Friday August 29, 2008, 6:36 am
Thank You Laurel for passing this along.

Friday August 29, 2008, 3:02 pm
Thanks, Laurel. I'm looking into this to see if Pickens has any connections to the oil companies or other manipulative corporations on this.

Friday August 29, 2008, 3:04 pm
Thx Laurel!You cannot currently send a star to Laurel because you have done so within the last week.

Friday August 29, 2008, 3:21 pm
I watched an interview with him a couple of weeks ago. He's made tons of money in oil in the past, but has realized that we need to use natural gas as a bridge between fossil fuels and cleaner forms of energy. He made such a case for it that even the environmentalists agreed with him, and he sure seems to be putting his money where his mouth is. I was pretty impressed with him.

Friday August 29, 2008, 3:27 pm


Thank you Marion! Please let us know whatever you find. Sierra Club is working with him. I think he's a good old boy and he cares more about the country when it comes down to it. We need plans fast. Here is Arizona the foreign interests are trying to buy up our solar. We have got to bring our economy back down to local economy!

Friday August 29, 2008, 3:44 pm
Margi and Laurel...I feel good about Pickens too. But with any person or issue, I always look at all angles before making a decision. It's the only responsible thing to do. As soon as I finish, I'll let you know what I find.

Saturday August 30, 2008, 8:53 am
I just rec'd this -

On Wednesday, oil billionaire T.Boone Pickens, Center for American Progress head John Podesta, and I sat down with bloggers at the Democratic National Convention to discuss our energy future. Pickens, who believes the Bush Administration is wildly exaggerating how much oil there is to be found off-shore and in Alaska, discussed his "Pickens Plan" -- a two-pronged plan he details in a massive million dollar advertising buy running nationally now.

In the ad, Pickens says the current debate over drilling "misses the point." I concur. The current political emphasis on whether or not to open up more of the coastline to drilling is a distraction, a Karl Rove-style "head fake."

And while the Sierra Club doesn't agree with Pickens on everything -- we do agree with the elements of his plan, which includes a huge increase in the investment and production of wind power, and giving consumers the choice to replace foreign oil with American natural gas for cars and trucks, in the period while we wait for all-electric or plug-in hybrid vehicles.

According to Pickens, " It's cleaner. It's cheaper. It's abundant and it's ours...and it buys us the one thing money can't buy -- time to develop the renewable fuels that will break our dependence on foreign oil."

When an oilman and environmentalists agree -- you know the momentum for real change is building.

Help us add to that momentum.

Will you send a letter to the editor of your local newspaper identifying yourself as a Sierra Club member or supporter and amplifying the message of clean energy? Click here to tell us that you are submitting a letter, and for some example letters.

Sincerely,
Carl Pope
Executive Director

Saturday August 30, 2008, 11:35 am
Thank you! I am going to go with the Sierra Club suggesting and write the local paper.
I'm also going to go down and meet the representatives and will take this suggestion with me.

Saturday August 30, 2008, 3:21 pm
In regards to Pickens connections, I have heard and indeed found this.....

"Meanwhile, Pickens' more-than-$4-billion hedge fund, BP Capital, is invested in a variety of natural gas companies. He also sits on the board of Clean Energy Fuels Corp., North America's largest provider of vehicular natural gas.

"Mr. Pickens is a very intelligent man," said Don Martin, vice president of Enmark Energy, a Texas oil and natural gas company. "People in the oil and natural gas business are rich for a reason. They know where the money is."

I'm not so sure about calling natural gas for transportation a bridge to a new technology. It will still require a great deal of investment. He seems willing and I appreciate that. I hope we also proceed to develop electric cars to utilize the clean/renewable energy from wind. Wind by itself is not the answer as it is not 100% dependable. We need to develop better storage, solar, wave, current, and geo-thermal among others. It is a good first step and hopefully, once the ball is rolling...... it will be unstoppable. Now we need another rich dude to help raise awareness about planting trees :)

Thanks Laurel!

