Energy independence isn't very green

The first and most obvious is that mitigating climate change requires curtailing not just consumption of oil and gas, but also of coal, which has even higher carbon dioxide emissions. Protection of open space, sustainable agriculture, "green" building practices, wildlife preservation, restoration of rivers and lakes, prevention of noxious gases - all of these desirable objectives are addressed in the fight against global warming. Even if the causal relation between greenhouse gases and warming temperatures is based on entirely sound science, there remains a realistic possibility that the earth's temperatures will cool, at least temporarily, for reasons such as unforeseen fluctuations in solar radiation.