We’ve always had it but it hasn’t always been available or retrievable.  Now it is.  Thanks to American ingenuity and entrepreneurial spirit natural gas is about as abundant as political blowhards on TV.

Natural gas.  If you believe Boone Pickens it is the answer to all our problems.  I wouldn’t go quite that far but I would love to convert both my cars to run on it.

But — consider.  We can  heat our homes with natural gas, natural gas can power our huge electrical power plants, natural gas can power cars, trucks, vans and even hybrid cars.  And for you ‘rednecks’ out there consider that you can cook your hot dogs and ribs on grills using natural gas (propane in this instance).

I’m not going to go into the specifics of how it is sold (BCF’s — billion cubic feet), obtained (new fracturing in shale sites and horizontal drilling for example), or distributed and sold (through gas lines or in heavy duty metal containers) but this much is important . . . for the last three years or so the price has been dropping simply because there is so dang much of it out there waiting for us to take advantage.

What is really cool?  Well, the fact that natural gas now sells for about 1/3 of what it was selling for a couple of years ago.

Cheap, abundant, available and flexible — natural gas absolutely can provide this great country with decades (at least) of energy independence while we are developing and economizing more difficult energy solutions like wind, solar, nuclear and who knows what once American minds start really focusing on the problem.

So, why (you ask incredulously) aren’t we converting all of our cars and powering all of our dirty coal-fired generating plants with natural gas?  The only answer I can come up with is health care.

Huh?  You ask with further consternation.

Yeah, health care.

Obama and the dems are so focused on health care that they are neglecting important things like jobs (well they did just pass  a relatively poor jobs bill) and of course energy independence.  Maybe they will start to think about it next week after they ‘force’ their patchwork, poor excuse of  health care reform down our throats along strictly partisan lines.

But they might now.  Unless we, the people let them know we really, really, really want them to give us genuine energy independence.  By the way,  the repubs aren’t doing anything to push this either — so both sides need to get wired on to this critical subject.

Man would I love to tell Saudi Arabia, Iran, Russia and Venezuela that we don’t need their oil anymore.  What would they do without our billions and billions (thanks Carl Sagan) of dollars to finance terror and hatred.  Think what that would do to the so called ‘balance of power’ and the OPEC cartel!

You can Google (interesting verb isn’t it?) the facts and find out for yourself.

When you finish you can also Google (sounds like something a baby does) the email addresses for the White House and your Senators and Representatives and tell them you want them to take action now!  Not tomorrow but now.

Use our natural gas to do what Americans have dreamed of since the oil embargoes and hostage holding of the 1970’s (and ’80’s and 90’s and ’00s).  Freedom!  Oh, thank heavens we can be free at last!

I’m betting on natural gas.

I hope Obama, Reid, and Pelosi would too!

thanks to flickr’s roy.luck for the photo

Ah, that leads us to the present.? The elephant may not be dead, but it is on life support and the powergrid is getting ready to shut down.? Take the article by Newt Gingrich in the April 13 copy of Newsweek.? Sure shows how for out of touch those guys (republicans) are.? Ever hear this cheer?? Probably not, since I just made it up.? But it works.? One, two, three, they’re old, they’re stuck, they’re dreamin’, they’re NUTZ!

The former Speaker of the House is trying to position himself for a run in 2012 (boy wouldn’t that be a great ticket Palin & Gingrich — one for the ages!).? Anyway, the article was titled “Our Tanks Are On Full” and subtitled “The energy crisis is an articficial one, created by bad politics.”

On what planet is this political/economic guru living?? I won’t debate that fact that the energy crisis was, in large part created by bad politics (any intelligent person knows it was–and is), but how can he even imagine that it is artificial.

Dang, dude, this energy crisis is real.? Check the figures, read the papers, watch the news, get out and talk to some real Americans who have to buy gas for their cars, oil to heat their homes, electricity to run their TV’s.? Energy demand is growing and energy supplies ARE NOT keeping up.? My utility bills prove that (our local Electric utility just raised rates another few % points today . . . and it is going to hurt a lot of people).? More importantly, in a few years America won’t even be the largest consumer of energy, China and India will fill those not-so-enviable shoes (and that will cause a whole bunch more problems).

Still, Gingrich does have some valid proposals.? He wants America to utilize all possible energy resources (as we should).? But he also misses the boat when he fails to suggest that we must also manage the environment.? Energy, yes!? Energy at any cost, no!? We can utilize all available energy resources but we can’t abuse the environment or risk the future to do so.? What we have to do is find a ‘golden-mean’ of energy and enviromental policy (and neither party has that figured out yet).

