The ultimate "costs" and "profits" that we are discussing here are consumption of difficult to replace resources and the viability to inhabit this planet until the solar system burns out. This discussion is not for or against any specific technology, it is suggesting that there should be a full accounting for the true life cycle environmental costs of each technology.

Years ago there was a manager of a car manufacturing plant who was the darling of corporate because his plant consistently showed great profits. Corporate chided the other managers for not being able to produce similar results. After he left it became clear how he achieved these results -- skimping on plant maintenance. It was a disaster. The next manager had terrible results as things began to fall apart. Creative accounting can distract and hide true costs only for a while.

On this planet we are achieving great current results -- more people, more manufacturing, more of everything. At some point there will be a full environmental accounting. We are currently worrying which color of human will dominate. Sadly, the real survivor at the end will probably look a lot like a cockroach who will have adapted to feeding off of the carnage left by over feeding, extinct humans.

If you have a chance, watch "WALL-E" with the kids. If you haven't seen it, it's a family animated movie that seems like a love story between two robots, but the underlying lesson is a bit chilling. Unchecked, this is where we (as a planet) are headed.