Re: IS it true that without lightning you and me would never have evolved?

A study performed in the 1950's by Miller and Urey would suggest that 
lightning was an integral part of the evolution of complex organic 
molecules, in particular amino acids.  They put hydrogen, methane, water, 
and ammonia in an apparatus and subjected the mixture of gases to an 
electrical charge.  In about a week, amino acids and other organic molecules 
had formed.

Since that time, we've found that the Earth's atmosphere probably was not as 
rich in methane and ammonia as Miller and Urey had thought.  But, other 
experiments with other mixtures of gases have produced similar results.

To simply answer your question, it is not known if lightning is necessary to 
provide the energy for building complex molecules which would be necessary 
to develop into living creatures.  Some energy source is necessary, but that 
energy could be from lightning, ultraviolet or cosmic rays, or even volcanic 
vents.  I have even heard of large complex organic molecules found floating 
in the interior of nebulae.  I think it is quite likely that various 
organisms on Earth today probably had rather different origins.