most situations, yes.

Christian, Minneapolis, MN

Great location. Convenient

Robert, London, UK

err...they seem to be building an ark...is there somethign they know that we don't?

Caroline, London,

Bradle fails to get the point of the project.....It is the basis of the whacho environmental movement. Symbolism over substance--why let an unconvenient observation/truth(or facts or science) get in our way of politicians (with full celebrity support and urging) from spending OUR money to assuage their guilt produced by their own overindulgent lifestyles. Buy a few carbon credits on the way to the Mercedes dealership.

I absolutely want to preserve our environment too, but without the hypocracy of those who talk the talk, but cannot walk the walk. (private jets, huge/multiple homes, limos, and the seldom used--photo ops only--hybrid vehicle)

Kris, Baghdad, Iraq

What a totally spectacular project. Good to know that in the world somewhere people are thinking ahead.

To the stupid people who have commented on Global Catastophe - Not everything in life is like it is in the movies... !!! Think about the other disasters that are real i.e. Earthquakes etc do you think just maybe these seeds might more importantly be needed to assist countries with both natural disasters and or crop disease!

Claire , Somerset, UK

To all the people that said it is too low for sea rise levels.

DID YOU READ THE ARTICLE!!!

It said the entrance is 130 meters above current sea levels. If that happens, all coastal urban areas will have dissapeared and so will all of the icecaps.

JT (A man able to read an article before commenting).

JT, Oxford, UK

Noah's Ark & The Flood Part II
Was it also ordered by God?

Angelina, Toulouse, France

Honestly, I sometimes wonder if people even read the articles they’re commenting on. “The project is intended to provide a failsafe against disaster so that if a seed collection is destroyed IN ITS NATURAL HABITAT there is an alternative source of supply.” This is not an end-of-the-world scenario, it’s to insure against localised disasters!

I think it couldn’t have come at a better time. In 100 years time, when we’ve proved the dangers of GM crops, there probably won’t be any other seed available that is uncontaminated by GM organisms.

gmb, Crawley, UK

Some really good points, but please, in case any interstellar visitors are reading, read the article properly before commenting. Some of these points are embarassingly naive.

Will, Manchester, England

don forget the weed seed aiight

krillooo, Amsterdam, Dutch

A global catastrophe that might necessitate the recovery of this stockpile of seeds would also mean that the very seeds themselves might be rendered unrecoverable. Much better to place them well out of harms way. I suggest placing them in a bunker on the moon.

David Innes, Wednesbury, West Mids

if there is a catastrophic event, who has the keys? how will people find or get to the vault if all major cities as well as populations will be greatly reduced? transportation will be tough! no? good idea but i dont think thought out well enough. vault located on small island in the arctic? directions please.

bradle, woodland park, usa colorado

Hopefully they DID get the GMO seeds in the mix, since those are the highest producing seeds, and therefore the most valuable seeds. This isn't an organic-hippy vault, this is a the-world-needs-to-eat vault. Get over yourself Brooklyn.

Seth Thomas, Lexington, Kentucky

It scares the hell out of me to see that some people can think about this act being a necessity, but I am thankful for my great and great, great grandchildren that these people are active.

Dick Hepps, Los Angeles, CA

I think we should add enough frozen embryos from each kind of species to recreate a viable population. If crops are wiped out, animal life will likely suffer even worse.

And just to be sure, add a large number of frozen human embyro's which will automatically thaw if timers are not reset manually by living humans for more than 10 years. They will also need computers to grow and educate them on the use of the seeds and animals. I think the computers should be Macs as they will be easier for the replacement human population to learn.

Nevermark77, Robuck, WA,

Why would NASA crash the probe into Saturn if they thought there was any real chance of that happening at all? That is completely absurd. Ensuring the long term success of humanity is noble goal. Lord knows hardly anyone else is doing it.

Sean, Bridgeport, WV

They should include some Mac D burgers and french fries in them too. If majority of world population perish after an obesity epidemic ( more likey than a nuclear holocaust) , then the future human generations should also know what NOT to create out of those wheat and potato seeds!!!

