"A few weeks ago, I ran into a prominent employee of the Sierra Club who declared something to the effect of 'we have to quit using coal, oil, and natural gas.' That, of course, is the official dogma of America’s 'largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization.' The group says it is 'committed to eliminating the use of fossil fuels, including coal, natural gas, and oil, as soon as possible. We must replace all fossil fuels with clean renewable energy, efficiency, and conservation.'

"This same Sierra Clubber also expressed dismay about the difficulty of siting big renewable-energy projects and how they are being hindered by 'NIMBYism.' Upon hearing this, I quickly interjected that I loathe that term, which, of course, is short for 'not in my backyard.' I explained that everyone, everywhere, cares about what happens in their neighborhood, even out there in 'flyover country' – that is, the places that are far away from the comfy confines of places like San Francisco, Princeton, Stanford, and other locales where fantasies about an all-renewable economy seem to proliferate."