T. Boone Pickens Plugs His Energy Plan at the Democratic Convention
One of the pleasures of covering a national convention is that you run into all sorts of interesting people, some of them not politicians, and you can ask them anything you want. I remember at the 1988 Democratic National Convention running into a man who was on the Forbes 400. I asked him what he was doing there; he wasn't even a Democrat. "Oh," he said, "I just take a suite at the Ritz Carlton and meet with people from around the country. It's amazing how many important people are here."
Heading toward the perimeter of the convention area early this afternoon, I ran into T. Boone Pickens. I introduced myself (we've met before, at the American Spectator dinner) and asked him about his energy plan, which he's been hawking through television and radio ads and trying to sell to politicians. He's met with both Barack Obama and John McCain, for example. And the Democrats have been welcoming him, even though he was one of the financiers of the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth in the 2004 campaign. He told me that as he was talking to a group of Democrats, he mentioned the Swift Trucking Company, and John Podesta, Bill Clinton's second-term chief of staff, quickly interjected, "That's not swift boats."
In listening to Pickens I got a different impression of his program than I've gotten from his ads. He sees natural gas, more than the wind energy he's been touting, as the fuel that can bridge us from today's dependence on foreign oil to the development of new technologies. He pointed out that 30 percent of motor fuel is used by trucks, and that big truck fleets turn over every two-and-a-half years. A mandate—"I hate that word," he said—could mean that all big trucks could be using natural gas in a short time. And he's also for a mandate for gas stations to install natural gas pumps at $400,000 each.
In contrast, he said the Democrats' (and Obama's) call for 1 million plug-in hybrids would reduce gas usage much less. Big trucks use a huge amount of gas, and they can't be run on electric motors. I asked about whether General Motors had made progress on the batteries for the Chevrolet Volt it promises to unveil by 2010. He said he was fine with the Volt, but that it's a small car. The battery would not work in a truck.
Pickens points out that Southern California cleaned its air primarily by substituting natural gas for other fuels. It certainly has made great progress. I remember visiting Los Angeles in 1969, when you couldn't see the mountains and the air looked a sullen green color. Today you can see the mountains almost every day. Southern California slapped mandates on gas for (good) environmental reasons. Pickens argues for mandates for national security reasons (and says they'd be good for the environment too). He's not much interested in eliminating the 54 cent tariff on Brazilian sugar ethanol; he says he wants to develop American sources of energy.
So here is his big point: requiring trucks to use domestic natural gas could reduce our dependence on foreign oil enormously. That certainly strikes me as plausible.
Tags: energy policy | Democratic National Convention | energy | T. Boone Pickens
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Half-Baked Idea
T. Boone Pickens' plan is half good, half foolish. The idea that we can switch over to NG as a gasoline replacement has potentially disastrous consequences. The ethanol boom which caused us to funnel much of our corn grain into ethanol production had the unintended consequence of increasing food prices worldwide. What do you think will happen to heating and cooking costs when we start using NG in automobiles? Even if the bottom line for drivers is a modest savings, for millions of others it will be a significant utilities cost increase.
PALIN/MCCAIN BIG OIL-SAME OLD TRICKS
OBAMA IF PRESIDENT WOULD TRY AND PULL TROOPS OUT IN 16 MOUNTS WHILE CONSIDERING THE GENERALS' ON THE GROUNDS ADVICE TO PROTECT U.S. TROOPS IF NEEDED! HE SAID HE WOULD CONSIDER REMOVING TROOPS RESPONSIBLELY. MCCAIN HAS DISTORTED ISSUES AS HE DID WITH THE STUPID TIME HORIZON AND PASSING OUT OBAMA'S TIRE GAUGES. SAME OLD POLITICS TO DO WHAT EVER IS NEEDED TO BE DONE EVEN IF ITS A LAME ATTEMPT TO BE AGENTS OF CHANGE WHICH I GUESS IT MEANS AGENTS OF BIG OIL AND GAS. I BASE THIS ON INFORMATION LISTED FURTHER DOWN ON THIS EMAIL. MCCAIN AND PALIN'S POLITICAL GAME IS LIKE A AEROSMITH'S SONG WHICH SAYS, "THE SAME OLD SONG AND DANCE MY FRIENDS."
