[Rockhounds] Harvard Museum Visit

[Alan Goldstein]

I believe the revision of the Harvard Museum was discussed in John S. White 
in either Min Rec or Rocks & Minerals several years ago.

I can't comment on their new exhibits since I haven't seen them. However, 
global climate change is an earth science topic and a viable topic for any 
science museum, especially natural science. Folks will find the content 
objectionable if the exhibit is poorly done or if they have established a 
mindset that there is no change going on. (Or if they are sharply political 
in nature.) Every climate specialist I have talked to face-to-face agrees 
that the scientific evidence points to changes occurring at a significantly 
faster pace than expected. The question is not that the changes aren't 
occurring, but to what degree are humans affecting the world. I believe that 
6.8 BILLION people have the ability to change our climate. True, we don't 
spew material as dramatically as a Krakatoa, but unlike a volcano, humans 
don't stop erupting after a few years. We're the atmospheric energizer 
bunny... we keep polluting and polluting.

Alan

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Carolyn Reynard" <sunstone3 at hvc.rr.com>
To: "Rockhounds at drizzle.com: A mailing list for rock and gem collectors" 
<rockhounds at lists.drizzle.com>
Sent: Monday, July 14, 2008 5:16 PM
Subject: Re: [Rockhounds] Harvard Museum Visit


> Andrew your e-mail was most distressing.  Event  by event we see our 
> mineral
> treasures being sold off or packed up and stored (out of sight and 
> probably
> sold off in the future). We need to protect our great collections! 
> Chances
> are there was big money behind
> this decision.  It is time for rockhounds to unite!
> Carolyn Reynard
> Poughkeepsie, NY
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Andrew Turner" <turnea55 at hotmail.com>
> To: <rockhounds at lists.drizzle.com>
> Sent: Monday, July 14, 2008 3:28 PM
> Subject: [Rockhounds] Harvard Museum Visit
>
>
>> I believe this was discussed a little awhile back, but I thought it was
>> worth bringing up considering my recent visit.
>>
>> Last week my wife and I visited the Harvard Museum of Natural History
> while
>> on vacation in Boston.  I had been there about 5 years ago, but it's
> always
>> good to see the minerals and any new stuff.  Anyway, to my utter dismay,
> the
>> entire room devoted to New England geology and mineralogy is now gone.
> This
>> was one of the most well known displays in the US if not the world as it
>> contained numerous type locality (and type specimen) minerals often
>> collected over 100 years ago.  It used to have world-class tourmalines 
>> and
>> pegmatite minerals from Maine, gem garnets from all over, and even
>> danburites from the type locale in Danbury, CT.  One of the main reasons 
>> I
>> revisited the museum was to see this room again.
>>
>> Anyway, in it's place, we now have a completely interactive "climate
> change"
>> exhibit.  This exhibit is completely biased, even going so far as
> ridiculing
>> me when I "voted" against spending hundreds of additional tax dollars 
>> each
>> year to support foreign governments into trying new "green" technologies.
>> They used crazy models to suggest that I basically caused the world to go
>> into collapse because of my choices.  If such an exhibit is really 
>> needed,
>> why put it in a "natural history" museum (there is a science museum a few
>> miles away, and Al Gore has a big enough house to put this display in),
> not
>> to mention getting rid of one of the most famous mineral collections to
> make
>> room for it.  It is really pathetic, but this just seems to be the 
>> current
>> trend with museums.  If Harvard no longer cares about their collections,
>> I'll be more than happy to take it off their hands.
>>
>> Oh, one more thing.  Harvard no longer displays any mineral with any
>> radioactive elements.  So, a world-class museum no longer even shows a 
>> Mt.
>> Spokane autunite, Maine uraninite, or cuprosklodowskite.  Looks like
> someone
>> "freaked" out about seeing these minerals.
>>
>> Andrew Turner
>> Victorville, CA USA
>>
>>
>> -- 
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