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"Energy Options"

July 12, 2008

The following is a guest post by Kathy Vogelsang who is a member of our "Bloggers for Cornyn" coalition. She blogs at BrazosCowgirl.

I try to use common sense when a topic comes up. I am not complicated actually. I believe in solar, wind energy, as well as methane, ethanol, nuclear, and the newest I have heard of algae energy. There are many choices out there. Only problem is my truck uses gas. I would love to have real choices but so far I don't. I drive less and less but the farm requires us to use gas, as well as my Hubby's job that is 35 miles away. There is no way for us to operate on no gas. Try as we might, it is a necessity. I don't think we are alone in this issue.

I have spoken to people raised in Alaska with family still there. They would love us to drill in ANWAR. I want us to drill there. I want us to drill off shore. If Cuba, China and Russia think it is safe off Florida and they are doing it anyway why shouldn't America? We are no safer because the drilling is owned by a foreign country. We are being left behind on energy independence, and all I hear is noise from the Democrats. My brother lives in Germany and last I heard he was paying $9.00 a gallon, I really don't want to go that far. Nevertheless, if we continue to say "No, No, No" like Amy Winehouse we will be in "Trouble with a capital T".

I have said in the past that I am not against alternative energy technology. I am also not against high-speed transportation in Texas. What I am against is the Trans Texas Corridor. It is because of Rick Perry that we have this pain in our Texas lives. I have heard a lot about this train called Maglev. I am not a scientist but I am a person that feels if Texas or America can find a train that is low impact, fast speed and safe we as a society are better off. My complaint with the TTC as Texans call it is that is requesting a two mile width area that will displace generational farms, cemeteries, small communities and rural life as Texans know it. As a Big City girl (what I am called in town) I first hand know the frustration of driving I-35 from San Antonio to Dallas, it is a nightmare. What makes Texas such a great state is the ability to drive in any direction and see land. Real land, land that is still plowed, farmed and ranched. As many people don't understand I can drive from Central Texas and never leave Texas. A huge state requires some ingenuity to fix a transportation problem. What it doesn't take is a foreign company to come in and take our land.

Now I am unsure if this train is the answer but I do know our governor should find out everything he can about it. This train offers Texas more than he has. The structure from what I have read is fast to put up versus the other type of trains. It does use less energy and is quiet. The wonderful part about it is you can see landscape and cities near to it, which tells you there is no two-mile wide clearance needed.

What do you all think about a better use of trains?

Comments

Kathy@brazoscowgirl said…

Bruce I think your ideas are solid my only problem is the establishment of any new government agency. I believe less government is best for Texas and the USA.

 Liz, I invite you to read on my blog, there is an existing type of train called the Maglev Train operating in Germany and Japan. It uses magnets energy along with an engine. The clearance is much narrower than other trains that I have researched. The Maglev also once completed allows traffic and rural activities to continue without restrictions. This is a very cost effient train from my research, plus it is a quiet ride. I have a video for you to watch.

over 2 years
A. R. Armstrong said…

You must make the USA Energy Independent:

To do this there are essentially 5 different phases.

A.) Establish a National Energy Administration (as we did with NASA & The Manhattan Project.)

B.) Conservation.

C.) Produce All our known Petroleum Recourses.

D.) Produce Gasoline and Diesel Fuel form Coal.

E.) Produce Gasoline and Diesel Fuel from Shale.

DEPENDENCE ON FOREIGN OIL is our most serious NATIONAL problem BECAUSE IT IS BANKRUPTING OUR ECONOMY: We presently use 20 million barrels of Oil every day and we buy over 12 million of those form Foreign Countries. Arab Muslim and South American Dictators who are NOT our Friends are a large part of this. We are presently spending over $600 Billion a year for Foreign Oil. When that is spent, it is gone, Gone to help our enemies, devalue our Dollar and increase inflation here. But if we spend that money on our own resources then it would stay here in the USA, then it would circulate in our economy 4 times in one year.

If that money stayed here at home that would be like adding over $2.5 Trillion to our economy. That money circulating in our economy at our normal tax rates would amount to over $400 Billion in Tax Revenues for our Government coffers.

If we are we are Energy Independent, then we are no longer "slaves to Arab Muslim Oil," and we can make independent judgments about what we consider best for the USA, - - - not what will "keep our supplier happy."

We can make electricity from Nuclear , Wind, Solar and Coal but our biggest problem is fuel for our Cars, Trucks, Trains, a Planes. These fuels are presently made from that 20 Million Barrels of Oil a day.

 

A.) Establish the National ENERGY Administration: Just as we did with the Manhattan Project for Nuclear development during WWII and as we did when JFK established NASA for Space Travel, we can develop hydrogen for future use. This could be possible within 10 years and then we should protect that technology and develop it for use in our vehicles to replace Diesel and Gasoline. We also must build additional Refineries and if private Enterprise will not build them, then WE THE PEOPLE should build them through the new Agency.