Deep, Kolkata, India

Other species tissues and DNA should also be stored in a facility like this.

Tanveer Zaidi, Dubai, UAE

Great Idea

KA,Pitt, PA

gsdgaf, dad, svsdv

Whatever

Mike, San Diego, CA

It seems as if our so called world leaders are beginning to accept the notion that we all, as a species, and as a culture, are either unwilling or unable to change our irresponsible ways. It is sad to think that we must begin to prepare for the worst.

jim, rosedale, maryland

Looks like they forgot about rising sea levels.

Jeff, Grants Pass, Oregon

It's sad that mankind has to go to these lengths to preserve nature but since we're already heading big style down the route of destroying everything, it's an excellent idea... the question is, where would they plant these seeds should sea levels go up massively because all of the remaining land mass would be taken up by people!

Sarah Handley, Chiang Mai, Thailand

Unless the entrance is about 30 meters above current sea-level (and from the photo it looks not), it will be flooded ...

radii, LA,

It sounds like part of the motivation is to preserve genetic diversity that might be otherwise lost in time. Say a global disease wipes out all the corn crops. Going back to "heirloom" seeds might provide a strain that is resistant. A strain that might have been ignored and otherwise lost because it was not as productive might turn out to be the savior.

As for how long seeds can last, the answer to that is the age of seeds they have germinated. Tested by carbon dating, then, well, grown.

I don't think they're planning to use it for a last outpost for a group of weary survivors in a post-apocalyptic world would have to make the journey to for the last remaining food stores. However, it would make for a good movie.

Tami, New Berlin, WI

Wow!
Thats a great Idea!
Maybe there is hope for your race after all!

rex, Mars, pa

Great!! Big Effort.. Its good to know that somebody out there does think and act for human civilization, future generations and our planet!!

Madhu Garg, New Delhi, India

Did Al Gore think this up???

John, Gainesboro , Tennessee

It seems suspicious to me that this project is endeavored at all. Do our governments know something they’re not telling us? Its one thing to execute an idea of practical reasoning, and it’s quite another to prepare for something eminent. We know for example, on July 11th of this year NASA is planning to purposely crash the plutonium loaded Cassini probe into the south pole of Saturn. We also know that by doing this there is a very real possibility of a fission reaction occurring thus igniting the hydrogen planet into a star. If this happens then the radio active fallout from Saturn’s initial fusion explosion will contaminate and or kill up to one third of planet Earth. Is it just a coincidence there is a collective effort to bury the world’s seed stock at this time, or is there something more clandestine afoot?

Hubeau , New York,

Ok, so I think this is a great idea...in theory. Say a global tragedy does strike and all plant life is destroyed. What are the chances that in this scenario a human survives to plant these plants? If, by change, one or more DO survive what are the chances of them knowing about these frozen seeds? Then their is the small problem of locating them...seeing as their buried in a mountain...oh yeah, and how exactly are they going to get to the arctic? Oh, laughable laughable science.

Melissa, Newport News, VA

I think it is an great effort to preserve and safeguard the earth's resources against any kind of desaster that could comprimise our future. There's no way this can be a wasted effort. I am positive someone someday will be really happy we took the measures to preserve. We should apply this to DNA too.

Richie, Fort Erie, Canada

Dave of Seattle,

Ithink the idea is that by having a diverse collection of seeds, we protect against possible disease of mainstream seed varieties used for commercial large scale farming.

The worlds diversity of crop seed has rapidly dwindled, with high intensity farming on relatively small areas of land.

My understanding of the theory is that seeds that have persisted in an geographical area the longest will be most likely to have resistance to various diseases - based on the fact that they have survived this long. (e.g if there was a modern day crop disease of potatos - then a possibly obscure potato variety in the americas would be most likey to have a resistance to said disease)

Hence having a seed bank of diverse seeds makes sense, in case a portion of them have resistance to a hitherto unknown disease that could strike crops at any point in the future (+ 5 years, + 100 years, maybe never)

Shane, Guildford, England

looks like preparation for +2012+

dwd, champaign, IL

Regardless of the skepticism - what could be the harm?

