Pickens' Plan to Reduce Foreign Energy Dependency

[1965guitarboy]

WTF do Americans do with all that oil? just pour it down the drain?

[pplstan]

I love it..run for president...lets do it america

[1965guitarboy]

@pplstan Sorry, but many in the science field, and groups like Greenpeace, FOA, and others, have been trying to get ideas across for years, and years, but it takes the big charasmatic types with the credibility to say it.

BTW there are many in the US who are way way too stupid to take this on board, but for the sake of the planet, and others in far off countries, hope that something is done. US oil sqandering/entitlement is a disgusting global crime.

[joeb0]

I used to be paid by him to call people to get them to check out his website. Was the most fun political campaign ever cause people want to listen to renewable energy.

[1776independent]

The obvious wrinkle in all this is he completely fails to deal with the elephant(s) in the room:

1. We're going to shut down all of our natural gas power plants? REALLY?

2. We're not going to replace the biggest problem, coal power plants, with that wind resource?

3. No mention of global warming whatsoever.

4. What about our real addiction, driving alone in cars like no other people on Earth.

I'm all for his plans to develop wind, but let's not ignore the elephants.

[joeb0]

Next step after this is to get a national maglev system.

[1776independent]

@joeb0 That would, of course, be amazing. I'd settle for a good high-speed nationwide rail system with some key maglev routes. Maglev is sooo pricey per track mile that it's probably beyond us financially.

[joeb0]

@1776independent If only GM wouldn't have bought out and shut down almost all passenger train companies in the 70s.

[pvelectric]

desalinization of seawater to refill world's rivers at their source is essential for human survival, and the faster the better. general electric has patents on the worlds biggest fuel cell, which can store the overnight solar from pv or heat-solar reflectors. heat solar; more maintenance costs, and replacement of moving parts with the Edison type, but near 40% sun- efficiency, to photovoltaics (PVs) near 20 percent (at today's costs). pv's mfg. costs beginning to fall finally lately,

[pvelectric]

I'm convinced finally, after thinking about it for a year, that this pickens dude is way intelligent, and should be perhaps given a job in obama's executive branch, perhaps replacing that huy just booted out for his "acorn' group activities, i think the thing involved. interior or ag. department ?

[hotFusionReaction]

"what a fake."

How is this fake?

[hotFusionReaction]

"It s all about water and natural gas and GOV money for windmills, not saven us from oil"

I don't care how much "government" money he's after. *If* it is possible to displace enough Natural Gas power plants by setting up Wind Farms, *and* if that Natural Gas can then be fed into the Automobile sector, then I think that's a pretty f__king smart investment.

I also don't understand why anyone *CARES* if he happens to make money off water on the side *IF* he also does this.

[hotFusionReaction]

"I have a job and I dont want my tax money going for this BS"

Like most crybaby conservatives, so damn terrified you aren't going to get your piece of the pie.

Don't worry, if this pans out, you would be able to fill your vehicle with Natural Gas at a price equivalent to about 50¢ to 75¢ per gallon.

Make you happy.

"How old are you? I ve been working for 26 years so piss off. "

Like a little cheese to go with that whine?

[Darkwizzrobe]

I agree this is a good idea, I would hope that it would require less taxpayer money, but as you pointed out this should pay for itself after awhile.

[lVlAtlZiX]

The problem is it costs about $250 million dollars to make a wind farm and also you need the land and the local people. Also you have to deal with people like PETA who care about the birds who fly into them and die. Its a lot of red tape to build a wind farm.

[pvelectric]

naah just tell them the truth, the bird's loss will be, if you leave a gate open at night, a caote's gain, and during daytime the vultures and big black crow's. no big paperwork expenes at the pentagon or to get nuclear bombs in space for starwars? veteran medical costs for Iraq-Afgan.-Pakistan next 50 years, @ $500 billion.

[Eagledaletiger]

please don't believe this failed oil man and successful corp. raider

[tadaa11]

How is he a failed oil man?

[pplstan]

@tadaa11 HE IS A BILLIONARE.. AND 80 YRS. OLD AND REALLY NAILED WHAT AMERICA NEEDS TO DO.

[SteveI72]

You seem to think that the free market is better than socialism, however, without the socialist protections provided by our government, Americans can't compete with workers from other countries. It is only because of socialist protectionism that you have such as high standard of living. On the world market, your job skills will only earn you about $300 per month...at most. You support the free market, but in a free market, you could probably never even afford a car.

