Svalbard Might Be Evacuated

As you may know, the "Doomsday Seed Vault" is located on Svalbard (North of Norway). Right now, Svalbards only power plant (coal) is on fire. If it shuts down, Svalbard won't have any power, and in that scenario they will evacuate the island's population (some 2,000 people). Hmmm...



Norwegian article

Svalbard Global Seed Vault


Just in time for 21 Dec 2012...

Originally posted by Hellmutt
As you may know, the "Doomsday Seed Vault" is located on Svalbard (North of Norway). Right now, Svalbards only power plant (coal) is on fire. If it shuts down, Svalbard won't have any power, and in that scenario they will evacuate the island's population (some 2,000 people). Hmmm...



Norwegian article

Svalbard Global Seed Vault


Just in time for 21 Dec 2012...

Hm haven't read your linekd article, but have to agree - truly interesting timing.

Let's see if such 'coincidences' rapidly pile up as the 'date of dates' approaches, or if it's all just a coincidence

The Norwegian article doesn't mention the seed vault, but says that the fire is still not under control, that all available firefighters are currently fighting the flames, and that there are plans to evacuate the island's population, since this plant is the island's sole source of power.

reply to post by Hellmutt


Makes sense evacuating then......in the Arctic Circle, in winter, no power = not a happy place!

I would think though that it won't affect the Seed Bank one way or the other, as i would be hugely surprised if something like that didn't have its own power source. And if it doesn't, you can bet it will have soon following this incident!

So they built the seed vault to preserve Earths plant life in the event of apocalypse. But the didn't have the foresight to build its own power supply? How did they intend on preserving the seeds once the power went out during the apocalypse??? Am I missing something, or is their plan that increadably flawed??



Robb

Damn

From the wiki article:

Locally mined coal provides power for refrigeration units that further cool the seeds to the internationally recommended standard −18 °C (0 °F). Even if the equipment fails, at least several weeks will elapse before the temperature rises to the −3 °C (27 °F) of the surrounding sandstone bedrock

and

The permafrost surrounding the facility will help maintain the low temperature of the seeds if the electricity supply should fail.

I assume they'll manage to get some kind of backup power in time, if the coal plant shuts down. The refrigeration units probably won't need as much power as the population of 2,000.

Maybe the fire is staged, and they just want to get people out of there to make room for the elite?

Originally posted by Hellmutt
From the wiki article:

Locally mined coal provides power for refrigeration units that further cool the seeds to the internationally recommended standard −18 °C (0 °F). Even if the equipment fails, at least several weeks will elapse before the temperature rises to the −3 °C (27 °F) of the surrounding sandstone bedrock

and

The permafrost surrounding the facility will help maintain the low temperature of the seeds if the electricity supply should fail.

I assume they'll manage to get some kind of backup power in time, if the coal plant shuts down. The refrigeration units probably won't need as much power as the population of 2,000.

The plan still seems flawed to me. If disaster struck and 90 some-odd percent of the population is wiped out, who is going to take the time out of their survival to go to the seed vault and build a generator? Know what I'm saying? Even if the seeds can last a few weeks in the permafrost, it won't be long enough. It seems to me that this plan was put into motion just to make us think something was being done, but in all reality, it's FAIL from the get-go. Not to mention, isn't the seed vault one of the most secure facilities on the planet? How are we supposed to get the seeds out (if they survive) if we need them? Sorry for straying from the main topic, but this is what its about, right? This fire is exposing a gigantic flaw in the seed vaults design....


Robb

reply to post by PollyPeptide


I do not think the seed bank is meant for the likes of us. Humanity is a very vague term, in this instance meaning "scientists, politicians, the rich" rather than, well, all of us.

I think it is fairly safe to say that if something catastrophic was going to happen, someone important would already be on their way to the seed bank.........

reply to post by PollyPeptide


seeds can last far more then a few weeks at 27 F and in fact there were seeds grown from Egyptian burials that were 3500 years old. all depends on the variety of seed really though.

I'm sure the seed bank has it's own generator or generators hidden away.

They're probably moving a bunch of troops in to guard the seed bank and want them to bunk in town.

reply to post by LittleBlackEagle


Okay,so when the world ends, we have to travel to the arctic to get these seeds, then travel back south to where it is warm enough to plant and grow.them? Whoever said this was.not well thought out is right!

Originally posted by steppenwolf86
reply to post by LittleBlackEagle

 

Okay,so when the world ends, we have to travel to the arctic to get these seeds, then travel back south to where it is warm enough to plant and grow.them? Whoever said this was.not well thought out is right!

yeah it's not something that seems to be for "everyone" if you know what i mean, although it is designed to prevent plant species from going extinct, so it serves a good purpose.

reply to post by steppenwolf86


If the world ends, how would you be travelling back south?

Svalbard was chosen precisely because of its location - it is hard to get to and therefore hard to compromise and contaminate, etc.

If we get to the stage where the ships are being boarded and last person off the planet is about to turn off the lights, it is a one stop journey to get every seed we will need, as opposed to travelling all over to get stuff from everywhere.

Originally posted by Flavian
reply to post by steppenwolf86

 

If the world ends, how would you be travelling back south?

Svalbard was chosen precisely because of its location - it is hard to get to and therefore hard to compromise and contaminate, etc.

If we get to the stage where the ships are being boarded and last person off the planet is about to turn off the lights, it is a one stop journey to get every seed we will need, as opposed to travelling all over to get stuff from everywhere.

That was pretty much my point. Are flying reindeer an option?

reply to post by steppenwolf86


Sorry, no.

Santa has a monopoly on those.

Svalbard won't be evacuated.
They have several very large diesel generators sitting around, and the seed vault have their own generators should the # hit the fan.

Interesting indeed! Thanks for posting.
I wouldn't doubt there are bunkers and a tunnel system underneath the seed vault. I also wouldn't be surprised if a majority of the seeds are kept underneath the vault. Why should we assume that the vault is only sitting on the ground and doesn't extend well beneath it?

That seed vault is built to utilize the earths temperature to preserve the seeds. No electricity is needed, except to see where you are going in the vault. That place is very well thought of.

It is weird that this happens right before the due date though. Just a coincidence? Is there something else in that location like underground bunkers that were secretly built with that money? Do they want the locals out of the way so people can come there? Who knows what is going on, all I know is that I need a new keyboard because the keys don't work right.