Friday September 5, 2008, 7:56 pm
I'm not to thrilled with his CNG car idea either, this opens the door for more LNG, which is a terrible idea. His CNG car plan seems to fit right in with the new Natural gas pipeline that Sarah palin just approved from the north slope of Alaska(two days before her nomination), Coincidence? No ,she is in bed with Mcsame and Big oil. Solar is huge and wind= electric cars, we have the technology, its just when will we break big oils back so that it will be released? thx again Laural

Friday September 5, 2008, 8:13 pm
So why not just skip the CNG step in the first place? Simply go to electric (or even hydrogen) vehicles??? If we have all this clean electric power, ues it directly with the cars. If we have a buch of clean electricity, it could be used for hydrogen production...However, I would agree, using CNG instead of gasoline would be a major step up (from a carbon standpoint)...

Saturday September 6, 2008, 1:33 pm
Eric from the Union of Concerned Scientists said Al Gore as an energy plan as well that is better than Pickens. I'm going to check it out.

Saturday September 6, 2008, 1:52 pm
Laurel...I found this info on Al Gore's plan:

Al Gore challenges America to go carbon-free in 10 years
"...the goal of total carbon-free wind, solar and geothermal power by 2018. Part of the vision includes powering electric vehicles (as truly emissions free), but the ambitious plan would transcend through transportation and ripple throughout the green building industry and beyond. With elections on the near horizon and a push to drill for yet more oil, Gore’s challenge is as timely as it is clear: in order to transcend an unsustainable existence, we need to transform our energy outlook.

"The challenge is not just about controlling carbon emissions, although this is of course a priority. Gore’s vision is a far reaching idea that addresses not only energy independence but also seeks to alleviate the economic, political and social turmoil connected to our fossil fuel dependence. At this moment in history, the most effective way to solve the overwhelming issues around the globe is to stop contributing to the cycle by stepping up renewable energy production.

Although the challenge is directed towards America’s leaders, it is a call to “all Americans in every walk of life: to our political leaders, entrepreneurs, innovators, engineers and to every citizen.” Already industry leaders are balking at the feasibility of letting go of coal which currently represents about 50% of the US’s electric power, and is a huge contributor to the problem of greenhouse gas emissions. But the challenge has been tossed into the arena, and even if industry drags and lags, individuals can meet the challenge head on.

"Hopefully with the changing of the guard in American politics in January, we will see a large and important shift in government policy on energy in the near future. However, if we have any hope of meeting this challenge in 10 years, consumers and designers are going to have to take matters into their own hands and start thinking about renewable energy on an individual level. Big energy companies are going to be the last to make the move to renewable energy, so WE NEED TO START DEMANDING THIS ON AN INDIVIDUAL LEVEL in order to facilitate any change.

Some of the best things you can do as a consumer are to investigate personal renewable energy alternatives like solar panels, wind turbines, and natural daylighting, as well as signing up for and demanding renewable energy from your electricity provider. If we all work together this goal really is achievable and we will all be better off (economically, politically and environmentally) in the long run."

http://www.inhabitat.com/2008/07/21/al-gores-energy-challenge-for-america/

Saturday September 6, 2008, 1:57 pm
While I like Picken's natural gas idea because it would work faster than Gore's idea, I would like to see us avoid natural gas and oil altogether. Also, I question Picken's ethics. Here's a comment I found in a thread:

"T. Boone Pickens financed the Swift Boaters, so he is
not an honest man. He is a very rich man, and with his
help in getting Bush to stay in office, the USA is now
impoverished and he can buy a lot of it up at fire-sale
prices. Was that the plan?"

What's wrong with Picken's plan?

My concern is we are now slaves to the oil industry. Would Picken's make us slaves to natural gas and a monopoly hold on it? I'm just bringing up questions to think about. Pickens may very well have the best plan.