[thedarknessgrew]

... so because our nation has a higher standard of living, we are going to fail? Not so sure that's right. Plus why the fuck should people in every nation make the same wage?

[pvelectric]

i've never heard anyone in my whole life say everyone should make the same wage, except communist theorists and soviet union murderers and liars.

a living wage along the lines of roosevelt's four freedoms, and un's human rights goals, and the world bank's targets, getting the necessities of life, food shelter clothing and fuel, yes.

[SteveI72]

The problem isn't that doctors in Europe make too little, you are making too much. You are doing a working class job, so your standard of living should be about the same as members of the working class in other countries. This is a perfect example of why our country is going to fail. Do you really think that you could compete on a level playing field with a worker from China? People that do a similar job should have a similar standard of living...regardless of where they live.

[leapoffaith20]

Heres an idea, STOP DRIVING SHITTY CARS WITH MASSIVE ENGINES YOU MORONS.

[chairde]

Hey teabag in your UK the price is much higher.I think your the fucking morons. I hate the fucking Brits.

[ThePrimeSpotcom]

I think DIVERSITY is key. Have autos manufactured out of recyclables, reduce our speed limits, and use fuel from natural resources.

Which reminds me - I need to write my farming friends in Iowa that are behind the Soy Bean!

[Jaeh1]

I agree...to an extent. We SHOULD use natural/sustainable resources for energy. I DON'T think we should use food crops for transportation. Right now, algae is looking VERY GOOD. It grows FAST, can be used for oil, and after oil is extracted, can go to feed livestock or burned in power plants. It thrives on CO2, so it's a neutral fuel. A company in (don't quote me) New Zealand went commercial with it 1+ years ago (Aquaflow/Aquagrow). MIT's Bioreactor project was stopped....,

[Jaeh1]

growth rate was faster than their experimental harvesting process could handle. Check out Vertigrow's plan on Youtube.

The US ability to adapt/overcome is being challenged AGAIN. Our technology, R&D, and flexibility will see us through to a viable solution. It will take wind, solar, CHG, algae, etc combined. Pickens plan will end up being a SMALL piece of the BIG puzzle.

[Jaeh1]

It's Aquaflow. Also, check out venturebeat'dot'com. search for 'wild algae' and check out the results.

[Jaeh1]

Automakers are getting beat again by foreign competition..back to the late 70s. A US car that breaks 60-80mpg average would put them on top. VW already has a diesel car that gets 80-100mpg, but not sold in the US.

I am optimistic that Mr. Pickens plan, coupled with other ideas will get us out of the bind before it gets much worse.

What do you think?

[Jaeh1]

The US played a big role in creating the fuel problems. GOV allowed companies to send jobs offshore. Now China, and India (mainly), are growing FAST, and doing it with oil. GOV didn't hold automakers to the CAFE, or advance it. We didn't protest low MPG...until now. Hardly anything said about conservation. We allowed NIMBY to hinder progress, not even considering remote sites for nuke plants and refineries. GOV STILL cramming corn ethanol down our throat, pitting dinner table vs. gas tank.....

[Jaeh1]

I agree! After the 70s oil embargoes, Carter started the CAFE stardard. It took MPG up to 28MPG. When he left office, it has been pushed into the basement. SUVs are EXEMPT, but get the WORST MPG. Now we have an impending jam of no fuel, and an in-your-face fuel cost. Why Mr. Pickens the only one putting a plan on the table? Not the best, but a DANG good start...considering no others are out there.

Three-mile Island scare killed nuke plant ideas. Also, NIMBY played a role in denying both.

[tubamaxima]

Wow !!!! does T,Boone Pickens say it right. Now here is a real American

[SteveI72]

While I strongly agree that renewable energy is the way to go, I just can't bring myself to promote anything from T. Boone Pickens. His actions over the years, and the 2004 election in particular, are impossible to overlook. His support for groups like the Swift Boat Veterans ruined it for me. Much of the mess our country is in is because of people like him. The plan itself is OK, but the person promoting it is a pathetic excuse for a human being.

[wsgbane]

More people need to read this.

[rushnut1958]

Pickens is on to something. 4% of the population using 25% of the oil. "An emergency we cannot drill our way out of ." His words. Not mine.

[TECHKLEC]

The key statement is "We need proper leadersihip. For thirty years we have had a Department of Energy and there has not even been a nuclear power plant nor an oil refinery built in that time.