K. Garrett, Dallas, USA/TX

That's interesting. Does Monsanto hold the keys to the vault?

K. Roesch, New Orleans, LA, USA

This is a very good plan - even, if as others have said, we somehow forgot where it was or how to carry out agriculture then it would be useful once a post-collapse civilisation crawled its way back to the point that bio-diversity was once more relevant. It wouldn't be much use to barely surviving farmers looking for next years crop because it requires a certain amount of tech to rescue something from up a mountain!

Make for a good post-apocalypse film plot actually, wonder if Kevin Costners been optioned for it...

Bradley, Blackpool,

Wait a second... Doomsday? Silurian Extinction? Nuclear War?

Does anyone realize that seeds or no seeds, the Earth becomes INHABITABLE in these scenarios?

Congratulations, we survived...

...nuclear war, but the soil isn't going to be replantable for 200 years... and unless I'm off on my biology, we don't usually live that long.

...an extinction event meteor collision, but our crops won't see the sun for another century.

...a catastrophic rise in ocean levels due to global warming, but now we have nowhere to plant the seeds.

....a third ice age, but we still have nowhere to plant the seeds.

Did I miss something?

Arpit, Dallas, TX

There's no need to call each other names: I fail to see how this could _possibly_ be a bad thing for the earth. The continuing commercialization of agriculture has resulted in a risky reduction in biodiversity in our food supplies. This project seeks to ensure that a wide diversity of seeds are preserved in the event of a global economic, natural or human catastrophe.

Let's hope that a healthy range of crops is preserved in this vault.

Dave, San Jose, CA

If there were a change that wiped out the crops like global warming or freezing or disease or whatever, do you think those seeds in the vault would fare any better? In order to be viable those seeds would need to be genetically modified and that would already have been tried. It may be worth something in a global war or asteroid strike but something of that magnitude may leave very little life or ability to dig up the vault and do planting.

Dave, Seattle, WA

I completly agree with Matt. How on earth are we supposed to gain access to this. there could be massive security to this vault, and how are common civilians supposed to break the codes(if there are any). Yeah this was a smart idea but it must be accessable to all people, not just the government.

RJ, Vernon Hills, Illinois

Oh no... NOT GMO SEEDS! what will the world ever do if the genome knew it was acted on by outside agents!

Peter, Australia,

We sure do not know what's going to happen in time. A positive approach from everyone will eventually lead to better things. Today's good seeds are tomorrows great ideas. We'll do the best we can as long as we live.

Sunny, Fairbanks, Alaska

I agree with Matt from Nashville.... In a doomsday scenario I can't imagine having all the gear necessary for such an expedition to go smoothly. But to be fair, I guess the Vikings did a pretty good job of it way back when.

Kishore, Amarillo,

12/21/12? with earth passing through the gravity plane of our solar system soon, and entering the age of aquarius, perhaps more people should be thinking like this.

Craig, London, england

How did all the politicians and experts get to the site exactly and what will be done to off-set their CO2 emissions? And more so, how was this funded? It's a great idea, but did we need to send so many people, couldn't the money have been used to plant crops in third world countries or protecting rainforests etc? Do these people even think about the other economical possibilities?

Lewis Alexander Hunt, Derby, UK

I would also recommend a satellite that keeps beaming basic and useful information on building construction, energy production, agriculture methods and preservation, disease control, etc. You know basic stuff like roof over your head, food on the table and clothes to cover. After seeing the results of WOT , current day minor and localized skirmishes, collapsing economy etc., gives me creeps as to what to expect in the next few decades.

MR, Brisbane,

I guess the Nobel Peace Prize winner isn't all that convinced there'll be peace? How long does the armed guard stand out there guarding? How does the guy know the seeds last 20,000 years? Been around a long time eh?

I can see it now, the polar bears are going to get really hungry, eat the armed guard and for desert break in and eat all the seeds. (okay, maybe not all the seeds.)

In either case, I'll be cracking up when a meteor hits that thing frying every seed in there...oops, no making popcorn.

