This case study stresses the need to broadly consider an entire system, including all of the energy inputs and outputs involved, to determine the real efficiency of that system. It also asks its student audience to consider the role that scientific input plays in policy decision-making processes. It emphasizes that, despite the importance of this input, it is only one of a number of factors that influence such decisions; it, alone, generally does not determine the out come of these processes. (Contains 1 figure and 1 table.)