T. Boone Pickens. He may be onto something here

fate · #1 08-02-2008, 12:20 PM

It is worth 5 minutes of your time to watch this video. T. Boone Pickens has a plan to help eliminate the US dependence on foreign oil. I would love to hear your opinions after you watch the video. Anyone else see this as a great idea?

www.pickensplan.com

fate · #2 08-03-2008, 09:18 AM

no one?

BassChuck · #3 08-03-2008, 09:22 AM

The most patriotic thing to do would be to turn off the flow of foreign oil.

mike_v_s · #4 08-03-2008, 09:43 AM

Interesting, but I question how realistic it is. The concept swings on a large portion of the population switching over to natural gas powered vehicles. I did a quick search and Honda makes a NG powered Civic. That in and of itself is fairly promising. The price is a bit high for a Civic, though (24 grand). That, and the vehicle is only available in California and New York right now, bringing me to the grand speed bump:

The biggest problem I thought of was infrastructure needed for refueling. It is just NOT inplace now and it will take a long time to get out current gas stations to shut down for the number of days/weeks it takes to jackhammer up thier parking lot so that a new kind of tank can be installed so that they can service vehicles that are not widely available.

The Honda website addressed this to certain extent, but it rendered it's own alternative nearly useless for most. You can purchase a home refueling station that hoks up to your existing hom gasline. That's VERY convenient, but it takes up to 16 hours to fill up an empty tank. Lastly, the vehicle only has a range of about 170 to 225 miles (depending on which part fo the site you read). This brings us back to the infrastructure problem.

All in all, interesting, but it would take a MAJOR shift in paradigms around here for that to become a viable temporary solution.

Mike

FL Knifemaker · #5 08-03-2008, 09:54 AM

At lest he HAS a plan!! It seems that even if parts of it were to be slowly implemented it would send a strong message to the OPECKERS

The thing is, once a plan like that gets started, the price of oil will drop and people will lose interest and go back to what's easiest.

mike_v_s · #6 08-03-2008, 10:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FL Knifemaker

At lest he HAS a plan!! It seems that even if parts of it were to be slowly implemented it would send a strong message to the OPECKERS

The thing is, once a plan like that gets started, the price of oil will drop and people will lose interest and go back to what's easiest.

I'm not knocking it; I think it has a lot of promise, but it does have some major speed bumps to overcome. One of the other, somewhat smaller, issues is the actual car itself. Honda will have trouble selling a car that costs $9000 more than the already excellent base model, a car that gets 36 mpg and can go probably 400+ miles between fillups.

On the other hand, if my job weren't so travel intensive, I'd consider it.

Mike

WRBass · #7 08-03-2008, 10:18 AM

I like his ideas, and at least he has a plan to do something. I like the idea of using wind to replace 22% of our electrical generation. It's the shift of moving the 22% of natural gas usage from electrical generation to transportation, that I think is unrealistic. I don't think you can get a large percentage of people to go out and buy a new natural gas vehicle. And he says that his can be accomplished in 10 years. I don't want to by a new car in 10 years, and I don't think there will be many used natural gas vehicles in the market.

It not evident here, but Pickens is not against more domestic drilling.

WRBass · #8 08-03-2008, 10:26 AM

Don't rush off and buy natural gas vehicle in Texas right now. According to the link from his web site. There is only one operating station in Houston, 1 in Austin, and none in San Antonio. It looks like DFW has 9. You would really have to plan your trip across Texas carefully!

FL Knifemaker · #9 08-03-2008, 10:35 AM

I wonder how feasable a home filling station would be?? The only way we can get propane around here is to have a big tank. It would see like it might be possible to fill your car from one

Or........maybe a tank exchange program. One large tank can run forklift for a long time!!

I'm sure that something could be done to make it more appealing to the masses!!

fenderhutz · #10 08-03-2008, 10:37 AM

Yep, he is playing the heart-strings of America right now.

I am waiting to see what his motivation/agenda is.