Saturday September 6, 2008, 2:00 pm

Thank you Marion! I also found this link to join Al Gore's plan http://wecansolveit.org/page/s/signupmain

Saturday September 6, 2008, 2:05 pm
While I like Picken's natural gas idea because it would work faster than Gore's idea.--Yes and time is of the essence. Natural gas still contributes to global warming. The other consideration however, is we are bankrupting our countries. We are throwing our money at countries that have large numbers of Islamic extremists (who will not do good things with the money). It is the largest shift of wealth in the history of the world! The world is paying for the next round of war.

Saturday September 6, 2008, 2:06 pm
Thanks for this link, Laurel. These folks support Gore's plan. Let's keep digging to find fault with Gore's and Pickens' plans. This is how I narrow down my choices. Who knows? There may be a better plan out there.

Saturday September 6, 2008, 2:15 pm
And...Gore's plan costs more than Pickens'. However, sometimes we get what we pay for by going the quick and cheaper route.

You are right about throwing our money away. Spending $10-13 billion PER MONTH on Iraq, not to mention Afghanistan and the new Iran War and all the other BushCo "adventures"...this money could be used to pay down our huge national debt, solve our energy crisis, fix our infrastructure, create jobs and take care of home.

Here's something to think about as to why we haven't solved the alternative energy question by now...

Another Alternative Energy Inventor Killed?
http://rense.com/general83/been.htm

I have often thought the wealthy energy conglomerates would not want any young, creative upstarts to help this country and move the wealth away from them. Long ago I thought these people will keep us on the oil nipple until they find a way to control the new energy alternative and keep the profits in the same families.

Saturday September 6, 2008, 2:57 pm
Marion that is not a surprise. There is an inventor named Dr. Schultz who left for the Philippines and works on a project named Wala Rizal (I think that's the spelling) and is working on free energy. (Google will give no results because it is a project that is not advertised.) He designed something called energy rods here in the US (conversion of light, heat, electricity) and once he attempted to patent it, had some death threats on him and his son. So he is over there working under the protection of the Philippine president.

When Harry Truman was president architect Frank Lloyd Wright met with him and gave the US a plan for solar cars. Truman said it was too late because the automotive industry and oil industry had spent so much money along with all of the federal money so it would be too costly to convert! It was too costly to not convert.

Saturday September 6, 2008, 3:16 pm
I love Most of Gores plan: "Although the challenge is directed towards America’s leaders, it is a call to “all Americans in every walk of life: to our political leaders, entrepreneurs, innovators, engineers and to every citizen.” Already industry leaders are balking at the feasibility of letting go of coal which currently represents about 50% of the US’s electric power, and is a huge contributor to the problem of greenhouse gas emissions. But the challenge has been tossed into the arena, and even if industry drags and lags, individuals can meet the challenge head on.

"Hopefully with the changing of the guard in American politics in January, we will see a large and important shift in government policy on energy in the near future. However, if we have any hope of meeting this challenge in 10 years, consumers and designers are going to have to take matters into their own hands and start thinking about renewable energy on an individual level. Big energy companies are going to be the last to make the move to renewable energy, so WE NEED TO START DEMANDING THIS ON AN INDIVIDUAL LEVEL in order to facilitate any change".

Personal responsibility and action are the keys to getting rid of big oil and big Coal(50% of all our electric in usa). They are already on the way out thanks to all of our hard work and persistance worldwide especially the last two years. Its important to KNOW that, not just believe it. OUR intentions coulped with resolute thought and strong desire ARE making the difference, as well as action of course.

Saturday September 6, 2008, 3:30 pm
"I have no doubt that we will be successful in harnessing the sun's energy.... If sunbeams were weapons of war, we would have had solar energy centuries ago". ~Sir George Porter, quoted in The Observer, 26 August 1973

"The use of solar energy has not been opened up because the oil industry does not own the sun." ~Ralph Nader, quoted in Linda Botts, ed., Loose Talk, 1980

Saturday September 6, 2008, 3:45 pm
WE NEED TO START DEMANDING THIS ON AN INDIVIDUAL LEVEL in order to facilitate any change". --Agreed.