FYI, he is the chairman of BP and he has an idea that he is pushing to help ween the US off of foreign oil.

America is addicted to foreign oil.

It's an addiction that threatens our economy, our environment and our national security. It touches every part of our daily lives and ties our hands as a nation and a people.

The addiction has worsened for decades and now it's reached a point of crisis.
In 1970, we imported 24% of our oil.
Today it's nearly 70% and growing.

As imports grow and world prices rise, the amount of money we send to foreign nations every year is soaring. At current oil prices, we will send $700 billion dollars out of the country this year alone — that's four times the annual cost of the Iraq war.

Projected over the next 10 years the cost will be $10 trillion — it will be the greatest transfer of wealth in the history of mankind.

America uses a lot of oil. Every day 85 million barrels of oil are produced around the world. And 21 million of those are used here in the United States.

That's 25% of the world's oil demand. Used by just 4% of the world's population.

Can't we just produce more oil?

World oil production peaked in 2005. Despite growing demand and an unprecedented increase in prices, oil production has fallen over the last three years. Oil is getting more expensive to produce, harder to find and there just isn't enough of it to keep up with demand.

The simple truth is that cheap and easy oil is gone.

What's the good news?
The United States is the Saudi Arabia of wind power.

Studies from around the world show that the Great Plains states are home to the greatest wind energy potential in the world — by far.

The Department of Energy reports that 20% of America's electricity can come from wind. North Dakota alone has the potential to provide power for more than a quarter of the country.

Today's wind turbines stand up to 410 feet tall, with blades that stretch 148 feet in length. The blades collect the wind's kinetic energy. In one year, a 3-megawatt wind turbine produces as much energy as 12,000 barrels of imported oil.

Wind power currently accounts for 48 billion kWh of electricity a year in the United States — enough to serve more than 4.5 million households. That is still only about 1% of current demand, but the potential of wind is much greater.

A 2005 Stanford University study found that there is enough wind power worldwide to satisfy global demand 7 times over — even if only 20% of wind power could be captured.

Building wind facilities in the corridor that stretches from the Texas panhandle to North Dakota could produce 20% of the electricity for the United States at a cost of $1 trillion. It would take another $200 billion to build the capacity to transmit that energy to cities and towns.

That's a lot of money, but it's a one-time cost. And compared to the $700 billion we spend on foreign oil every year, it's a bargain.
An economic revival for rural America.

Developing wind power is an investment in rural America.

To witness the economic promise of wind energy, look no further than Sweetwater, Texas.

Sweetwater was typical of many small towns in middle-America. With a shortage of good jobs, the youth of Sweetwater were leaving in search of greater opportunities. And the town's population dropped from 12,000 to under 10,000.

When a large wind power facility was built outside of town, Sweetwater experienced a revival. New economic opportunity brought the town back to life and the population has grown back up to 12,000.

In the Texas panhandle, just north of Sweetwater, is the town of Pampa, where T. Boone Pickens' Mesa Power is currently building the largest wind farm in the world.

At 4,000 megawatts — the equivalent combined output of four large coal-fire plants — the production of the completed Pampa facility will double the wind energy output of the United States.

In addition to creating new construction and maintenance jobs, thousands of Americans will be employed to manufacture the turbines and blades. These are high skill jobs that pay on a scale comparable to aerospace jobs.

Plus, wind turbines don't interfere with farming and grazing, so they don't threaten food production or existing local economies.
A cheap new replacement for foreign oil.

The Honda Civic GX Natural Gas Vehicle is the cleanest internal-combustion vehicle in the world according to the EPA.

Natural gas and bio-fuels are the only domestic energy sources used for transportation.
Cleaner

Natural gas is the cleanest transportation fuel available today.

According to the California Energy Commission, critical greenhouse gas emissions from natural gas are 23% lower than diesel and 30% lower than gasoline.

Natural gas vehicles (NGV) are already available and combine top performance with low emissions. The natural gas Honda Civic GX is rated as the cleanest production vehicle in the world.

According to NGVAmerica, there are more than 7 million NGVs in use worldwide, but only 150,000 of those are in the United States.

The EPA estimates that vehicles on the road account for 60% of carbon monoxide pollution and around one-third of hydrocarbon and nitrogen oxide emissions in the United States. As federal and state emissions laws become more stringent, many requirements will be unattainable with conventionally fueled vehicles.

