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E-mail a friendYOUNG VOICES
An Unlikely Energy Advocate
Anyone out there ever hear of a guy by the name of T. Boone Pickens? If not, don't be surprised, because most people probably haven't. He made a fortune in energy being an oil man and has reaped the benefits of it over the years. That description alone doesn't sound like much at first, but as I watched the news the other day, I got a chance to see something pretty interesting. And for a person that most may have never heard of, he's starting to sound like a pretty interesting guy.
Pickens, like many other oil executives within the energy sector, has raked in huge profits over the past few years. Most executives will tell you that they are taking profits from their earnings and reinvesting it into new forms of energy. If you ask most people if they believe that or not however, you might hear a different story.
Pickens is also a supporter of Republican presidential candidate John McCain. Now, that alone is not mind-blowing news, but at least now you know a little bit more about the guy. Now that you're a little bit more acquainted with him, I'd like to pose a question to you: Given the record-making profits the oil industry has seen over the past few years, who would you think the least likely person to go before Congress would be to tell lawmakers to stop putting money into oil as a sustainable energy source would be? No it's not Al Gore, but in fact Mr. T. Boone Pickens.
Mr. Pickens testified before Congress recently to tell members of the House that we must begin to seek new energy, because the oil demands for the U.S. are, effectively, too high.
He's not just talking to Congress either; he's putting his money where his mouth is on the issue of energy.
Pickens says he's investing billions of dollars in wind power and is confident that wind energy is the way to go. He's going one step further by airing spots across the country to take his message directly to Americans. Today alone, I saw his ads on the national evening news and MSNBC.
For Mr. Pickens, this isn't about politics. Although news reports state that, in the past presidential election, he spent at least $1million in the Swift Boat ads against John Kerry, Pickens is not looking to politicize this issue of wind energy.
So now, along with your knowledge of who T. Boone Pickens is, you definitely know this: Apparently Mr. Pickens is serious.
Is Mr. Pickens' move for a cleaner, greener technology in the U.S. a sign of real change, or the story of a man looking to capitalize on a situation?
What are your thoughts?