IS IT REALLY A SURPRISE THAT MCCAIN WOULD WANT TO STAY IN IRAQ LONGER THEN BUSH'S TIME LINE OF 2011? MCCAIN SET A TIME LINE OF 2013, BUT THAT IS ONLY IF THE GENERALS SAY ITS SAFE. MCCAIN WILL STAY IN IRAQ UNTIL THE WAR IS WON WHICH IS TOUGH WITH ALL THE VARIOUS TRIBAL AND RELIGOUS GROUP THROUGH OUT IRAQ. BEFORE OR AFTER THE SURGE THERE WAS THE SONS OF IRAQ SAME AS TRIBAL AWAKENING AND AWAKENING COUNCIL CREATED FROM LOCAL TRIBAL GROUPS. I BELIEVE THERE WERE 100,000 TRIBAL PERSONEL.
DID MCCAIN GO AFTER HILLARY'S VOTERS BY CHOOSING PALIN EVEN IF SHE DIDN'T HAVE THE NEEDED SKILLS TO BE PRESIDENT? BEING A MAYOR DOES NOT BRING POTENTIAL PRESIDENTAL TRAINING INTO HER RESUME. HOW MANY MAYORS COULD BECOME PRESIDENT; HANDLE A DEPRESSED ECONOMY; SUPPORT TWO WARS AND TENSION BUILDING UP BETWEEN RUSSIA AND THE WEST?
PALIN IS A PENTACOSTAL BELIEVEING SHE SPEAKS TO GOD AND THE U.S. IS DOING GOD'S WORK IN WARS. MY MOM'S BOY FRIEND WAS IN THE NAVY FOR 20 YEARS AND A MAYOR, BUT HE SAYS THAT WOULD NOT GIVE HIM ENOUGH EXPERIENCE TO RUN FOR THE PRESIDENCY! BEING A GOVERNOR WOULD BRING IN SOME GOOD SKILLS. I DID PAYROLL; PAID PAYROLL TAXES; OVER SAW A/R & A/P AND PAID CORP. WORK COMP. INSURACE. THIS DOES NOT MAKE ME READY TO BE PRESIDENT.
I WATCHED A DEBATE ON CNN TODAY ABOUT BUSH'S REASONING TO GO TO WAR IN IRAQ VS CONCENTRATING ON AFGANISTAN AL QUEADA. THEY WERE SAYING IT WAS TO ATTACK AL QUEADA. DID I MISS SOMETHING? I WAS TOLD BY THE MEDIA THAT BUSH WENT TO WAR WITH IRAQ BECAUSE OF ALLEGED WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION. I GUESS ON BOTH ISSUES IT SHOWS THAT REPUBLICANS WILL SAY WHAT EVER IT TAKES TO WIN THE PRESIDENCY.
IF GEORGIA FIRED ON S. OSSETIA'S TROOPS FIRST AS THEY SAID ON STUDIO B, WOULDN'T MCCAINS TOUGH REMARKS BEEN OUT OF LINE? I BELIEVE RUSSIA WAS WANTING A REASON TO BREAK UP GEORGIA AND ATTACK GAVE RUSSIA A GREEN LIGHT TO DO JUST THAT.
HAS ANY ONE READ AL JAZEERA.NET STORY ABOUT PALIN HAVING CONTACTS WITH BIG OIL MAYBE EVEN MORE THEN MCCAIN? CHECK IT OUT!