Since natural gas is significantly cleaner than petroleum, NGVs are increasing in popularity. The Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach recently announced that 16,800 old diesel trucks will be replaced, and half of the new vehicles will run on alternatives such as natural gas.
Cheaper

Natural gas is significantly less expensive than gasoline or diesel. In places like Utah and Oklahoma, prices are less than $1 a gallon. To see fueling stations and costs in your area, check out cngprices.com.
Domestic

Natural gas is our country's second largest energy resource and a vital component of our energy supply. 98% of the natural gas used in the United States is from North America. But 70% of our oil is purchased from foreign nations.

Natural gas is one of the cleanest, safest and most useful forms of energy — residentially, commercially and industrially. The natural gas industry has existed in the United States for over 100 years and continues to grow.

Domestic natural gas reserves are twice that of petroleum. And new discoveries of natural gas and ongoing development of renewable biogas are continually adding to existing reserves.

While it is a cheap, effective and versatile fuel, less than 1% of natural gas is currently used for transportation.
The Mechanics


We currently use natural gas to produce 22% of our electricity. Harnessing the power of wind to generate electricity will give us the flexibility to shift natural gas away from electricity generation and put it to use as a transportation fuel — reducing our dependence on foreign oil by more than one-third.
How do we get it done?

The Pickens Plan is a bridge to the future — a blueprint to reduce foreign oil dependence by harnessing domestic energy alternatives, and buy us time to develop even greater new technologies.

Building new wind generation facilities and better utilizing our natural gas resources can replace more than one-third of our foreign oil imports in 10 years. But it will take leadership.

On January 20th, 2009, a new President will take office.

We're organizing behind the Pickens Plan now to ensure our voices will be heard by the next administration.

Together we can raise a call for change and set a new course for America's energy future in the first hundred days of the new presidency — breaking the hammerlock of foreign oil and building a new domestic energy future for America with a focus on sustainability.

You can start changing America's future today by supporting the Pickens Plan.

__________________
Enough about me, how are you doing?

Windbag.

I think that's awesome and I approved this message...

__________________
-Evan


Benz Fleet:
1968 UNIMOG 404.114
1998 E300
2008 E63


Non-Benz Fleet:
1992 Aerostar
1993 MR2
2000 F250

And just how many windmills are needed to replace all existing NG plus cover all future needs?

When it becomes economically viable there will be a bunch of wndmills going up for sure. But I can't imagine how many would be needed to replace the NG generators.

And I am sure the bird lovers would just love a solid 1500 miles of 300 foot diameter wind turbines chewing up all the birds.

And then there's the noise.

__________________
Thank You!
Fred
2009 ML350
2004 SL600
2004 SL500
1996 SL600
2002 SLK32
2005 CLK320 cabrio
2003 ML350
1997 C280 Sport

the windmill/bird issue is a biggie. It stopped development of a windmill farm in a flyway in Europe.

In the USA migratory birds are protected by federal law. I don't know how the law would affect windmills in a flyway but I'll bet lawyers will find out.

I saw the commercial while I was reading a book and noted to check it out.. then while lost in my book forgot about the website.. heh

its not like the blades are turning as fast as a lawn mowers blades... plus they are pretty large and visible

When I look up "Petroleum in America" all I get is his name.

'Love the idea of "Wind Power".

'Innate scepticism causes Bewilderment at TBP touting anything other than oil.
Oh, Wait...That's right Electricity necessitates a "Grid" for "Power" transfer...
(You have to be enslaved to a "Power Generator" to receive Electrical Power)

"Beyond Petroleum","Exxon Mobil"(is not REALLY interested in your pocketbook/
wallet),T Boone Pickens,Royal Dutch Shell,Etc. are not going to promulgate ANY
ENERGY idea/policy that doesn't continue the Enslavement of the American
populace to the same old Seven Sisters.

Electrical wind generation ...great,BUT what the **** are all the coal miners going to do?

Electrical Cars [the volt] SIMPLY transfers the pollution source to the coal
fired generation plant.

Hydrogen Fuel Cell vehicles...'You gonna make hydrogen in the garage?
(Forget the fact that hydrogen is a net energy SINK much worse than
ethanol.) 'You are nuts if you think I'm gonna let YOU drive a 3000lbs
hydrogen bomb on the same freeways with me!

