Looking back at 2011, I am really thankful for Boone Pickens’ contributions to FLW, but also to the U.S. as a whole. Pickens is an amazing individual and I’m not just saying that because he is an FLW partner and I’ve been fortunate enough to represent the Pickens Plan for FLW. I say this because of what he is doing to set America up for greater economic prosperity, heightened national security, and long-term environmental protection and stability – that is what impresses me about Boone Pickens.
At 83 years old, he is an energetic dynamo. Pickens has been a regular fixture on cable news programs, talk shows and many other media outlets throughout all of 2011. His message is clear and to the point. The U.S., the world’s largest consumer of energy, has no energy policy and the Pickens Plan is the solution to our short and long-term energy needs.
The immediate goal of the Pickens Plan is to see a vote and passage of the bill HR 1380, known also as the Pickens Bill. Quite simply, the bill would create a government subsidy to help convert the U.S. heavy truck fleet from diesel to compressed natural gas. The immediate benefit of this would be a 30 percent reduction on U.S. foreign oil exports and a fuel that burns over 30 percent cleaner than diesel, helping to reduce CO2 emissions and greenhouse gas.
Right now, the U.S. spends about 1 billion dollars per day importing foreign oil. By doing this, we are directly helping fuel middle-eastern groups that seek to harm or undermine U.S. interests. So the mystery and question remains. Why has HR 1380 not come to a vote or passage yet? It is dirty politics quiet simply.
A high school friend of mine has worked in Washington for over 20 years as an advisor to several senators and congressional individuals. He told me several years ago he now realizes how much politics are a "joke" in this country, in terms of how special interest groups (individuals and corporations), influence the long-term, sustainable well-being of the U.S. as a whole.
The Pickens Plan is a prime example of this. The Pickens Bill has received unprecedented bi-partisan support – nearly unheard of in Washington's current political climate. Here we have the Pickens Plan, endorsed by President Obama and many on the Democratic side of the isle, and also supported by many Republicans such as Tom Coburn of Oklahoma and John Huntsman of Utah, yet we still have not been able to bring the Pickens Bill to a vote.
Thank the special interest groups for this. These groups, who seek to protect personal profits over the greater good of America, are responsible and they wield a great deal of influence over many congressional and senatorial individuals. The good news is as voters, we wield even more power than the special interest groups.
I’m urging all FLW members and their friends and family, to e-mail your elected state officials and pressure them to move forward on HR 1380. HR 1380 is only a part of Boone Pickens’ Plan and vision for America’s energy future. Natural gas is our bridge fuel to super green energy sources like solar power and wind power – both key elements of the Pickens Plan.
But in order for the U.S. to see the day when our energy needs are met with sustainable, totally green sources like wind/solar and geothermal we have to take the first step of replacing our addiction for oil with natural gas. That is the reality of the situation we are in. Like Boone says, "We can’t drill our way out of this.” The time of oil as an energy source for the U.S. and the world is nearing an end. Special interest groups, who make billions of dollars in profits each month at the expense of America’s security and environment, will not let it die easily.
Regardless, the day when America and the rest of the world powers their vehicles, homes and businesses with clean, green, renewable fuels is coming, and Boone Pickens and his energy vision will have been the catalyst for that transition.
