T. Boone Pickens…is a Texas Billionaire. He delivered newspapers as a kid and played basketball at Oklahoma State. He is a Hedge Fund person (good grief) as well
as an successful Texas Oilman. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T._Boone_Pickens
If you go to the link, you can find out bunches more about this eclectic person
considered the 117th richest in the United States.
He recently went to Georgetown University and spoke about energy. He mentioned a
few things that make incredible sense. “The time has come for America to change
its ways in regards to energy!” he said. He listed five important resources that
need to be utilized. (1) Coal, (2) LNG (Liquid Natural Gas), (3) Nuclear, (4) Wind
and (5) Solar. Under Miscellaneous he mentioned Bio-Fuels, Hydrogen, Ethanol and
all others.
He calls for a couple of things worth mentioning: (1) Create Clean Technology for
all Coal Fired Plants in the United States. Expand the Clean Coal Fired plants which
service much of the East Coast of the United States. (2) Create as many new Nuclear
Plants as fast as we can. The solution to the storage of the waste has solutions
which the French have been utilizing for years. And, (3) fully Mandate that every Commercial Truck, Bus or Train run on Liquid Natural Gas…rather than traditional diesel.
In addition, he mentions that Wind Power for Small Communities across this country will reduce more of our dependence on Foreign Oil. He suggested that with the new Lightweight Solar Panels…..large portions of the Southwest could soon be totally Energy Independent.
As we know, the majority of politicians and bureaucrats rely on lobbyists and paid
Public Relations people…that keep tauting the ADM line of “Ethanol for all!” In order for the United States to fully utilize 100% Ethanol…it would take the total crop production of America dedicated strictly to Corn and nothing else. Hardly an appetizing or viable option, unless of course we are ready for the unintended bio-engineered consequences of world hunger! (This argument requires a much longer discussion which involves inter-relationships in the world and chemical companies!)
Pickens suggests that since 1900, the world has utilized over a Trillion Barrels
of oil. He believes that there is either one or two Trillion more barrels of oil
left in the ground. Pickens believes that Aramco (from Saudi Arabia) and other Middle
East Companies are going to stop sending the United States Oil for us to refine here,
but will create Refineries there and just ship us the Gas. Sounds rather dangerous to us…but then…what do we know. Additionally, Picken’s call for LNG to replace ALL fuels for Commercial vehicles and trains…sounds a bit self-serving since his Company “Clean Energy – CLNE Stock Symbol” is working on that solution right now.
Pickens finally does not hold out any good news regarding price. He believes that
energy prices are going to rise and rise and rise until the world runs out. He doesn’t mention when that might be….but if it took 108 years to use the first
Trillion Barrels of oil….it doesn’t take much imagination to think that it may
take less than 54 years from now to use up another Trillion Barrels. If in fact
there is still another Trillion Barrels left….it might take yet another 27 years
until we would be totally out. That would be: 2089 by our calculations!
Doesn’t sound like a long time does it?
Well, here is our solution. DNA! Remember that other big problem that hasn’t been
resolved yet: Cloning! If in fact we can clone cows, sheep, monkeys and people…
why can’t we clone oil? We have a few good years left to start the process – don’t
we? When will our scientists….from India or Pakistan or China…be able to clone
OIL? We don’t need Mr. Picken’s answers….we need to be thinking out of the box! We need to create OIL out of whole cloth. And we need to start doing it now. One last
thought: Years ago….people even talked about running engines on water! Wonder what a 2012 Stanley Steamer might look like? Probably would require some Lithium batteries…though!
No, Mr. Pickens…..we admire your ability to get rich. We admire your desire
for a great Oklahoma State Football and Basketball Program. We even admire the
fact that you believe in keeping businesses in the United States. These are good
things! However, we are even more optimistic…..we believe that we can survive
in a crazy world with a bunch of greedy people all believing:
“The End Times are Here”!
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