Finally, how are we going to live long enough to eat what we just planted? Will the earth be able to bear plants and such? What kind of doomsday are we talking about? How much did this idea cost? I bet would could have actually fed a whole bunch of folks... ya think?

Jeff Bell, Shafter, California

Well, after a global disaster, one thing is sure: those seeds will be safe as anything, as nobody is going to know where they are, much less be able to dig down and get them.

What's the bet that some bright spark with a tidy desk and a penchant for clever emails has built enough security into the system so that without a cryptic password and seventeen different keys, the doors will remain firmly shut until the planet one day spirals into the sun, 4 billion years from now.

As Earth disappears into the sun forever, the last tiny little flare up visible from space will probably be ten tons of seeds bursting into flames.

iain carstairs, bedford, uk

What a wonderful idea. Great to know people are thinking of the future of our planet and its future generations.

Carrie, Swindon, Wiltshire, England

Carrie McLaren, Swindon, Wiltshire, UK

I have to agree that documentation on how to grow them should be included with the seeds.

bobby, ney york, USA

good idea... but supposing it is inthe area hit by an asteroid or whatever.. there needs to be another one inthe southern hemisphere, maybe antarctica

Barry, Chesham, Uk

I doubt anyone will be around to plant them, but nice effort.

Frank, Beverly Hills, Ca

um...Sorry Andy from Pittsburgh, what "one world government"? Hmmm...loopy people....paranoid fruits - uh-huh!
ps This is a wonderful initiative and terrific news that people other than backyard gardeners are doing something to preserve our biodiversity.

juni, melbourne, Australia

As great as this sounds, it makes me wonder what Government’s know that we don't. Is global warming more of a threat then we are made to believe?

T Crow, Sydney, Australia

This is very worrying. Is there something we should know?

Badrul, Luton, UK

This is a great example of how the human civilisation is safeguarding one of our most precious resources. We can never predict what will happen if any of these species are wiped out..
A true stroke of genius!

Daniel, melbourne,

How in the hell are we supposed to A) locate the site B) excavate the site in a "doomsday" situation? We'll be lucky to still have seafaring technology at all, much moreso the capability to man an expedition to a frozen, remote island with unforgiving terrain

Matt, Nashville,

They're not loopy. You're loopy for thinking there will never again be a global cataclysm in the history of mankind. I suggest you read about the Ordovician-Silurian extinction events, the Toba Eruption, the K-T event, ice ages, how the big hole now called the Gulf of Mexico got there and what happened shortly afterwards. To make it all worse, polllution is warming the earth at an increasingly faster pace, whether people like you want to admit it or not. Having some crop seeds available isn't a bad idea at all.

Jason B., Nixa, MO

I wonder if they also think of a way to preserve the harvesting procedures for these seeds. Because after a natural disaster, you tend to lose everything, and if you don't know how to grow them, they're worthless.

Trace, Irvine, California

Amazing...way to think ahead!

Dana, Sacramento, Ca., USA

I second your comment, Gene. This is surely a welcomed event.

Tony, Fort Lauderdale, USA/FL

Hopefully, no GMO seeds got into the mix.

SP, Brooklyn, NY

Wow, bunch of paranoid fruits. What would happen if all the people that knew where it was suddenly died in a famine or some major population drop due to war? Or better yet, after this one world government takes over, theyll starve the planet and horde everything there for themselves, this just sounds like another way to lead in a few in control of many. Loopy people.

Andy, Pittsburgh,

Cool!

Gene, North Hollywood, USA/CA

Good initiative, but you cannot beat Mother Nature. Human slowly thinking that by inventing Mother Nature does, we can beat her. But she is always most powerful and we cannot beat her. Who will take care of those deeds, if entire mankind is wiped out.

Srini, Herndon, USA

I am currently a full time student at the College of Southern Nevada. I fully support the idea of "preserving" vital essentials to our planets life forms. With this idea, I hope we can establish more "preservation" facilities in other parts of the world. Could the Antarctic be the next step? Also, what could these facilities be used for in other terms of "preserving"? I can't wait to see further support of Doomsday Vaults.

Harold L., Las Vegas, USA / Nevada