[meteorite-list] Meteorite Collecting Ban

From: Robert Verish <bolidechaser_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:16:31 2004
Message-ID: <20030810074925.20899.qmail_at_web80507.mail.yahoo.com>

This has been a great thread about Antarctica and Hot
Desert Meteorites, but unfortunately it has been going
under the Subject title of "Meteorite Collecting Ban"!

Take a mental note of this for when, say a year from
now, you want to go back and try and find this in the
Archives. This is a good example of why I use Google
to find old messages in our M-List Archives. With
just a few key words, the Google search engine works
VERY well at finding the old posts that I am trying to
find.

Now with regards to this thread, I have a question.

In recap, it appears that researchers have the opinion
that the overwhelming number of Antarctic finds
diminishes the importance of the few finds that
commercial interests make available to the scientific
community. Possibly "diminished" to the point where
our argument defending Meteorite Collecting for its
importance in bringing new finds to researchers is
rendered moot! Possibly "diminished" to the point
that it is inconsequential.

Okay, my question - if it is so "inconsequential" then
where is the necessity to ban commercial interests
from collecting meteorites?
"No harm, no foul!", is what I've heard.
If there is no harm being done, then where is the
foul?
Where is there a need for a ban?

It sure makes the vocal minority in the meteorite
community that wants to ban collecting by commercial
interests to be trying "to have it both ways"!
Too smug to admit that contributions have been made,
yet too petty to allow us the satisfaction of the
hobby.

Maybe we should embrace this "inconsequential" thing.

Maybe this would be our best defense.
Maybe, instead of us trying to prove our contributions
to science, we should make THEM prove we are a
detriment.
They just might end up proving our case for us.
;-)
Bob V.

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Received on Sun 10 Aug 2003 03:49:25 AM PDT