A stepping stone

When discussing the Pickens Plan, several negative aspects inevitably are brought into the conversation, including the true environmental conservation effects and whether T. Boone Pickens himself has ulterior investment motives.

Nevertheless, when analyzing the plan from the perspective of what’s truly best for America, the Pickens Plan is the best fully developed energy strategy currently being proposed today.

While there are environmental gains to be had in this proposal, the true goal of the plan is to make America energy self-sufficient, leading to less wealth transfer and more stabilized energy prices. 

The plan achieves this through a combination of environmentally friendly initiatives such as solar and wind power creation, as well as through more controversial techniques like offshore drilling and coal use.

However, the best part of this plan lies in the use of natural gas as a transportation fuel, which is vastly cleaner compared to the oil-based fuel currently being used in vehicles.

America sits on a treasure trove of natural gas reserves, many of which have recently been discovered.

Current estimates say that there is enough natural gas to mobilize all of America’s vehicles for 120 years.

Also, natural gas cars are ready to roll off the assembly line right now. The Honda Civic GX Natural Gas Vehicle is the cleanest internal-combustion vehicle in the world, according to the EPA.

By converting to natural gas, we can instantly create new jobs and reduce our dependence on foreign oil drastically, saving more than $300 billion from being sent overseas.

This can all be done right now using current technology.

Natural gas would not need any government subsidies in a time of rapidly increasing government debts, something that other alternative energy sources would require.

Instead of throwing up Hail Mary passes on potential future technologies like clean coal and the like, America should focus on what’s currently viable.

This plan is just the stepping-stone America needs until better, cleaner energy creation techniques can be developed.