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/americas/2008/09/200893225527640103.html
IraqMcCain emphasizes the 'success' of the surge pointing to a decrease in violence as evidence of the surge's success. However, he fails to acknowledge the agreement made between Maqtada al-Sadr and the Iraqi government. Al-Sadr is the most powerful cleric in Baghdad. But for the agreement between al-Sadr and the Iraqi government, there would still be major violence. In fact, after the surge had been harolded a victory, there was a spike in violence as the Sadr-Iraqi agreement dissolved. Sadr's Mahqti army restarted their attacks. It was only after al-Sadr and the Iraqi government restarted negotiations that the violence was once more subsided. McCain only understands military force. His narrow mindedness is reflective of Bush's approach to resolving issues. Even a religious cleric like al-Sadr is capable of understanding the usefulness of negotiations. It's sad McCain-iacs are too psychophatically violent to think rationally. McCain is very misleading.U.S. SecurityHow is Iraq a threat to U.S. security again? Oh, al-Qaeda will take over the Iraqi government if the U.S. leaves? For real? Did Patreus say that? Whatever govenment exists after the U.S. leaves will most likely despise America. I doubt it will be al-Qaeda. The most likely ruler of Iraq will be someone like al-Sadr--If you don't know who al-Sadr is, please do some research. Even if it isn't al-Sadr, the next government will be anti-American. I imagine the citizens of a country that was unjustly invaded by another country, consequently causing the death of over one hundred thousand of its citizens due to the disstabilization of the government, will abhor the invading country. That's a natural reaction. And if the Iraqi government in place after the U.S. leaves reflects the desires of Iraqis, the Iraqi government will hate America. It won't be al-Qaeda. I wish McCain would stop saying that.
Original Message Follows: ------------------------
Al Jazeera.Net
MICHAEL (MICHAELWE6942@YAHOO.COM) wants you to see following article
Palin's connection to 'big oil'
( http://english.aljazeera.net/news/americas/2008/09/200893225527640103.html )
Also he/she attached you the following message:
PALIN
The United States Of America, My Nation, Your Nation.
I am tired of the same rhetoric, us against them, he against her, we are better than they are, they don't know more than we do. The liberals against the republicans while the indepedents watch. The Clintons mad because the Obamas beat them out. The right against the left. The you're a great american, no you're a great american. Let me pat you on the back then you can pat me on the back. No we should drill, yes we should drill but only on weekdays and not in my back yard. And to think our country still survives after all this internal conflict.
As the two candidates throw mud back and forth to try and win the seat either of them ever acknowlege we are all living in the same country. And no matter who wins or loses, they still have to live in the same country. And if our country falls, then we all fall. Let's take responsibility and act like Americans.
I don't know about you, but I love this country. I like waking up, going to work to make an honest living. I love the weekends. I like driving from one place to another without restriction. I like to buy things for my wife and daughter and plan for the future, if there is one. Lately however it's been harder to get a loan, money i've invested and entrusted in others to manage has dwindled. Stores we've shopped at for years are going bankrupt. Institutions that made this nation are going belly up. Why? All because some just can't get enough. I understand we all like to make and spend money. But how much is enough? Obviously, too much is not enough.
Why do the Chinese own so much of the american pie? Why is Europe gaining strength against us? Russia is pushing it's weight around, again, and we can't do a damn thing. After 9/11 the world shook in terror as how the US would respond. Now it is laughed off. The dollar used to be the symbol of strength and prosperity, now a symbol of uncertainty. An we keep losing credibility.
As far as energy is concerned, the car was commercialized in the early 1900's. Thus fossil fuels had begun it's evolution. Nuclear energy began in the early 1900's as well. Everyone cried about nuclear power in the 60's and 70's. Imagine how much further we would have been if pursued and perfected as much as the vehicle. My point is enough time has passed. The T.Boone Pickens idea is not a bad one. I know he is not perfect and probably wants to make more money but at least its a step in the right direction. Can you think of a better one? Maybe you can but you'll never get past the hawks. The recent jump in gas prices was the 3rd wakeup call for America. The nation immediately shifted thinking from large to compact. Now that gas prices have come down somewhat, should we just go back to the status quo? I think I'll go out, get a loan from IndyMac and buy a Yukon from GMAC with the "pay what employees pay" gimmick. Keep sucking it up. There will be more. Maybe it was a test from Opec, Iran, China and Russia to see how we would react.
Enough rambling. I hope you get the message. I know that some of you will start up with the same b.s. as dictated by your party of choice. And that your choice or your parties choice is the right one. The bottom line is we all live and breath in the same country. Keep up the status quo and let's see what happens in the next ten years. It probably won't take that long. Again, I love my country and will do what it takes to keep it alive. Even from changing parties as some of you freaks would rather see your party survive more than the country you live in. Keep an eye on your elected and put the squeeze on them. After all they put the squeeze on you.
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