Our way of life will have to adjust to less energy consumption AND it will
happen much more rapidly and with less angst...If first we Drown Any and
All who've Had Anything to do with Energy: Production,Distribution,Sales,
Etc. in the last 50 years.Their best interests are not those of the American People (Or The Planet).



Bio-fuels,Bio-lubricants from:Switchgrass,and other renewable sources(some
considered TRASH now)

Synthetic: Lubricants,Diesel,JP5 ,JP8,Etc. using the old German Synthetic fuel process
[Turn trillions of tons of shale coal into energy for the U.S.)

There are even better ideas out there...But they will not come from TBP.

__________________
'84 300SD sold
124.128

Sounds awfully Slim to me.

Ever heard the term, "bird-brained"? Birds slam into skyscrapers and die, windows and die, antennas and die, antenna guy wires and die, derricks and die, airplanes and die, cars and die, Etc. In Europe there are studies in which dead birds have been counted around wind farms and there are far more dead birds in wind farms than outside of windfarms. This is especially true during migrations.

Birds aren't real bright.

B

...

Attached Thumbnails

 

__________________
1992 300D 2.5T
1980 Euro 300D (sadly, sold)
1998 Jetta TDI, 132K "Rudy"
1974 Triumph TR6
1999 Saab 9-5 wagon (wife's)

We need more nukie plants.

__________________

1980 300TD-China Blue/Blue MBTex-2nd Owner, 107K (Alt Blau) OBK #15
'06 Chevy Tahoe Z71 (for the wife & 4 kids, current mule) '03 Honda Odyssey (son #1's ride, reluctantly) '99 GMC Suburban (255K+ miles, semi-retired mule) 21' SeaRay Seville (summer escape pod)

... Fabio's face and die ...

Article:
http://www.ultimaterollercoaster.com/news/archives/april99/stories/040199_01.shtml

Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYT67eMimS0

__________________
Chad
2006 Nissan Pathfinder LE
1998 Acura 3.0 CL
OBK#44
"Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work." - Aristotle (384-322 B.C.)

SOLD
1985 300TD - Red Dragon
1986 300SDL - Coda
1991 - 300TE
1995 - E320
1985 300CD - Gladys

Uh, not that I want to contradict you guys but T. Boone is the head of BP Capital, which he founded, (as in his initials) and not BP formerly known as British Petroleum. Completely different operation.

And I don't usually like to agree with someone who so ardently supported GWB, but he has a point. I'm what almost anyone would call a liberal, but when I drive thru Palm Palm Springs wind array, I don't care about the birds at all. Or the caribou in ANWAR for that mattter.

Would anyone like to refute the statement "Energy independence for the USA is a good idea."

I'm willing to listen to anyone who can credibly plan a way to achieve it. Background in the oil business is not a disqualifier to me. If we no longer live and die by the price of oil, and the American standard of living can improve rather than declining to the 3rd world, then TBP can make a TRILLION for all I care...

__________________
1985 300TD
1984 380SL
1983 280SE (full Euro, trunk triangle and all!)

Formerly owned:
1986 420SEL
1984 300D
1983 300D
1981 300SD
1976 300D

SOUNDS good. Why is he pushing for this? Because he cares for America and doesn't care if it affects his company? Why do I find this hard to believe?

I run a payday loan store. Now, I propose a plan to get the "economically challenged" people off getting payday loans and live better. I sell drugs and propose a way to get my customers into rehab. Sure I believe it.

Think about this. Even if he sells you the windmill, it is a one time thing. Sure there will be parts and what not but it is self maintaining and you don't need to buy wind from him anymore. Now, if he had come up with the plan and outlined how BP will benefit from it, I might find it more credible. A plan that helps the consumer but has no real benefit to BP and even might harm BP? Sorry, I don't believe in altruism either. I certainly don't believe Best Buy when they try to sound like they are my best friend trying to help me without talking about what is in it for them

__________________
01 Ford Excursion Powerstroke
99 E300 Turbodiesel
91 Vette with 383 motor
05 Polaris Sportsman 800 EFI
06 Polaris Sportsman 500 EFI
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Red
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Yellow
04 Tailgator 21 ft Toy Hauler
11 Harley Davidson 883 SuperLow