All true. However, is this optimistic? While alternative energy solutions would benefit Europe as a whole, it's probably that some forms of alternative energy would benefit certain countries more than others.

So would a scientific debate about which forms of energy are preferable be overridden by a discourse dominated by statements like "Well, yes, but we have to keep the French ethanol industry" -- or whatever -- "happy, so we're funding that instead." Is it better for the EU as a whole to approach this, or for the EU to say something along the lines of, "All member countries must move over to alternative sources" by a target date?