B.) Conservation: In order to conserve, set a goal for automobiles to obtain a minimum of 40 MPG in 2 years, and 50 MPG in 5 years. (This could be done NOW.) Any new car that does not meet that goal after the 2 years will have an additional tax of $3000 placed on it. (We may have to even Ration gasoline for citizens according to their minimum needs.) Encourage the people to use smaller cars, motorcycles, mopeds, bicycles and walk. Do everything they can in order to conserve on Automobile Fuel.

If the people are asked to conserve, and led by "A Leader." They will respond when they are told of the extreme necessity of becoming Energy Independent.

It will take salesmanship, - - - but that is what makes the world go. We must sell the public on the idea and keep selling it EVERY DAY.

C.) Production of ALL our Petroleum reserves: Meet with the Oil Producers and obtain their agreement to produce within the confines of EPA. Allow and encourage them to drill and produce ALL our known Reserves. In particular those known reserves in the Gulf of Mexico before Cuba and China produce them. Produce the Known Reserves in ANWR and east of Prudhoe Bay and make it known that if they damage the eco system the will have to replace it. Produce the known reserves off the West Coast and the East Coast and the known reserves in the Bakken Formation in North Dakota and Montana before Canada sucks it out. There is as estimated 200 Billion Barrels of Oil in this Formation alone. That is almost as much as Saudi Arabia has. But we have to produce it, - - - or it is worth NOTHING. Establish a tax on "Foreign Oil" of $30 a barrel. That will produce American Petroleum. AND if Congress won't go along, they the President can do it by Executive Order.

D.) Produce Gasoline and Diesel Fuel from Coal: Peabody says they can produce fuel from coal at the equivalent of $40 per barrel. Powder River Coal in Wyoming is in need of a little help but can supply almost all our need by themselves, The Peabody Coal Group, The Arch Group, Powder River Coal and Kennecott Energy can all add enough to produce the diesel fuel we need for our cars, trucks, trains and planes. All these fuels can be made from our Coal. Even if the fuel can not be made equivalent to $40 a barrel oil; we have always known it could be made equal to $70 a barrel oil.

And Coal can be made clean. San Antonio has two "coal-fired" Electric Power Plants. We get all our electrical energy from these two plants. They burn 100 Train-car-loads of Coal every day. The exhaust is so clean you can hardly see it coming form the stacks. San Antonio is the largest City in the USA that DOES NOT have to have specially blended fuel for our automobiles in order to meet the "Clean Air Standards."

There is a second part of this "Diesel Fuel from Coal" story: When ever they mine 4 tons of coal they generate 1 ton of Waste Coal. That is coal that is too small, too fine, to ship or burn in standard furnaces. It presently has a value of about $1 per ton as opposed to $24 to $40 for regular coal. The Coal Industry says they can make 1 ton of Diesel Fuel, which amounts to about 65 barrels of Diesel Fuel, from 4 tons of waste coal. In one location of Pennsylvania -West Virginia Area there is presently one location that has 600 Million Tons of Waste Coal laying on the ground creating an environmental problem. Up near Pittsburg there is another location that has an estimated 285 Million Tons of Waste Coal. In Colorado there is a mountain of waste coal. And every Coal Mine generates more waste coal every day. It is a staggering possibility. (Just in that one area; that is 600 Million divided 4, multiplied by 65 Barrels, equals 9,750,000,000 barrels (That is almost 10 Billion BARRELS) - of diesel fuel laying on the ground, just waiting to be refined and the land cleaned up in the process.)

E.) Produce Gasoline and Diesel Fuel from Shale: In the Green River Basin in the tri-state area of Colorado, Wyoming and Utah, it is estimated there is an abundance of shale that contains as much oil in it as the known reserves in Saudi Arabia. It will be more expensive to refine that oil than it will be to refine West Texas Sweet Crude, but it belongs to us. The American people would gladly pay more if that money would stay here at home. But the really great thing about that shale deposit is that 72 percent of it is on Federal Land. The American Treasury, the American People already own it instead of having to pay $100 a barrel for it. If necessary the Federal Government could build their own Refineries and product the oil ourselves. When Big Oil, (The Seven Sisters) get THAT MESSAGE, they will want to get in on the deal and will begin to want to build the Refineries and produce that field just as they bid on the Alaska Oil Fields in the 50's.

When these leases are sold to Drilling Companies it is usual to require a well in one year. If not drilled and worked within that year, then the lease reverts back to the Government. If the Government has issued leases with lesser requirements, then maybe Mark Twain was right about Members of Congress.

We have the oil we need to become Energy Independent within 3 years. And we can at the same time work on alternatives. But if you have the cleanest Environment in the world but it will not support your Economy and sustain your People then it is USLESS.

Sincerely,

A. R. "Butch" Armstrong

Universal City, Texas, 78148 "armstrongbutch@satx.rr.com

 

over 2 years
Liz Smith said…
I heard that Texas planned on using trains but their costs were way to high to build them and then you get into the problem of eminent domain.....
over 2 years

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