Trucking And The Pickens Plan

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Comment by J Jay Pirko on November 18, 2009 at 2:55pm

This was sent to me by Kenneth Prendergast, Executive Director of All Aboard Ohio!

As we ponder the removal of urban rail transit systems that anchored walkable neighborhoods, the abandonment and destruction of many U.S. cities over the past 50 years, the isolation of the urban poor, the nation's immobilized elderly population, the creation of sprawling car-dependent suburbia where transit cannot effectively serve or survive, our depletion of our once-world leading domestic oil reserves and thus ever-worsening dependence on imported oil, as well as dangerously high carbon emissions, consider these issues in the context of the eye-opening Harper's article by Jonathan Kwitney from February, 1981, "The Great Transportation Conspiracy."

The article, scanned column by column, was uploaded to a friend's web site as a series of JPGs displayed by an html file. A text search won't stumble across it; one has to know where to look. Well here it is:

http://robertpence.com/streetcars/streetcars.html

From time to time, interviews and articles surface where some current or retired transit official claims it never happened. That's not too surprising, considering that when Kwitney researched his article he found "no more than three" such people who claimed to have any knowledge of the events. Probably a lot of former execs and employees from that era had already died off, and I speculate that some who denied any knowledge were trying to conceal their own complicity.

Kwitney presents such a thoroughly-researched, detailed narrative that it's pretty hard to believe the claims of those who deny it ever happened.

KJP

Comment by PickensPlan on November 16, 2009 at 2:20pm

Hey everyone. Wanted to let you know we started a new discussion on Natural Gas here. Come share your thoughts!

Comment by J Jay Pirko on November 15, 2009 at 11:08am

This was sent to me by Kenneth Prendergast, Executive Director of All Aboard Ohio!

The Oil Situation Is Really Bad
by Dave Cohen

Published Nov 12 2009 by ASPO-USA, Archived Nov 12 2009


On the eve of the International Energy Agency’s release of its annual World Energy Outlook (WEO), a whistleblower at the IEA claims the agency “has been deliberately underplaying a looming [oil] shortage for fear of triggering panic buying” in the world markets. As the young fan said to “Shoeless” Joe Jackson, who was wrongly convicted of helping to throw the 1919 World Series, but knew the fix was in, say it ain’t so, Joe.

Ah, but apparently it is so. Another dose of disillusionment for the naive. A second Guardian informant went so far as to say the situation is really bad—

The senior official claims the US has played an influential role in encouraging the watchdog to underplay the rate of decline from existing oil fields while overplaying the chances of finding new reserves.

The allegations raise serious questions about the accuracy of the organization’s latest World Energy Outlook on oil demand and supply to be published tomorrow – which is used by the British and many other governments to help guide their wider energy and climate change policies…

A second senior IEA source, who has now left but was also unwilling to give his name, said a key rule at the organization was that it was “imperative not to anger the Americans” but the fact was that there was not as much oil in the world as had been admitted. “We have [already] entered the ‘peak oil’ zone. I think that the situation is really bad,” he added.

READ MORE AT:
http://www.energybulletin.net/node/50688

READ IEA'S WEO REPORT AT:
http://www.worldenergyoutlook.org/

READ THE GUARDIAN ARTICLE AT:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/nov/09/peak-oil-international-energy-agency#history-byline

Comment by J Jay Pirko on November 15, 2009 at 8:38am

Mike: Agreed, rail-truck intermodal shipping containers are the most cost-effective inland transportation system on the market. Fifteen years ago I was able to save $300-400 per "48x102" trailerload, using intermodal shipping containers to supply my customers in New York, shipping from Tupelo, MS through the Memphis, TN intermodal rail terminal. Diesel fuel retailed for about $0.75 per gallon back then, so intermodal cost savings have multiplied with the cost of imported oil.

Since returning to Ohio, I have been advocating the construction of a regional rail-truck intermodal shipping container terminal in the Youngstown area. This idea has gained support with our regional transportation planning and economic development organizations, and I am now involved with discussions about site selection, engineering, and funding.

Railroads must play a central role in restructuring our economy for energy independence, using a network of strategically-placed rail-truck terminals. Trucking would still be essential for local/regional deliveries, and for express-delivery "hot freight," but we need to use railroads as the standard for long-haul tonnage.

If CNG would not be feasible for railroad engines, we could use bio-diesel, processed from soybean oil and/or algae. Soybeans enrich the soil in which they are grown, and algae can be grown from waste water treatment plant effluent. Ultimately, we would be using our own sustainable resources to stop the energy trade deficit that has devastated our economy and weakened our national security for almost four decades.

Comment by Mike Johnston on November 15, 2009 at 7:05am

Well Jay, I'm sure railroads could run on CNG but an easier fit would be the road to rail concept. That moves truck trailers over the long distance using rail cars and local/regional delivery of the trailers by trucks could then fit perfectly into the CNG paradigm.

Comment by Richard Barnard on November 15, 2009 at 6:48am

CNG, LNG
Just a reminder

http://www.cleanenergyfuels.com/pdf/LNGKenworthWestport.pdf

Richard

Comment by J Jay Pirko on November 14, 2009 at 1:06pm

Start CNG in the closed-loop local systems, such as mass transit and local delivery services (US Postal Service, UPS, FedEx, etc.) Create incentives to replace worn-out vehicles, and entire fleets.

Prove that this technology works, and saves money. Then expand CNG use to long-haul frieght. We do not need to start with a massive capital investment in new truck stops.

How well would CNG work with railroads?

Comment by Mike Johnston on November 13, 2009 at 7:10am

This week I used the "contact your Representative(s)"feature on the site AND I submitted a Letter To The Editor to the Patriot News in Harrisburg.

Story link:
http://www.pennlive.com/letters/index.ssf/2009/11/state_is_missing_out_on_natura.html

Please join me by doing these two things yourself. It is very easy and only takes a few minutes of your time. Or just click on the story link and leave a comment of your own after my story :-)

Comment by Mike Johnston on November 6, 2009 at 7:38am

Surge in Natural Gas Has Utah Driving Cheaply

According to this recent story in The New York Times people in Utah have embraced natural gas as a vehicle fuel and are filling up on CNG for as little as .80 a gallon (as of last fall). Where is your state at in relation to this?

Pennsylvania is a prime example of states who are missing the ball on CNG. We have huge deposits of natural gas within our borders and in a short time we could have municipal fleets and local/regional trucking operations running on this clean, domestic fuel. Why are we losing in this new energy race to Utah? Our state leaders and national representatives need to be given a wake up call.

Natural gas will bring jobs to Pennsylvania and will cut transportation costs for manufacturers and service providers who depend on truck transportation. In this miserable economic climate you would think that our elected representatives would be scrambling to put our state first in taking advantage of this economic goldmine but, from what I have seen this isn't the case.

The people of Pennsylvania need to understand this. That is where we come in. By writing to our representatives and writing letters to local newspapers and or radio/TV stations we can help inform other Pennsylvanians and in this way bring the benefits of CNG fuel (which is OUR natural resource!) to Pennsylvania.

Comment by Mike Johnston on November 5, 2009 at 12:49pm

Would you be willing to tell your representatives that you support natural gas fuel and want them to take action NOW? All you have to do is click above and fill you some very basic info then hit send.. Really, that's it. Under 5 minutes. We need to make our voices heard and this is a very simple yet effective way to do it. Thanks..

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