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(by the way, wind power can be harvested without affecting the activity beneath, so we?d still be raising our crops and pasturing our livestock)

Do you realize how many birds are killed each year by wind farms?

Doesn't this concern you?

I think that a lot of the wind farms in CA have actually been shut down for that very reason.

Do you realize how many birds are killed each year by wind farms? Doesn't this concern you?

That's a valid question and yes, it is a concern. The full effect of wind power on bird mortality is still unknown and being studied. The impact can already be reduced with proper siting and turbine design, and other solutions are being investigated. And wind opponents tend to forget that other forms of electric generation have significant negative impacts on birds, as well as other wildlife. Remember, the wind industry is a relatively new industry and bugs are still being worked out.

I only used wind as an example; I don't have any dreams of it supplying all of our energy needs. The best solution is a mix of energy sources, appropriate for each region, along with a strong emphasis on efficiency measures. This mix will benefit local economies throughout the country and will be highly secure from disruption or price swings. Those attributes can't be claimed by fossil fuels.

When I mention efficiency measures I'm referring to getting the most out of our energy, reducing waste. There are a multitude of simple steps, such as adding insulation, using fluorescent bulbs, and using high efficiency appliances, that would have tremendous impact. In the office building I work in, all bathroom lights and fans run 24/7 despite the building being occupied only about 40% of that time. Just shutting those off would save a lot. Multiply that times the millions of other ways we waste energy and you don't even need several hundred power plants or the fuel to run them. If we only increased vehicle efficiency by ONE mpg it would offset even the optimistic estimates of oil in ANWR.

My main point is that without sacrifice, and with economic benefit to all, we could easily do without the potential oil in ANWR. Factor in it's lack of security and the environmental concerns (The degree of environmental impact is highly debatable as this thread has shown. But risk does exist and if you say the risk is nil you are living in a dreamland), and ANWR drilling doesn't make sense.