T. Boone Pickens More Bullish On Offshore Drilling Than McCain (VIDEO)

Wolf Blitzer interviewed T. Boone Pickens about his sudden push for alternative energy today on The Situation Room. The oilman-turned-renewables-pitchman has been the subject of much buzz in the greeen blogosphere, even earning several mentions and high praise from Sierra Club Executive Director Carl Pope.

Today on TV, though, Pickens sounded a lot more like the oilman, when Blitzer asked him about Senator John McCain's support for offshore drilling. Pickens said he was more aggressive than McCain: "McCain says, OK, off the east and west coasts, I say, east, west coasts and ANWR, get it all."

This comes from the guy who says we can't drill our way out of this problem.

WATCH:

Read more about Pickens and his recent push for wind power in the U.S.

Comments

[Chavez08]

Capitalists, *especially oil racketeers*, only care about making profit **for themselves**. He is merely taking advantage of the national fervor and when the U.S. and its beaches are saturated with dirty oil rigs, he'll be in the Bahamas spending all the billions he's making off of destroying our landscape using slave-labor.

This is Capitalism; It's only good for **extreme** consolidation of wealth, disease, war and not much else.

[timp 31]

T. Boone Pickens is 80 years old. By the time his investment in the wind farm, that he has already invested over a billion dollars in, begins to generate a profit most likely he'll be dead. Over the next 10 years $10 Trillion will be going over seas. He has invested over $1 billion and is willing to invest $10 billion in this plan. Maybe he has a alternative motive maybe not. Whatever the case the plan will do several things jump start our movement towards renewable fuels, reduce our dependency on foreign oil, create jobs, stregnthen the economy. Lets get real until people see that investing in renewable fuels can be profitable they won't start to do it. If this country begins to be more dependent on wind, solar, natural gas, etc. what do you think will happen to coal and oil. It only makes sense. It's going to take someone with billions of dollars to make this happen. Last I checked my banker didn't have to count that high. We of course should still do our part for the environment.

www.pickensplan.com

Check out the plan. It makes a lot of sense.

[Patrickvashon]

He may be trying to balance the ledger for funding those Sickboat ADs.

[booker52]

T. Boone Pickens you are as two faced as they come.

[Vinca]

booker52: Mabe Pickens WISED UP

[FrictionSoul]

Wised up to the fact that the oil can be sold to anyone, not just Americans.

[FrictionSoul]

Ever wonder what his real name is?

Two-faced Booger Pickens.

[mjt218]

I really don't think he's ever claimed to be an environmental saint. Just because he says "We can't drill our way out of this" does not mean that he doesn't think opening all the areas referenced for drilling is not a good investment and that it wouldn't be good for America.

T. Boone is of the school that believes in the grand old USA. This may be hard to imagine, but in the not too distant past we produced more oil than anyone else in the world and we became a world superpower because of it and because we secured interests in other areas that produced oil to fuel us after our consumption needs grew. T. Boone wants the USA to be in that position moving forward, and he believes that taking advantage of every resource possiblly available to us is the way to do it.

[FrictionSoul]

Which, grand old USA? The one where the wealth is accumulated at the top? Or the model where electricity is free?

[MetalCanuck]

The guy is right, its unfortunate but he is right. The need for middle east oil needs to stop. He is not an idiot and he is putting his money where his mouth is regardless if he is just doing it for the money or not. Time to wake up kiddies...I would NOT touch anwar though.

[joebhed]

say, canuckie, does the US import more oil from our gracious friends to the North, or from the mideast maniacs?

[FlyTheBlueSky]

If a two-headed peacock came up with this plan it's better than anything we have on the table right now. The president and congress are derelict in their duty for not addressing this most critical issue of our time and the foreseeable future. Frankly, I don't think they get it.

Anyway, back to Boone Pickens: Unfortunately he's undercutting his own wind power initiative (which, at face value, seems to have merit) by also wanting to drill for more oil - when he has clearly said there is no way we can drill ourselves out of this mess.