ElMon · #11 08-03-2008, 10:37 AM

Picken's plan raises a few important aspects of this issue for me:

**NOTHING will be done to switch over to a new technology replacing fossil fuels until
men like Pickens can figure out how to make a similarly astronomic amount
of money. PERIOD. This is part of a free-market economy IMO. I don't know if
CNG makes as much sense as sugar-cane Ethanol, but at least its a start

**People on various sides of this issue are still sidestepping the most important factor
in this equation: how to ship produce/goods across the world and across the country
without using Petrol. Think about it. Every single item in your house was delivered
to your store/home by a long-haul trucker who uses a LOT of expensive Diesel. Its
not enough to curb our driving patterns and to buy Prius'. Until they come out with
a CNG/Hybrid-electric semi truck, its almost pointless to proceed. And even if
domestic gas useage dropped off significantly across the US, it would most likely NOT
affect astronomic Diesel prices, thus ensuring that the price of all goods will slowly
go up and up.

My .02 cents of course. Its rather unfortunate that petroleum has become almost demonized in our popular culture and yet is STILL, and probably always will be, the most efficient energy source on the planet. Nothing else even comes close. Also, whose to say that hybrid CNG/Ethanol/Patchouli oil/hempseed/McDonalds' grease isn't JUST as or MORE of a pollutant to the environment?

I"m going to take horseback riding lessons......

Stinsok · #12 08-03-2008, 10:38 AM

What's Pickens angle?

mike_v_s · #13 08-03-2008, 10:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FL Knifemaker

I wonder how feasable a home filling station would be?? The only way we can get propane around here is to have a big tank. It would see like it might be possible to fill your car from one

Or........maybe a tank exchange program. One large tank can run forklift for a long time!!

I'm sure that something could be done to make it more appealing to the masses!!

Predictably, I think I'm on ignore. For Mr. Knifemaker's benefit, could someone either cut-n-paste this link or quote this?

http://automobiles.honda.com/civic-gx/refueling.aspx

Note the 16 hour refueling time.

Mike

NJL · #14 08-03-2008, 10:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fenderhutz

I am waiting to see what his motivation/agenda is.

supposedly he will be making a lot of money on this, so yes i'm with you here.

yes he has a plan and yes it seems like very good idea, but there just may be something in it for himself and his wealth, but maybe if it's good for all of us, that could be a good thing, no?

mike_v_s · #15 08-03-2008, 10:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NJL

supposedly he will be making a lot of money on this, so yes i'm with you here.

yes he has a plan and yes it seems like very good idea, but there just may be something in it for himself and his wealth, but maybe if it's good for all of us, that could be a good thing, no?

True. If it works, I don't care how much money he makes or if he asks to be be paid in whores.

Mike

Eric Cioe · #16 08-03-2008, 10:49 AM

Even if the guy is set to make a bunch of money off of it, it's a better idea to get your fuel from domestic sources rather than OPEC, who only seek to screw people.

fenderhutz · #17 08-03-2008, 10:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eric Cioe

Even if the guy is set to make a bunch of money off of it, it's a better idea to get your fuel from domestic sources rather than OPEC, who only seek to screw people.

But this guy is spending millions on Primetime TV ads for a "chance" at making money?

Still kinda curious who pocket he is in trying to get domestic drilling approved. All of the "other" fuel options I feel are just smoke and mirrors.

FL Knifemaker · #18 08-03-2008, 11:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mike_v_s

Predictably, I think I'm on ignore.

That's for natural gas, I'm thinking propane would be much easier/faster for home filling because it can be pumped as a liquid under pressure. I'm no expert on the subject but I think natural gas is compressed like air. I believe both can be produced from the same sources.

bongomania · #19 08-03-2008, 11:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ElMon

Until they come out with a CNG/Hybrid-electric semi truck, its almost pointless to proceed.

In California for a few years now they have had CNG powered city buses and medium-sized trucks, so I don't think it will be too long (given the right funding in the right hands) before a CNG semi is entirely feasible.

ElMon · #20 08-03-2008, 11:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bongomania

In California for a few years now they have had CNG powered city buses and medium-sized trucks, so I don't think it will be too long (given the right funding in the right hands) before a CNG semi is entirely feasible.

That's good to hear. Still, you have to consider that Natural Gas is becoming as rare as a commodity as Oil. If the market completely shifted to CNG, the price of gas would shoot up in a hot minute. Simple supply and demand. I imagine a combination of new approaches (solar/wind/CNG/ethanol) will be the ticket.