In addition to being the worst imaginable move for global warming, because not only does the product cause global warming, but the method of extraction is the worst imaginable for carbon de-sequestration and will be the highest carbon-production fuel ever mined by man, it now turns out that the most valuable fossil ground in the US, the Hell Creek Formation, will be traversed by the pipeline.

I considered whether to put this in Current Events/Politics, Earth Sciences, or here; here won out because this story is about fossils.

Read all about it.

Bookmarking. Comments to follow.

RS

Something tells me the money will win out.

trubble76 wrote:Something tells me the money will win out.

Maybe so, but there's more at work here than that.

There are vast swathes of the Hell Creek that are devoid of fossils. I have personally surveyed land for miles and miles where not one speck of bone, tooth, shell or scale could be found. Granted this was surface examination and just under foot there could have been a complete skeleton of a new species. By working from records and pre-digging exams it should be possible to limit the destruction of any fossils encountered.

Another thing is there might be of a great deal of data from what is uncovered in the digging. Many important finds have come about as a result of similar activity. If the excavations are carried out with a trained professional observer any bones that get exposed SHOULD cause a stop work and possible re-routing of the pipeline.

Yes, I'm concerned, but a great deal of that formation is in federally protected areas, such a national grasslands and national parks. Other areas are state owned lands. I can assure you that those areas will be hyper protective of the paleontological resources therein. Private land owners shouldn't settle for any lower standards.

I've actually contacted the folks undertaking this venture in hopes of being hired as an on-site consultant. I assure you I wouldn't allow a backhoe to rip good fossils to shreds!

RS