So apparently we (as a species) found something incredibly unique by pure luck, and then we mined the damn thing into oblivion.
It’s so easy to lose most of the information by this kind of process. One wonders how much geological and biological history has been obliterated by the fossil fuel industry. Best not to think on it too much, I suppose. We wouldn’t have the tools to properly frame the question without that industry’s contributions. Still, mined energy is a thing that I’d love to see go away for a long while.