The more we learn about the Pickens Plan, the more we are impressed. The video clip above is of Pickens giving a quick 5 minute overview of our oil problem and his proposed solution. The crux of that solution is to replace the 22% of the energy that is currently being generated through the burning of natural gas with energy produced from the high wind corridor that sits in the middle of America. That natural gas resource would then be transfered to power automobiles, thereby dramatically reducing our consumption of oil.
According to Pickens, the key to this plan’s success will be having the right leadership, and having the ability to get the entire country on board and to “march in the same direction.” It seems to us that Pickens has provided us the answer, whether we implement it is now up to us and the leaders we choose.
The largest operator of a civilian vehicle fleet in the country, the US Postal Service is really feeling the effects of increased gasoline prices. According to the Deputy Postmaster General, the USPS spent $1.7 billion on gasoline and diesel last year, and predicts that number to increase by $600 million this year. As a result, the USPS, which uses 200,000 trucks has been forced to look for alternative means of reducing fuel consumption–some of which have been successful, some of which, not so much.
One strategy, which has not proven very effective, was the purchase of 30,000 alternative fuel vehicles, including flex-fuel (E85), CNG and biodiesel trucks. In particular, the flex-fuel trucks saw a decrease in fuel efficiency by 29% and ended up consuming 1.5 million more gallons of gasoline than before.
Some more effective solutions have included realigning routes so drivers don’t have to make left turns (which require more idling), adding GPS systems to plot more efficient delivery routes and, the most effective solution: having employees deliver more of their route by foot.
We’ve received a number of compliments regarding the photographs that accompany many of our posts. Being an environmental blog gives us the opportunity to post some great photographs from some amazing artists. So, in response, we’ve put together a gallery of recent photographs used in our posts. Clicking on any of the pictures below will take you to the corresponding post. Enjoy… and please let us know if you like this feature.
Recently it has been reported that NAFTA’s requirements of free trade between Mexico and the United States has resulted in a dramatic increase in large used vehicles being shipped south and resold. The environmental concern is that while many in the United States become more environmentally conscious and trade in their big SUVs for more fuel efficient models, their old gas guzzlers are merely being reused south of the border.
This could be the future if two scientists from Los Alamos National Laboratory are correct. They have recently expanded on a previously suggested technology whereby regular air would be taken and blown across a chemical mixture of potassium carbonate which would then absorb the CO2 from the air. The harvested CO2 would then be put through a series of chemical reactions which would ultimately turn it into fuel that could then be used to power car or jet engines. This gasoline would basically be the same as that derived from drilled oil.
However, unlike the current method of drilling for oil, with this new method, all of a car’s emissions would be directly offset by the CO2 that was harvested in its creation, thereby making the fuel truly carbon neutral.
