T. Boone Pickens' 'clean' secret|

[Phred42]

T-BONE wants to own the Wind and Sun and have us pay for the infrastructure that will make him even more BILLIONS.

The only way to solve this permanently is to support decentralized sources. Trading one monopoly for another is not an answer.

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LA Times OpEd

T. Boone Pickens' 'clean' secret
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/sunday/commentary/la-oe-rubenstein29-2008jul29,0,2346782.story

Proposition 10 would put California taxpayers on the hook for his natural gas plan.
Texas oil billionaire T. Boone Pickens is pushing a national campaign to make the U.S. "energy independent" through wind power and vehicles that run on natural gas. His blitz of TV ads featuring his own down-home voice has picked up a lot of admiring news coverage. To date, Pickens has yet to explain whose dime will pay for this.

Well, Californians can clarify exactly whose dime it will be: Ours. Along with being the country's biggest wind power developer, Pickens owns Clean Energy Fuels Corp., a natural gas fueling station company that is the sole backerof the stealthy Proposition 10 on California's November ballot. This measure would authorize the sale of $5 billion in general fund bonds to provide alternative energy rebates and incentives -- but by the time the principal and the interest is paid off, it would squander at least $9.8 billion in taxpayer money on Pickens' self-serving natural gas agenda.
The initiative deceptively reads like it's supporting all alternative-fuel vehicles and renewable energy sources. But a closer read finds a laundry list of cash grabs -- from $200 million for a liquefied natural gas terminal to $2.5 billion for rebates of up to $50,000 for each natural gas vehicle.

Much of the measure's billions could benefit Pickens' company to the exclusion of almost all other clean-vehicle fuels and technology. Engines that run on compressed natural gas have a place in pollution reduction, especially for heavy trucks and public buses. But natural gas is a nonrenewable fossil fuel that we import from foreign sources, and it is no better (and in some cases worse) when it comes to emissions and fuel efficiency compared with the best hybrid cars or the new ultra-clean diesel engines. Most insidiously, Proposition 10's lavish rebates for natural gas-powered cars and trucks could crowd out superior technologies from taking root in California, the largest transportation market in the United States.

[dkf]

1. Yup, we need to have our own source of energy on our rooftops

and on our property.

Screw the utilities.

[TexasObserver]

2. he's been an SOB for a lifetime, so he's probably still an SOB

did I mention he's a lying, cheating, GOP bastard?

[spanone]

3. 'the greatest transfer of wealth' from our pockets to his

[karynnj]

4. I've been shocked by environmentalists and lefties who blindly praised this jerk

The idea of pushing the conversion of cars to natural gas and heating homes to all electricity seemed wrong in the first place - when there has been massive progress on running cars CLEANLY on electricity. It seemed to be nothing other than a program to enrich T-Boone - and when is he going to meet with the vets and give them the $1 million dollars.

This article is great explaining just how bad his plan is.

[MBS]

5. thanks a lot for this article

Like karynnj, I've been shocked by Dems' naivete on Pickens, especially given his public history both as an oilman, a big-time donor to Republicans, and as a supporter of the Swift Boat Liars.

[Ricky_U]

7. Solar and wind

Solar and wind are the only viable alternatives. Wind has already been monopolized by the large corporations. You have to be out of the urban areas to use it.
Solar is the answer.
If you push for FEED-IN TARIFFS in your state, it will happen. FIT's allow everyone, small and large to benefit and eliminate the initial financial hurdles. Don't let your state legislators give you lame excuses of why not to use FITs. They have worked in Germany, Spain and Greece. More and more states where an informed populace communicate to their representatives, are passing FIT legislation. Make your state one of them.

[Ricky_U]

6. The rich have been found out; keep spreading the word to stop them

Perfect example of what Naomi Klein calls “The Shock Doctrine”. DON’T BE FOOLED BY HOW THE RICH BUNDLE AND PRESENT THEIR SOLUTIONS!

See also: FREE LUNCH: How the Wealthiest Americans Enrich Themselves at Government Expense (and Stick You with the Bill)

[Toucano]

8. Methods to produce energy at the point of consumption should be the goal.

And wireless transmission of electricity should continue to be researched.

[Phred42]

9. Tesla said he had that -

Maybe there are notes somewhere

[Toucano]

10. Tesla did do it, and it's still being researched.

If the government would stop trying to weaponize everything, maybe we could make some progress.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wireless_energy_transfer

[Phred42]

11. Point

[AntiFascist]

12. How disappointing, I was hoping he would promote electric-powered cars...

by 2010 we will have mainstream cars available that can travel long distances, solely powered by electric power. We also need to build solar farms in California and the Southwest, as well as tidal power (ocean current?) and other clean electric sources to provide the energy necessary to replace gasoline. I would say skip the natural gas, it only delays the development of clean electric.