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Bravo John! Well said. > On 24 February 2017 at 14:53 John Dewey <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > > Every responsible field geologist seeks the permission of a the landowner > both to go onto private land and to collect, and to specify the mode of > collection. This large majority also seeks to minimise damage to outcrops, > whether on private or public land by limiting collection to the bare > essentials and to collect only for strictly scientific reasons. One should > never collect from/deface classic and fine weathered outcrops. The very few > irresponsible geologists ignore admonitions. I have done field work alone, > with colleagues, and students sixty two years and have had this field code > drummed into me at university and I have drummed it in to students. All the > geologists that I know, which runs into thousands globally, take the same > view. I know of very few cases of outcrop vandalism; these few are high > profile, well -known, and published cases of desecration by excessive drilling > and/or irresponsible bulk collection (e.g. KT boundary at Woodside Creek New > Zealand; Komati River section in the Barberton Mt. Land; Bearsden, Glasow, > Carboniferous; Hook Head , Ireland, Carboniferous). Many, of these have been > by commercial collectors I have rarely been refused permission to enter > private land, generally for good reason including livestock, loose sharp rock > fragments, and potential litigation if an accident should occur. Careful, > minimal, drilling and cutting are better that the use of a sledge hammer or, > often, even a hammer because one can drill or cut minimally with great > precision parts of an outcrop other than the best weathered surfaces and leave > almost no trace. I collect, rarely for structural thin section work, > geochronology, and geochemistry. Collecting on student field trips has, in > the past, been a problem in some universities; I allow only the minimum > collection of loose material and discourage any use of hammers. My old > professor, Jack Kirkaldy, said that one could distinguish student field trips > in a chalk quarry as follows; on first year trips, one hears the ringing of > struck flints; second year the dull thud of struck chalk to find fossils; > third year silence as the students looked carefully at the rock. > > For Alan’s information, I will be collecting on a wild section of western > Irish coastline where hydraulic erosion and block plucking change the > morphology continually, and where one and a half inch cuts are less than > trivial. On this occasion, I cannot cut from loose blocks because I need > oriented specimens. Until last year, I had a neat small electric rock saw made > specially for me but I lent it and it was broken. Hence my circular email, > which has led to people suggesting an angle grinder (thank you all). This > morning I purchased a De Walt angle grinder with 18V battery and diamond > dust-impregated discs. The whole kit, including battery charger and spare > battery, was £230. It works superbly, is light, and I recommend it as an > important part of a field geologists kit; properly handled, it will cause > substantially less outcrop damage than a hammer. The only slight drawback is > that one may need to carry water but, luckily, I mainly work on coasts. > > My comment to Alan was in light-hearted jest in response to what I > considered an attempt to take the moral high ground and to teach us all to > “suck eggs”. There are numerous web-sites on the “Country Code” and > publications on responsibility in the field. Those who spend a lot of time in > the field know how they and their students should conduct themselves; they do > not need public reminders any more than one would lecture someone on how to > run their company. > > All best wishes, > John > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > Prof. John F. Dewey FRS, M.R.I.A., FAA, Mem. Acad. Eur., Mem. > US Nat. Acad. Sci., Distinguished Emeritus Professor University of > California, Emeritus Professor and Supernumerary Fellow, University College > Oxford. > > Sherwood Lodge, > 93 Bagley Wood Road, > Kennington, > Oxford OX1 5NA, > England, UK > > University College, > High Street, > Oxford OX1 4BH > > Telephone Nos: > 011 44 (0)1865 735525 (home Oxford) > 011 44 (0)1865 276792 (University College Oxford) > > On 24 Feb 2017, at 11:09, Elena Druguet Tantiña <[log in to unmask] > mailto:[log in to unmask] > wrote: > > > > I completely agree with Alan. > > Further warnings about this issue are linked below, > > > > > > http://www.nature.com/ngeo/journal/v8/n11/full/ngeo2572.html?WT.ec_id=NGEO-201511&spMailingID=49891178&spUserID=ODkwMTM2NjM4NgS2&spJobID=784077989&spReportId=Nzg0MDc3OTg5S0 > > http://www.nature.com/ngeo/journal/v8/n11/full/ngeo2572.html?WT.ec_id=NGEO-201511&spMailingID=49891178&spUserID=ODkwMTM2NjM4NgS2&spJobID=784077989&spReportId=Nzg0MDc3OTg5S0 > > > > http://www.episodes.org/index.php/epi/article/view/57425 > > http://www.episodes.org/index.php/epi/article/view/57425 > > > > Elena Druguet > > Geologia - UAB > > [log in to unmask] mailto:[log in to unmask] > > > > --------------------------------------------- > > De: Tectonics & structural geology discussion list > > <[log in to unmask] mailto:[log in to unmask] > de part > > de Alan Gibbs <[log in to unmask] mailto:[log in to unmask] > > > Enviat el: divendres, 24 de febrer de 2017 11:12:35 > > Per a: [log in to unmask] > > mailto:[log in to unmask] > > Tema: Core sampling or environmental vandalism? > > > > In my post geology career I have frequently had my ear bent by land > > owners and other “stake holders” in the countryside about what they see has > > environmental vandalism for core sampling. It is one of the most visible > > signs they see of geologists and all of them hate it with a passion. In many > > cases the landowners are particularly incensed as they were not even aware > > that someone was on their property and intending to take samples. > > > > I know that this is a global as well as a UK issue. I feel strongly > > that we are particularly lucky in the UK, especially in Scotland with the > > “right to roam” in that geologist can more or less go where they like to > > study and research. However, with this comes the responsibility to act > > sensitively to owners and other users of the countryside. With an increased > > foot fall and environmental awareness this does mean that sampling should be > > done with extreme care and preferably not at all. Where it is necessary if > > you can’t explain and convince the other stake holders that the societal > > benefit exceeds the cost of environmental damage you should not be doing it. > > Think of it this way - it is no longer acceptable to rock up in someone’s > > country and hack off antiquities, although that was once seen as acceptable > > by the eminent and arrogant experts of the time. > > > > I am not suggesting that coring may not be justified in some cases, > > but that it should be done with due care, respect and with full consent of > > the other stakeholders. I also think that it is the duty of senior members > > of the profession to lead in this and to ensure that there is a full debate > > and awareness of the evolving social context of our activities. I think that > > we lose much more when local communities think of us as environmental > > vandals than we gain by collecting additional “rock rhubarb” that is often > > not published and frequently does not add anything that we can explain to > > others as of societal or cultural benefit. > > > > Dr Alan Gibbs > > > > [log in to unmask] http://www.mve.com/ > > > > > >