In my opinion – I think bats and mountains aside, we should be focused on finding a renewable energy source. We have proven time and again we will go to any length for energy – we can either kill a few birds or destroy an entire mountain culture and all associated with it. This gets into the which is the lesser of the two evils equation. I’m not saying it is a good thing to kill birds to satisfy our thirst for energy – but, is it a good thing to destroy the Appalachian Mountains to quench an insatiable thirst for IPod power? I think the information/technology era is going to be our downfall simply because we want to be able to talk to a long lost cousin in Spain from our local coffee shop.

Reducing demand is something we can do right now but getting someone to lay their IPod down would be similar to getting a junky to give up the needle – it’s not going to happen without a fight. If an example is needed – look at mountaintop removal coal mining, we actually have to fight this madness. Why? Because coal keeps the lights on… or so I’ve heard.

I use IPod as an example because too many times I have seen the question – If we stop mountaintop removal how are we going to power our IPods?

frustrating to see folks contriving solutions that don’t involve reducing demand.