Texas Oil Man Says We Can Break the Addiction
T. Boone! At 80, he's reached mythic status. Here's how USA Today describes him: a legendary Texas oilman, corporate raider, shareholder-rights crusader, philanthropist and deep-pocketed moneyman for conservative politicians. But yesterday Pickens unveiled what he's calling the "Pickens Plan" for cutting the USA's demand for foreign oil by more than a third in less than a decade.
Here's what he says: "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 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." Pickens is also lauding natural gas as the new big thing for transportation fuels, but he seems to be genuinely more excited about wind potential.
It's like the Schwarzenegger-syndrome. Suddenly I love this guy. I'm not sure about the natural gas question, but otherwise, he's nailing all the energy politics right on the head: we're addicted; it's bleeding our economy; it's hurting American families; drilling is not the answer; the only way to take control of our energy future, build prosperity, and protect consumers is by jump-starting a clean energy economy.
