We’re in this mess for many reasons, but two that were human error and will take years to resolve were1) Our own politicians’ failure to allow US drilling
2) Our own politicians’ failure to encourage US refinery building
The Air Force, at least, has taken a concrete step to help the situation. Do we have the resolve to stop letting ourselves be dependent on the people who hate us and who use the profits to destroy us and undermine us? It’s gotten beyond being a merely economic equation. It’s about national survival.
But our “leaders” are failures in that on both sides of the aisle. As Pickens will say, he doesn’t think anyone in Washington has a clue about the seriousness of the problem we face and, so, they aren’t able to speak to the issues let alone lead.
To add to the national discussion, T. Boone Pickens weighs in through this interview.
He’s an oil insider from way back. I don’t think you’ll be less confused, but at least you will be more educated.
*In answer to the idea that we can demand the Saudi’s produce more oil Pickens says: “In the Mideast, they can’t give you any more oil than they’re giving you. The game has changed.” He believes world wide production has peaked and will decrease 6% per year.
*Unlike some who think the earth’s core is still generating oil and that it’s not a “fossil fuel”, Pickens thinks production and new finds have peaked.
*If ANWR (Alaskan) drilling were ok’d today it wouldn’t be enough by itself to make a dent and it would really only be flowing after ten years.
*Current talk from Congress is making the Canadians who have oil to sell to the US are thinking of selling it to Asia as a result.
*Pickens is going to invest big bucks ($10 Billion) in wind farms because he doesn’t think world oil production can increase above current levels and is, in fact, shrinking. This makes nuclear sound a whole lot better. The French are way ahead of us on this…
*He’d rather have ethanol than Saudi oil.
*In answer to the question “What do you think about solar power?” Pickens answered: “Don’t know anything about it.”
*He likes natural gas as fuel for automobiles.
*Prime quote: “You’ve got to try to develop everything. You don’t push anything off the table now. You just have to go balls-out to get it done, and get off of this crude oil. I just can’t believe, I keep saying this. It’s just a huge outflow of wealth from this country. ”
As home business people, it’s time to see how we can insulate our work at home businesses from the cost of rising energy. It may not be possible depending on your field, but I am at least convinced that Washington offers no promise in the matter and that if anything helps us it will be private entrepreneurial responses.
I did get one idea though… build a Wind Farm in Washington DC next to the Capital building… we might have an indefinite supply of energy very quickly!
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