Limsa Lominsa oathbreakers?

[FJerome]

Life is Aether made manifest. Aether is Life. By consuming aether, the Primals are enemies of Life itself.

Think of it in terms of the Lifestream and the Mako reactors from FFVII, and follow it with Bugenhagen's explanation of the Lifestream.

Yes but crafting items also consumes crystallized Aether, sometimes hundreds of shards on a single item. Using the teleport system consumes Aether.

It's not whether or not the Primals are causing a problem, it's whether Limsa has any moral high-ground on the Kobolds and in my view they don't.

[saber_alter]

Yes but crafting items also consumes crystallized Aether, sometimes hundreds of shards on a single item. Using the teleport system consumes Aether.

It's not whether or not the Primals are causing a problem, it's whether Limsa has any moral high-ground on the Kobolds and in my view they don't.

they still suck aether from everywhere else...they require crystals because the background aether is too spread out and can't sustain them alone.

[Skies]

Yes but crafting items also consumes crystallized Aether, sometimes hundreds of shards on a single item. Using the teleport system consumes Aether.

It's not whether or not the Primals are causing a problem, it's whether Limsa has any moral high-ground on the Kobolds and in my view they don't.

Difference:
Primals consume aether. Nothing else consumes, burns it, things are made of it, but not consumed.
The aether used by crystals in crafting eventually returns to the land as the crafted item decays with time. Aether consumed by primals is gone, forever.

Aether is not an infinite resource, much like petrol

[FJerome]

Difference:
Primals consume aether. Nothing else consumes, burns it, things are made of it, but not consumed.
The aether used by crystals in crafting eventually returns to the land as the crafted item decays with time. Aether consumed by primals is gone, forever.

Aether is not an infinite resource, much like petrol

Unless it's stated otherwise in canon the aether returning to the land with the decay of the item doesn't seem like that's what's happening - if a synthesis fails the crystal shards are always consumed, even in cases when the other crafting materials survive for reuse.