A common goal of wildlife conservation today is to “restore” the abundance of a species to some previous number, usually a number thought to have existed prior to the influence of modern technological civilization. Information about long-ago abundances is rarely available, but sometimes we can estimate numbers indirectly for example, by using the Lewis and Clark journals to reconstruct the 1805 population of grizzly bears, or using logbooks from whaling ships.
Adding to the complexity, wildlife abundances vary over time even in natural systems uninfluenced by modern civilization. Also, historical information often cannot be subjected to formal tests of disproof and therefore does not by itself qualify as scientific. Adequate information exists for relatively few species. New power plants today use natural gas as the desired fuel because it is cleaner burning, resulting in fewer pollutants, and the United States has abundant potential supplies.
The key to energy planning is a diversity of energy sources with a better mix of fossil fuels and alternative sources that must eventually replace them. What is apparent is that in the first decades of the 21st century we are going to be continually plagued by dramatic price changes in energy and accompanying shortages. This pattern will continue until we become much more independent from foreign energy sources.