Since the 1960's, there has been a great change in the ecological awareness of the people of the world—awareness of our environment once possessed only by a few "ivory-tower radicals" has become part of the consciousness of many people around the world. This new awareness is necessary; however, any major change in human thinking always involves more than just a modification of thought—it also involves some very hard changes in how people conduct their lives. A case point is the present controversy involving the use of geothermal water for space heating in Rotorua, New Zealand. There are four different groups involved, and some of the actions of each can well be labeled short-sighted, resulting in what could turn out to be a conflict of major proportions. And it all could have been avoided