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A major seed bank in Aleppo, Syria, holds genes that might help researchers breed crops to survive climate change. But the conflict tearing the country apart has rendered the bank largely inaccessible for the past four years. Now an effort to duplicate its seed collection at more-accessible locations is ramping up.
On 29 September, the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), which runs the bank in Aleppo, officially launched a sister bank in Terbol, Lebanon, which now hosts 30,000 duplicates. Together with a new bank in Rabat, Morocco, it will make thousands of seeds available to researchers.
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Seed banks function as bank accounts for plant genes. Collectors deposit seeds, which can later be 'withdrawn' to replenish crops lost in conflict or disaster, to breed new traits into crops — such as pest or heat resistance — and to research the evolution of plants over the ages.
(Score: 2, Insightful) by jmorris on Thursday October 06 2016, @05:39PM
The odds any science story will devolve to AGW pimping seems to be close to 1:1, some just take longer. There doesn't even seem to be much of a correlation between the relevance of the story either. This one manages it in the first sentence of the summary.
It does seem driven by the same sort of force. Godwin's Law encodes the tendency of certain people to throw "Hitler" when they lose an argument. The press / Democratic Party (BIRM) seem driven to reduce every possible problem to a need for more power for themselves and to dismiss any opposition through the use of one of a couple of common tropes, "literally Hitler", accusation of some *ism, climate alarmism / enviromentalism, etc. We need a more encompassing Law to cover the whole set.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday October 06 2016, @05:55PM
Jeebus! And I thought some things triggered me!
(Score: 3, Interesting) by frojack on Thursday October 06 2016, @06:24PM
The odds any science story will devolve to AGW pimping seems to be close to 1:1, some just take longer.
I too thought that reference in the story was gratuitous at best. It was a stretch at best, but when preceded by the word "MIGHT" its just over the top pandering.
Of course Aleppo is pretty much totally destroyed by warring factions, and that area of Syria hasn't produced any significant crops for about three years running, and the population has pretty much fled. Apparently none of the seeds in this seed bank have been salvaged, and perhaps have already found their way into someone's soup.
Never mind all that, this is further proof that Global Warming is going to kill us all, and this whole war is all about oil.
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday October 07 2016, @10:54AM
What I get from the news is that only parts of Aleppo are in war. The government controlled area's seem pretty safe (I've seen pictures of people having pool parties and such).
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Friday October 07 2016, @12:42AM
Everything to you is a fucking affront! Because of you and your ilk, we're headed for NTE [wordpress.com].
You brutalize and torture us, and then expect to be able to rape us whenever you want [wordpress.com],
Fuck you! In a way, I'll be glad when the end comes [wordpress.com]. It will be your fault -- you and all the others like you, with your dicks swinging and your machinery of death. You're going to kill us all, and no amount of stored seeds is going to stop that.
The only thing that could be done would be to wipe you and your torturing/brutalizing rapist brethren out right away.
So do us all a favor and kill yourself!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday October 07 2016, @02:53AM
The odds any science story will devolve to AGW pimping seems to be close to 1:1, some just take longer. There doesn't even seem to be much of a correlation between the relevance of the story either. This one manages it in the first sentence of the summary.
It does seem driven by the same sort of force. Godwin's Law encodes the tendency of certain people to throw "Hitler" when they lose an argument. The press / Democratic Party (BIRM) seem driven to reduce every possible problem to a need for more power for themselves and to dismiss any opposition through the use of one of a couple of common tropes, "literally Hitler", accusation of some *ism, climate alarmism / enviromentalism, etc. We need a more encompassing Law to cover the whole set.
Given that what you're talking about implies ignorance, intentional deception, and a complete absence of critical thinking, perhaps we should call it "Trump's Law" or that one is engaging in "Trumpisms"? "Trumping"? "DonaldSpeak" maybe?
(Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Friday October 07 2016, @12:58PM
Oh that was coined a political generation ago as "Shrubspeak," as in something George W. Bush would say.
Washington DC delenda est.