Republicans in Congress will spend the Memorial Day recess attacking Democrats for pushing a cap-and-trade bill that could raise Americans’ transportation and energy costs wrote The Hill on May 23, 2009.

“Democrats and the Obama administration have said that putting a price on carbon emissions is the best way to wean the country off of foreign oil and stem global warming while also creating new jobs.”

“The attacks on the Democratic energy proposals is part of a larger GOP effort to paint the Democrat-led Congress as big spenders who backed a $787 billion stimulus plan and are now pushing an energy tax and a “government takeover of healthcare,” according to House GOP talking points.”

Not much new about any of this. Republicans just naturally call anything the Democrats do as too expensive, socialistic, and an expansion of government. All the same things the Republicans did while they controlled the White House and Congress. [Read more →]

That is what the Wall Street Journal says. A whole lot of it has been found in Northern Louisiana.

So what, you say!

The discoveries have spurred energy experts and policy makers to start looking to natural gas in their pursuit of a wide range of goals: easing the impact of energy-price spikes, reducing dependence on foreign oil, lowering "greenhouse gas" emissions and speeding the transition to renewable fuels.

is what the WSJ answers. “A climate-change bill being pushed by President Barack Obama could boost reliance on natural gas. The bill, which could emerge from the House Energy and Commerce Committee in May, is expected to set aggressive targets for reducing emissions of carbon dioxide, the most prevalent man-made greenhouse gas.”

Meeting such goals would require quickly moving away from coal-fired power plants, which account for substantial carbon emissions. President Obama wants the U.S. to rely more on renewable energy such as wind and solar power, but those technologies aren’t ready to shoulder more than a fraction of the nation’s energy burden. Advocates for natural gas argue that the fuel, which is cleaner than coal, would be a logical quick fix. In addition, billionaire energy investor T. Boone Pickens has been touting natural gas as an alternative to gasoline and diesel for cars and trucks.

What? Move away from coal-fired power plants? Nevada has a love affair with coal-fired power plants! Or did, until recently.

T. Boone Pickens tells us:

98 percent of the natural gas used in the U.S. is produced right here in North America. Why is that important? Just ask Europe. This January in the dead of winter, Russia slashed natural gas shipments to the Ukraine and Western Europe and completely cut off the Balkans and Turkey over a contract dispute. How did the European Union respond? By telling the Russians that their actions were "completely unacceptable." Hell of a response. You think OPEC wouldn’t cut off our crude over a major disagreement? Hugo Chavez would do that in a heartbeat.
Remember, establishing a sustainable energy policy that relies on domestic resources such as natural gas is not just an economic issue. First and foremost, it’s a security issue.

Security issue? That should bring everyone to the table.

An area of an Antarctic ice shelf almost the size of New York City has broken into icebergs this month after the collapse of an ice bridge widely blamed on global warming, a scientist said Tuesday. [Huffington Post]

Just read a tweet from Paul Reeves which, in turn, provided me a link to the Sonoma Press Democrat in California.

Looks like Sonoma is far ahead of Nye County. Property owners in Sonoma County will be able to borrow money from their county government for energy-efficient improvements, the pay it back in installments on their tax bills over 20 years at 7% interest. The loans will be for things such as solar panels, double-paned windows voltaic units, solar thermal devices, tankless water heaters, attic and wall insulation. Water efficient technologies to conserve water (i.e., low-flush toilets) are also eligible.

Their program will create energy improvements, jobs and kick their economy into gear. People can apply for loans this coming Wednesday.

More than half of homeowners found it “motivating” to participate, along with an equal number of commercial property owners.

Property owners will also be eligible for additional rebates, as well as state or federal tax credits once they make the improvements.

The energy-saving measures are intended to help achieve greenhouse gas emission reduction goals and cut water consumption during the drought.

Shouldn’t Nye County Commissioners be taking a look at the Sonoma County program?

More information is at www.sonomacountyenergy.org.

Here is some good news for a change:

NV Energy, Las Vegas, has teamed up with two companies, Solar Millennium, LLC, and MAN Ferrostaal Inc., to develop a solar facility in Nye County. [Pahrump Mirror, Thursday, March 5, 2009, page 3]

It will be a 250-megawatt “solar trough technology plant” somewhere in Nye County, expected to be within the Amargosa Valley.

It will include a thermal storage capability which will enable it to generate energy beyond daylight hours during the summer months.

It is hoped construction can begin no later than 2010 and completed by 2013-2014.

The Public Utilities Commission must approve the project first.

“The 250-megawatt output will generate enough electricity to service between 150,000 and 250,000 homes, depending on seasonal variations in weather conditions.

The project should give a significant boost to Nye County, including Pahrump. Keep your fingers crossed.

What do you think would happen if the foreign countries, upon who we now depend for oil, were to cut the United State’s supply of their oil? We would disintegrate as a nation. This recession were are in would be a minor blimp in comparison. Las Vegas would become a ghost town, so would Pahrump. The interstate highways would become vacant and return weeded cow paths. Virtually all jobs would disappear.

And it wouldn’t take long for that to happen either.

Last weekend I watched a big name meeting in Washington on C-Span. President Bill Clinton, Vice President Al Gore, a half dozen members of Obama’s Cabinet were in attendance. T. Boone Pickens, a number of other prominent private sector people and scientists were there. They were talking about how to build an alternative energy network across the nation.

I’m no fan of meetings but that meeting was no ordinary meeting. Those people around that large table knew what they were talking about. You wouldn’t have to be an energy genius to recognize they were knowledgeable and versed in alternative energy. They were wrestling with the problem of how to implement a national grid to carry the energy to every corner of the United States.

That video you see on this post makes a point. That is that our dependence on foreign oil is a national security issue. It is a serious security issue. It is a simple matter. If foreign countries stopped selling us oil the United States would cease to exist, without firing a shot. All the guns in the world wouldn’t stop it.

So, why don’t you join up in the Pickens Army? I’m in it, so is Carolene Endersby. We’re both part of the Pickens Plan District. Once you join up with the Pickens Army join into your Pickens Plan District. You, too, can help free American from oil control by foreign countries.