Moving beyond the drilling state of mind

Some think offshore oil rigs are beautiful marvels of modern technology. Others consider them obscenities, who, in turn, often marvel at wind turbines and rows of solar panels.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but it's clear we can't have our beautifully designed iPhones without any of the above.

It's also clear that wind and solar energy are attractive precisely because they can be a lot closer to where people actually live than the oil rig or coal plant that's (hopefully) far from where anyone could breathe in the exhausts.

I'm sure there'll be a time when wind turbines and solar panels will be signs of yesteryear. For now, they are one of the better shots we've got to avoid drowning in pollution and rising seas. This is not the time or place for nimbyism in any of its forms.