The most egregious proposal is one that fits Newt’s right-wing conservative history and capitalist leaning, but it also fails to recognize that ‘free-market’ capitalism beats ‘incentive-market’ capitalism anytime, anywhere.? By the way, I love his name Newt, it fits him when you remember the ‘Newt’ character on the great TV mini-series Lonesome Dove or the slippery little critters we used to catch in the pond out back.

Newt suggests, blithely, that a prize of $1 billion (yeah, that’s a ‘B’) be offered (tax-free no less) for the first hydrogen car that can be mass-produced at a reasonable price.? Boy, this chap is not for me!? He needs desperately to spend a summer herding cattle, throwing bales of hay, or working at Burger King.

He’s a Republican for crying out loud, a captialist, a conservative, and a discredited teacher and congressman.? Don’t listen to him.? I don’t think we really have to worry about that though.

Capitalism works when organizations are free to choose, economically and politically, what ‘process’ works best (and thereby generates the best return . . . or profit if you will).? If hydrogen cars are such a great idea, then free-market economics will provide them over time.? You can’t force it through a prize that makes the Noble Prize (about $1 million) seem like chump change.? For example, you might get economical hydrogen cars, but no way (safe especially) to fuel them.

You can read it all yourself.? His article is neo-classic republican mish-mash.? All for show but little for go.? Go on read it, you might even agree.? But, take it from me.? The author is as out of touch with American reality as the rest of his ‘Grand Old Party.’? Newt Gingrich needs to go back to writing books that are sold exclusively on O’reilly’s TV show (or given away by Glenn Beck on one of his comedy tours).

Newt, stay out of politics and economics.? Leave the real business to people that care, think, and work at real jobs.

Gimme the paddles, kick up the power, we got to try and revive the Republicans or this will be a one-party country for a long time to come.

thanks for the photo to flickr’s bobster1985

This proves the point of my previous blog i.e. we are really starting to do something about energy independence.? Well, sort of.? Doesn’t help a whole bunch to be free of ‘cartel’ oil if the solution costs us an arm and a leg.? But that could change.

I have followed Tesla’s progress for years now, hoping that they would get the economies of scale to the point that I could drive one of their cars to a movie or up to the ski-resorts (in the summer anyhow).? The price, frankly, just kept getting higher and the probability of me ever driving one with the wife and four kids in it were well below zero.? Not just the cost either, the dang thing only held two people (and none over 6′5″ or 200 lbs.–me and two of the boys are in that category).

Until today.? They just announced the family car of the future.? Maybe that future will be in my life time.? Not yet for sure.? Just maybe.

This car is hot! And cool! And roomy! Well, if two of the seven passengers are tiny kids. And affordable!? Wait a minute here.? Is $50,000 affordable for a family of 7?? Not in my world, and I only have 4 kids and a wife!

Still, this is a great announcement and a real movement forward in energy independence. All kidding aside I loved reading this. ? The company projects a 300 mile range on a single (over-night) charge!? I can drive to about 11 of Utah’s ski resorts in a single day with that promise.? All the golf courses I could possibly play in a day too!? Without using any cartel oil.? Not even an ounce of their stuff.? Now THAT really is cool!

Maybe I can afford this ‘baby’ when it comes out in 2011.? I’ve got an idea to help the economics of it work.? I’ll park it at the side of the house every night.? Fortunately my neighbor had a convenient outlet there.? By plugging in to THAT convenient outlet, my cost of miles/watt will be way low…like ZERO!? If my personally advantageous ‘charging’ process offends my neighbor, well…I will just let them take it to the store once in a while.? I can only hope they will appreciate the sacrifice I will be making for THEM!

The way I have the economics of this all figured out, I can borrow the money for the car at 11% per annum and it will pay for itself with all that ‘free’ electricity. . . eventually.? I just wonder if it will still be running when the debt is paid off.? 2034 according to my calculations.? Hey, honey, isn’t this making sense to you?

Stay with me here America, this is still good, even awesome news.?? Affordable Electric cars are here!? Ah, shucks, in 2011 anyway, maybe.

Here’s to you Putin, Ahmadindjad, and Chavez.? How far can YOU drive without any gasoline at all?

By the way, the above foto is NOT of the actual Tesla family sedan.? It is of my ‘other’ car…you know, the one my wife drives!

thanks for flickr’s photo from poom!