RE: "We must spend more time and energy trying to break that dependence rather than looking for ways to feed the addiction."
I agree with the first part of your statement, I have been enthralled with the potential of fusion since the early 70's. But as I said alternatives will not happen overnight as we all know, at least those of us on this thread. Only expensive energy will change the populace way of thinking and send research dollars where they need to go.
I do not think that the several thousand acres at risk of disturbance in the ANWR is too much of a risk if the results are used in conjunction with conservation, exploration of other areas, and most importantly finding new energy sources. Remember, most thought the answer to clean, environmentally sensitive energy was natural gas until the public realized that you had to drill for it, and that the easy drilling was dead.
Did you read the speech by the Intuit (sp) mayor and his feeling about ANWR? As he points out, he and his people live on the land, not just visit every so often and declare that it's pristine and worthy of saving. It appears that the locals have a far superior grasp of what is possible and environmentally safe than the so-called environmentalist from the lower 48. Their entire lives and history is rooted there.
We must also ask the question, Who are we to dictate what the natives can and cannot do with their property? If their property was an immediate threat to our safety that would be one thing, but let's face it massive pollution is not what this is about.
The opposition goes much deeper. It is really about growth in general when it comes to some environmental groups. Along with the desire to take a snapshot of the world and preserving it as is for ever. Lord knows I wanted to do that when I was young. Then of course you come to the realization that the world population is increasing at such a rate that we are left with the alternative of growth, innovative solutions, or reduction of the population. I have actually heard some environmentalist advocate the latter as the solution.
Damn, sorry about the soap box. Got KEG?
Best trading,
hdr |