We are slaves to foreign oil. They've got us where they want us, and if we do not do something about it NOW we will forever lose our wealth and power.

[mamacat]

Why not let the voters of the counties that would be affected by off-shore drilling decide whether or not to allow more drilling? If the super-rich residents of Santa Barbara want to allow more drilling off their beaches, then why not let it be done? But somehow, I doubt that they will vote for it.

[TxAggie]

Because the mineral s belong to the people of the United States not the residents of the counties!!!!

[MO-Mike]

If they "belong to the people of the United States" why is the government selling them off to Exxon to either sell back to the original owners or sell to the Chinese or Indians?

Sorry, your argument fails.

[ROBOT8]

LIES!!!!!!!
"If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. The lie can be maintained only for such time as the State can shield the people from the political, economic and/or military consequences of the lie. It thus becomes vitally important for the State to use all of its powers to repress dissent, for the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, THE TRUTH IS THE GREATEST ENEMY OF THE STATE." -- Joseph Goebbels, German Minister of Propaganda, 1933-1945

[joebaggadonuts]

Keep repeating that. Maybe some day it will sink in to our collective thick skull.

[mollysgran]

T. Boone is ONLY lookin' out for himself. There is an ulterior motive here. I don't for one minute think he is considering going "green".

I heard him speak at my son's graduation from the Business School at Oklahoma State (T.'s Alma Mater). He said that there is nothing more important than delivering the "bottom line" to the stock holders. Not a national crisis, not an economic melt down - NOTHING - just get the profits to the stock holders.

T. Boone, I have this to say to you "La, la, la, la, la, -- I can't hear you!

[Keo]

T-Boone Pickens has, arguably, done a lot of bad in this world. He did as oil men are wont to do. And didn't he also support the swift-boating of john kerry?
But this new project of his, however self-serving it may really be, could yield some positive results. You never know.
Frankly, if Pickens helps to create a viable renewable energy industry and he makes a billion dollars in the process, I don't care about the money. I'd be grateful for the job well done. A viable alternative energy industry is absolutely necessary for this earth and the living beings in it, and is the key to the future of the American economy.
I would like to see us move away from oil as much as and as quickly as possible. But Pickens is an oil man. This IS the best he can do. I'll take it, and hope that some other very rich folks get involved, too.
Let 'em compete to see who can be greener and more visionary than the next.
That'd be cool.

[darthdarcy]

I saw T Boone today before the Senate Committee on C-Span and he was all for the Wind Project and if he favors off shore drilling it is not for exportation but domestic consumption, as he repeatedly goes on about our sending $700 Billion per year overseas to nations that are not our friends if not outright enemies...

[worldtraveller]

See thats the messed up part, oil is traded globally by grade and is fungible, you can not control it's end destination. all that matters is global production vs global usage. We would just take less imports and more of what we take would go elsewhere. Unless global balance changes it makes no difference.

[EinChicago]

Ummmm. But if we're taking less then of course global balance changes we use 3 times as much as our nrearest competito. If we cut oil use by even 10% that's 2/5 million extra barrels per day or 70 milliomn extra barrels per month of excess supply. If we also increase our own supply by another 10% by domestic production, along with that 10% conservation cut in demand, you get a reduction of 5 million barrels per day or 100 million spare barrels of oil per month. That would change things prettty damn fast.

[CrzyRussell]

He is right. That is exactly what we need to do. It is really naive to think that wind and solar are going to solve our problems. We need oil, nuclear, wind , solar , hydroelectric. We need it all. We have to fuel our cars and power the grid at night and when there is no wind. Especially when wind typically produces only 10-17% of it's designed capacity.

[KillTheMessenger]

He is in there for the money. He sells it very well, though.

What he and you fail to mention is the biggest resource of all: conservation.

And that is the giveaway... there is no money for oil men in conservation. There is no money in it for windmen, either.

