User blog comment:Gundam Legilis/Environmental Issues in RWBY/@comment-9090085-20150403210308/@comment-24891101-20150403235644

I doubt things run on Aura. Remember, lots of people (most non-Hunters) don't really have much in the way of access to their Aura. At most, they use it passively. Therefore, it seems unlikely that tech runs on it. Interacts with it, sure; they've got a machine which quantifies it. But I like to think that Dust is key difference. A naturally occuring, psychoreactive mineral with high energy density and predictable and specific mode of release. That's huge.

And we've no evidence that there's only a single quarry.