Claire Splan's post on An Alameda Garden about the The Ultimate Seed-Saver was an interesting thought provoker. Her post was based on a Washington Post article titled The World's Agricultural Legacy Gets A Safe Home that described the construction of a seed bank, the size of half a football field, built in the Norwegian outpost of Svalbard.

This seed bank has been stocked and supported by more than 100 nations that all agree that this is of incredible importance. The vault is protected by fences, motion detectors and steel airlock doors and is constantly guarded by the natives - polar bears.

The reason for this immense project?

It's the result of man's fears that a global catastrophe may come our way. An asteroid hit, a nuclear holocaust or some biological calamity that will not only threaten our existence but also wipe out our current food sources.

"I can't decide whether I'm depressed to think that we're so close to doomsday that this kind of facility is necessary, or relieved that someone is making plans to survive it," Claire commented.

While I feel secure in the idea that the future is well prepared for, I'm praying like crazy that the guy who has the keys to this Fort KNox seed bank doesn't get obliterated during the magnanimous catastrophe.