Jimbo

Why Exxon Should Significantly Increase its Dividend

I owned Texaco prior to its'
merger with Chevron. In addition to Gulf, Chevron has acquired Unocal. I still own Chevron and have been accumulating. I share Fitzman's puzzlement over the neglect of natural gas by both the government and oil companies. Our continued dependence on imported oil makes us vulnerable to economic and petroleum blackmail. It also contributes to the destruction of our currency. The age of oil may end some day and we need to begin the deliberate steps to prepare for this. Given the enormous volume of liquid transportation fuels in a modern economy, I don't believe people in general, and environmentalists, realize the the gigantic scope of alternative liquid fuels. The same comment applies to using electricity for transportation.

The Pickens Plan: Where Are We One Year Later?

I wholly support the author. Natural gas is in use almost all over the world as a transportation fuel. Yes, it does release carbon dioxide but I am suspicious of the "climate change/global warming" argument. I support the move to alternative transportation fuels simply because oil is going to get evermore difficult and expensive to produce. Hydrogen presents more technological and logistical problems than nat gas. Someone needs to get to our Nobel Prize Energy Secretary and square him away on nat gas.

Pickens: World’s Biggest Wind Farm No Longer on Drawing Board

Please add me to the list of natural gas advocates. The range of gas fueled vehicles is less than that of gasoline and diesel vehicles. Nevertheless, natgas, domestically produced, helps cut down on currency destroying imports of oil. EVs may work in short haul situations but they can't propel trucks and buses for distance. Bio fuels seem to be destined for the laboratory for several years. There are logistical and technical problems with all these biofuel alternatives. I hope we can come up with a winner, but it will take time.

The Honeymoon Is Over: Gauging the Market with an Obama Presidency

I am with LongOil. I hope Obama! is successful, for all our sakes, but I fear he is a suntanned version of Jimmy Carter. Obama! is about to find that there is no longer a "present" button in the Oral, er Oval, Office. He will have to chose from among only Hobson's Choices. It is going to be an interesting four years. I only hope we survive it.

Will Automakers Switch to Natural Gas?

Those posters who state that NG supply is declining may not be considering the possibilities of Marcellus Shale in the Eastern U.S.,Bakken Shale in the upper midwest and Barnett shale in Texas. Also we made gas from coal in the first half of the 20th. Century. I have ridden in gas powered autos in the Netherlands and the logistics and safety issues seemed to be manageable. Of course we should never underestimate the power of trial lawyers to screw things up. They damn near destroyed the small aircraft industry in the U.S