Ever since the story ran, speculation and outrage have mounted. And given the Bush administration’s environmental track record, and a barrel of oil reaching nearly $140, it’s not hard to embrace the conspiracy theories: In order to wring the last drops of oil from the earth and charge the highest price possible, better quash the ballooning solar industry. And it doesn’t get more bitter sweet then to turn an opponent’s weapon on himself. 

While this is some pretty juicy political pulp fiction, let’s step back and ask a few serious questions. Based on climate change predictions, can we afford to put the brakes on any development of alternative energy sources? Presumably, all environmental impact assessments are going to be meaningless if we don’t do something about CO2 emissions. Which isn’t to say the BLM should not do its job, but does it need two years? Does it need to put all future projects on hold? Is there a thoughtful compromise?

Thankfully the public scoping comment period for the Solar Energy Development Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) is still open. Comment away here, and tell the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Department of Energy (DOE), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and the Department of the Interior (DOI) how they should structure their environmental assessment of your land. (Think of it as some civic calisthenics before November 4th!)