I think we both agree with your main point, that alternatives need to be considered and that McCain might want to pick up something better than an old addiction. As a result, any quibbles about the effects of acid rain (today there is not significant SO_x emitted by coal plants because they are forced to meet the regulations that have successfully limited it) and the damage to people that coal-mining does (my that’s a stinky job, but most miners would wonder what you’d have them do if (well, let’s be honest, when) we took it away).

Anyway, point is, we agree more than we disagree, but I am happy to hear your opinion here and it definitely wasn’t too long. Dear readers, go read Mike and Marc’s blog. We both like more clicks and comments!

Of course there are even more problems with coal we could have talked about, not just in terms of area taken up but in environmental and social effects. In area effect we could talk about miles of rivers and streams effected by mountains and did you know the preferred way of mining coal nowadays is to just bulldoze the top of a mountain into the adjoining valley and forests effected by acid rain, the effect of buning bituminous coal and never mind the social effects coal mining has had on appalachian american and on and on and on.

These debates end up very circular because there are many factors; I could write a doctoral thesis on the matter. You were right though, all i was trying to do was highlight the fact that other options SHOULD be considered other than offshore drilling. We talk all the time of the why not’s when it comes to how alternative energy can’t fill in the gaps for our problems but the honest truth is, and we all know it, is that its never gotten a chance, not with the Bush administration in office for the past 8 years, and that if John McCain wants to make Manhattan Project out of something, as he indicated in his speech, it should be of alternative energy. Not of offshore, which is an ol’ addiction, not anything new. Even if he tries to wrap i in a shiny new wrapper of energy independence.

Sorry if I ran long but I’d be than willing to discuss this more at anyones request, just stop by In One Ear… Out the Other. Link at the top of this page.