[worldtraveller]

Conservation isn't even mentioned anywhere ever. It violates the new American way... to use as much of whatever we want without consequence. We are Americans.. We are entitled. We are due for one hell of a comeuppance.

[MetalCanuck]

If he helps to get us off OPEC I would be very happy.

[EinChicago]

Conservation never works. That's teh basic reality. Conservation on a natiopnal level is a fad. You can't ask people to sacrifice on an open ended basis and not expect people to eventually give up. It is just absurdly naive to think otherwise. Conservation is part of the solution, but it is not the solution. Ask Jimmy carter how well received a conservation only ideology is.

[RRK70]

KTM:
Pickens was unequivocally FOR conservation when he made his testimony to the Senate Committee. It was one question asked by one of the Senators, and Pickens stated he was very much FOR conservation. He DIDN'T fail to mention of it, it just seems that certain media outlets are ONLY covering what he said about offshore drilling while completely IGNORING the rest of his testimony, which I thought was pretty heartening.

[samej82]

Not cool Pickens...
The guy who said we sent all our money overseas is now saying send more of it.

[dukeitout]

I believe this article misrepresents what Boone Pickens message is and is presented greatly out of context. Pickens message is that we are runnning out of oil and desparately need other energy sources, especially wind, with a great emphasis on developing natural gas resources and a delivery system. We of course should tap into our proven supplies of oil now since it will alleviate the energy problem. Additionally, he would support solar subsidies and expansion as well as nuclear. His message is clear----we simply have inadequate supplies of oil to last a long time. It would be an American advantage to pump oil out of ANWAR because of the high price oil commands. If we continue to rely on foreign oil it will break us. I differ with Pickens on his politics but on this issue I think he's got it right. He wants to work with either candidate to develop and implement a plan. Watch him before congress (7/22/08) on C-span discussing this issue.

[mollysgran]

dukeitout, you give ole' "T" a lot more credit than he deserves. He is ONLY thinking of more ways to pad his "bottom line".

[Vinca]

mollysgran: Pickens is 80 years old ,and a GAZILLIONAIRE, maybe he's decided he can't take it with him

[RRK70]

I saw the same testimony and agree with you. What worries me about the promotion of renewables are two things:
1) Many will hear Pickens about offshore drilling and ignore EVERYTHING ELSE he is saying. If any movement toward offshore drilling occurs, it HAS to be tied in some way with GUARANTEES regarding the development of renewables.
2) I am dismayed with the progress of renewables to date, and I fear renewables may never happen due to "infighting". With wind for instance there are already quite a few people speaking out AGAINST wind from a NIMBY (not in my backyard) stance due to aesthetics, or due to windmills killing some birds. I even heard a story yesterday about people complaining about people using clotheslines!

Question is, in my mind, do you take an imperfect plan that would most likely be a net benefit to the US economy and environment, or do you hold out. Pickens plan could provide much needed momentum to get renewables moving in the right direction.

[JShankel]

Um, excuse me T.Boone, but I believe we are currently enduring the glorious benefits of the last "Pickens plan" for US energy.

Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to hear what Mr. Plainview has to say.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4Zi2BBQ4y8

[webweaver]

Mr Pickens, or can I call you Mr. T (sorry, an attempt at humor.)

But seriously, digging a different toxic hole from the foreign oil abyss isn't the solution.

You have my attention with your ads.

No nukes anywhere to be seen in your very well-produced commercial. Wind and Solar... it's a good thing.

Don't stoop to the lowest common denominator. Aim higher...

NO MORE NUKES is the answer.... not more nukes.

You said that this is one problem we can't drill our way out of... walk your talk, sir.

The country needs you to. Desperately.

[ReasonIsMyReligion]

Obviously, I GET the obvious NOMINAL contradiction.

But please recall that Pickens' push for wind was not to replace oil outright, but to replace our use of oil, foreign oil, to generate electricity.

He's not as green as people rushed to credit him with being.

In the words of Kermit the Frog...