T. Boone Pickens

What is the deal with this guy? He makes billions on oil and now he is trying to start a grass roots movement against oil. Is he just annoyed that the $ is going somewhere else or is he trying to get people fired up so the government relaxes regulations on alternatives and he can make billions on wind farms, natural gas cars, etc... In a related note they are expanding a wind farm here in NE Pa that is owned by a company from out of the counrty. I guess the coal companies will soon be owned by outsiders too.

Follow the money. There is big bucks in carbon emission sequestration, alternate energy generation etc. It sounds like he is trying to position himself as the champion of green energy so he can make a buck.

A local businessman who owns the old steam pipes in Wilkes-Barre is trying to get federal money to convert those old pipes into an open loop geothermal system for the businesses downtown. Nothing like risking someone else's tax dollars on a business venture. If it's such a great idea where is all of the private investment?

I'd prefer to think that Mr Pickens has made his fortune, and is seeing the country go down the tubes because of the cost of oil.. so maybe he wants to help out the situation.. Yes he will probably make some money while he's at it,, but at his age, just how much money can you spend...??

Maybe, just maybe he really does love America and is trying to do the patriotic thing, and help out with the future of our country??? I hope so.

I hope his venture pans out, we need to get on the road to energy independance..

Drill in the arctic, the caribou and bears like us.. AND, lets keep that oil for our country,, don't sell it to China and Japan.. let them pay the high world-prices for oil... We've been the natural resource supplier for way too much of our competetors' growth.

Greg L

It just kills me with all the NIMBY's in this country, and most are tree huggers themselves! Case in point, a town that shares a river as our common border approved a scrap- wood/ debris burning power generation plant, it passed every hoop the Connecticut Enviro-police could throw at them....no small feat.
Well well, a group of 20 or so ( in our town, not theirs) oppose the water cooling method approved by the State and our new Demokrat selectman backed up the enviro-nuts and now the project is on hold and will end up the courts for God knows how long. It took this company 5 years to bring this Alternative Power Plant to fruition, and now it's stopped dead in it's tracks.
Nantucket Island, (2) homeowners put up Windmills to generate power for their homes, the local P & Z board is now drafting ordinances AGAINST Windmills on the Island, they don't like the looks or the Sound they make!

WE Can Not Win.

Whatever his motives are, I think it is a step in the right direction. Several wind farms have been built in my area, they created much needed jobs and tax revenue and produce clean energy.

I hope his motives are unselfish I guess I am a cynic by nature. I do agree that something needs to be done about our dependence on oil and the enviroment. I was a lad when the 70's oil crisis hit but I remember how there was a lot of research and rhetoric over alternatives and high mileage vehicles. However Oil prices dropped and all was forgotten. The proof is evident here in the coal region, a lot of people switched to Oil heat for the ease of use and now the waiting list for a new stove or coal furnace is a mile long. I hope our commitment to alternatives remains strong even if Oil prices drop.

We better do something fast, according to the last paragraph here, our man mad global warming is affecting all the other planets in the solar system.

http://www.dailytech.com/Myth+of+Consen ... e12403.htm

There are steps starting in Congress to address the whole energy issue with a coherent national strategy. For a summary of the initiatives take a look at:

http://www.ieeeusa.org/communications/p ... re/jul.asp

There are links at the bottom of the article to the two senator's speeches. It's significant as to where the speeches were given. One of the speeches is available on a so-so quality video. What struck me is there is no mention of Anthracite coal as a part of the national energy solution. It's likely because the Anthracite industries, coal miners, producers and appliance builders, have no lobby group. I think this needs to change before some draconian restrictions on residential coal burning gets imposed. I'm working on posting some suggestions on what we can do.

I think it's more likley there's no mention of coal because the Greenies would be appalled at the burning of almost pure carbon. Several of my earth shoe wearing neighbors make no secret of their dislike that I'm heating my home with coal. If they could stop me they would or at least try. It's not a politically correct answer to the energy crisis, according to them. In the mean time, I'm building an outside coal bunker.

Well, it's not that the evolving national energy policy doesn't mention coal. It does, but it's referencing Bituminous coal, not ANTHRACITE coal. As we all know there's a substantial difference. But the policy makers in Congress don't seem to know the difference. I believe one can make a valid technical claim that residential ANTHRACITE coal burning is environmentally sound compared to other choices, at least for the next few decades until more environmentally friendly energy sources become available.