If anyone ever thought it would be an oil man telling America that we needed to stop using oil, we would have told you that hell had just frozen and George Bush had become a Muslim. But only the first part is true.
T. Boone Pickens, oil man made of billions, is telling America that we need to stop using oil. Period. And he has a plan to do it, appropriately named the Pickens Plan. And guess what? It does not include more drilling. "I've been an oil man all my life, but this is one emergency we can't drill our way out of." That is one of the most profound statements made.
Of course, Pickens has a motive for this. He is a large investor in wind power. And Texas is a prime location for more windmills. He even mentions that North Dakota could produce 25% of the power the country needs just on wind alone. Even though our local newspapers are poo poo'ing the idea of wind power, it is one of the most viable solutions we have. Wind might die down, but wind does not stop forever. It may even be more reliable than solar energy.
In addition to wind power, Pickens advocates converting cars to natural gas power. We've got plenty here in the US. Natural gas also burns cleaner, which would help the environment. Of course the drawback is drilling in people's backyards and having to listen to Tommy Lee Jones tell us how great shale is.
So take this for what it's worth. It is better than drilling and drilling and drilling. It's a plan to ween us off Saudi Arabia's teet. And we should take it into consideration.
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