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<DIV>Saving genetic material is so important, and can be a very delicate
operation requiring appropriate super-specialized skills and
technologies (although you've got to admire the survival of a 2000-yr-old
date seed...) </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I do think though that we need to maintain a balanced perspective and
reflect upon the need for genetic material repositories in the "developing"
south. To my knowlegde (and perhaps this has changed and I'm unaware of
new developments, but,) a majority of seed banks are located in the developed
north, though they may contain quite a bit of genetic information from the
south. It's true that society needs to move ahead with the best
available technologies in regard to genetic resource preservation, and the
developed north is frankly where the technology, money, and brainpower is
(by brainpower I mean trained specialists). But my question is, when
are some resources going to head south to fund this type of
thing? Isn't it about time? Especially if we are going to throw the
word "doomsday" around, perhaps we should either consider moving to Norway, or,
begin spreading things around in a bit more balanced way.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I imagine if that ancient / newborn Judean date tree were able to say
something about this it might tell us to forget the doomsday bit... or as
Bill McKibben wrote, "I for one intend to go out
kicking..."</DIV></FONT></BODY></HTML>