Environment correspondent Catherine Jacob in the Arctic Circle
Home to fewer than 3,000 people - and as many polar bears as humans - the frozen island of Svalbard, in the Arctic Circle isn't really used to media invasions.
Word of the opening ceremony, though, for the newly-constructed Global Seed Vault, has clearly spread quickly and the lure of a dramatic, icy backdrop- in a place where no one leaves the house without a gun, in case of angry polar bears- has lured adventurous journalists in their droves.
Just as boxes of seeds have been arriving in their thousands from around the world, so the international media pack has descended, all bundled up in newly-purchased padded parkers and fleeces of every colour under the rainbow.
But despite our many layers and insulated moon boots, apart from the domestic Norwegian lot, none of us quite realised just how cold minus 18 degrees celscius would feel.
That's the temperature the so-called Doomsday Vault has been cooled down to, to preserve the precious seeds stored inside.
Outside, meanwhile, it's a balmy minus 15 and boy did it feel it as we were filming this morning.
Vanity forced me to remove my wooly hat to record a piece to camera on the side of the mountain. After around two minutes my ear felt like it had frozen and was about to crack off, while the gloss on my lips had solidified and frozen to my hair. Not a great look.
The people of Svalbard are in many ways apparently pleased to have us here. Not least, the taxi drivers who drive at alarmingly breakneck speeds on the ice sheet roads up and down to the Seed Vault.
In fact, everyone here seems surprisingly cheerful, considering the fact there's only four hours of dim light a day. I'm feeling rather sleepy as I write this blog. (Though it's only half past three it's nearly dark outside!)
Filming starts again early tomorrow morning and as well as filming the official festivities, Sky's cameraman Paul has his camera poised to try to catch me, or our environment producer Julie Weight falling flat on our faces in the snow.
So far we've managed to stay upright... but we're both barely five foot five and up on the mountainside the snow nearly comes up to our waists. It's only a matter of time before "It shouldn't happen to a TV reporter" gets the tape in the post...
Guess the ones who built the vault dont beleive in global warming. All the seeds will be germinating soon :)
Posted by: Craig Lincoln 10 Mar 2008 00:26:10
Interesting vault, however, if and when doomsday arrives, who will be around to plant the seeds in a land that will be un-inhabitable? As for the temperature, if you had asked [Sugarcult] they would have told you -18 is [Freezing]. Still, life goes on. Keep warm....soup anyone?
Posted by: Khalid 25 Feb 2008 19:05:02