You have to understand that energy sources do not happen in a vacuum. When a small community decides to switch from fossil fuels to different types of energy, there is a chain reaction that starts. It’s kind of like a snowball effect. It doesn’t just involve certain budget allocations, certain contract provisions or supply arrangements, there’s also a change in mindset and local policies.

Usually, when there’s talk of wind power, for example, people are also talking about greater recycling and possible changes in how a municipality or local government unit handles the gray water or waste water of that community. These are all pieces of the puzzle that are interlinked. They have to be because we can’t just look at renewable energy policy in any and all efforts trying to save our environment using a cafeteria mentality.

If you’ve ever been to a cafeteria, you know that you basically walk in the line, and you point to each food item that you like. You can leave stuff, or you can take stuff. You assemble your meal plan so to speak. The problem here is that we can’t afford to use such a strategy. We can’t just have a short-sighted focus on one solution because we think that it’s very attractive. Afterwards, completely turn a blind eye, or continue to remain clueless about other consequences and other things that we need to do in conjunction with alternative energy.