NIMBY

You can cross off-shore oil drilling as a future source of energy in this country.  After the devastating explosion in the Gulf of Mexico of an oil rig, there are loud outbursts of rage from environmentalists for a moratorium of off-shore drilling.  But let's count down the possible alternative sources of energy we have at our disposal.

Coal fired power plants--huge no-no.  Don't you know there is global warming going on?

Gas fired power plants--you still have to drill for it somewhere.

Shale--it's okay to overturn huge swaths of forests for this oil as long as it's in Canada, right?

Nuclear power--are you kidding? 

Hydroelectric power--we don't want to kill off the fish population that requires an intact stream to spawn, do we?

Wind power--would you want one of these giant turbines within the visible horizon of your house?  Just ask the residents of Cape Cod.

Solar power--can't disturb the delicate environment that would be covered up by acres and acres of solar panels to make this endeavor commercially worthwhile.

Geothermal--do we really want a power plant anywhere near Old Faithful?

Fusion--might as well ask for dilithium crystals from the Star Trek Enterprise.

So there you have it, the possible major sources of energy for our planet.  Somewhere along the line somebody has to decide what is an acceptable compromise in energy exploration or we'll all be sitting in the dark burning candles.  Oh wait.  Candles produce soot and worsens air pollution.  Scratch that idea too.