Reduce energy use by recycling!

Thought you might be interested in the Idaho National Laboratory facebook site. We do a lot of energy research including wind, nuclear, solar, natural gas, etc. http://www.facebook.com/idahonationallaboratory

Invite Your Friends to Watch the Video

President Obama recorded a video to speak directly to you about his economic recovery plan.

Invite your friends and family to watch the video and learn why our unprecedented challenges require immediate action.

You can even use our email contact importer to make it easy. Don't worry -- we don't hold on to any of the addresses you use.

After you watch the video, watch Gov. Tim Kaine answer questions from ordinary citizens about the plan and share your story about the economic crisis.

We're counting on you to collect the real stories of the challenges Americans are facing during this recession. We need to hear from you how the economic crisis is affecting your life and why the economic recovery plan is important to you and your community.

Once we receive your stories we will make them available to the public to show how critical it is to support the economic recovery plan.

Share your story click here.

Watch President Obama's video and share it with your friends and family:


REMARKS OF PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA

WEEKLY ADDRESS

The White House
Saturday, February 7, 2009

Yesterday began with some devastating news with regard to our economic crisis. But I'm pleased to say it ended on a more positive note.

In the morning, we received yet another round of alarming employment figures – the worst in more than 30 years. Another 600,000 jobs were lost in January. We've now lost more than 3.6 million jobs since this recession began.

But by the evening, Democrats and Republicans came together in the Senate and responded appropriately to the urgency this moment demands.

In the midst of our greatest economic crisis since the Great Depression, the American people were hoping that Congress would begin to confront the great challenges we face. That was, after all, what last November's election was all about.

Legislation of such magnitude deserves the scrutiny that it's received over the last month, and it will receive more in the days to come. But we can't afford to make perfect the enemy of the absolutely necessary. The scale and scope of this plan is right. And the time for action is now.

Because if we don't move swiftly to put this plan in motion, our economic crisis could become a national catastrophe. Millions of Americans will lose their jobs, their homes, and their health care. Millions more will have to put their dreams on hold.

Let's be clear: We can't expect relief from the tired old theories that, in eight short years, doubled the national debt, threw our economy into a tailspin, and led us into this mess in the first place. We can't rely on a losing formula that offers only tax cuts as the answer to all our problems while ignoring our fundamental economic challenges – the crushing cost of health care or the inadequate state of so many schools; our addiction to foreign oil or our crumbling roads, bridges, and levees.

The American people know that our challenges are great. They don't expect Democratic solutions or Republican solutions – they expect American solutions.

From the beginning, this recovery plan has had at its core a simple idea: Let's put Americans to work doing the work America needs done. It will save or create more than 3 million jobs over the next two years, all across the country – 16,000 in Maine, nearly 80,000 in Indiana – almost all of them in the private sector, and all of them jobs that help us recover today, and prosper tomorrow.

Jobs that upgrade classrooms and laboratories in 10,000 schools nationwide – at least 485 in Florida alone – and train an army of teachers in math and science.

Jobs that modernize our health care system, not only saving us billions of dollars, but countless lives.

Jobs that construct a smart electric grid, connect every corner of the country to the information superhighway, double our capacity to generate renewable energy, and grow the economy of tomorrow.

Jobs that rebuild our crumbling roads, bridges and levees and dams, so that the tragedies of New Orleans and Minneapolis never happen again.

It includes immediate tax relief for our struggling middle class in places like Ohio, where 4.5 million workers will receive a tax cut of up to $1,000. It protects health insurance and provides unemployment insurance for those who've lost their jobs. And it helps our states and communities avoid painful tax hikes or layoffs for our teachers, nurses, and first responders.

That's what is at stake with this plan: putting Americans back to work, creating transformative economic change, and making a down payment on the American Dream that serves our children and our children's children for generations to come.

Americans across this country are struggling, and they are watching to see if we're equal to the task before us. Let's show them that we are. And let's do whatever it takes to keep the promise of America alive in our time.

Thank you.

Thanks Mark!

Hey Mark,

I've volunteered to help out as a District 07 Leader and wanted to introduce myself (I'm working on my home page to put up lots of informative information, but I'm on a learning curve). I'm a 29yr old financial analyst for a private equity oil & gas (USA production) company. My future interest is alternatice energy investment banking, which I will get into after going to business school for my MBA beginning in 2010. I'm a futurist at heart and very progressive. I love technology and human innovation and look forward to this exciting time of change. We, the district leaders, should have a meeting to brain storm ideas of how we can get more people in our community involved (like door-to-door talks and handouts).

I'm currently trying to figure out how to navigate the site. I have a couple of questions:

I've been researching some information resources for the group; such as alterternative energy organizations (ie. American Wind Energy Association) in Washington that have tons of information for advocates, and some allow individual memberships for advocates. I wanted to make all this information available (and more as I research), as well as posting a welcome package with all the Pickens Plan links people need to get going and put into action.

1) How do I locate email addresses of the group members in my district (and in Houston) to invite them as friends?
2) I want to post information on group members' home pages. How do I do this?
3) I guess my main problem is just finding the members. Is there a list somewhere? I can't find the link.

Thanks.

Moreover, I'm sorry that I have not been more of a presence. As soon as I signed up I got swamped at work. I am also the Chairman of the YMCA Community Development Board and we are in the middle of a fundraising campaign that ends at the end of March. Furthermore, I am on several committees, including the Menninger Health Clinic, the Ronald McDonald House, the Houston World Affairs Council, Young Professionals in Energy, and of course a District 07 Leader. I'm super involved in community development and want to spread the Pickens Plan message to everyone possible.

Thanks for all the help and I look forward to a great meeting!

Hi Mark Austin, I have been pushing for the sell of US Treasury "Energy Independence Savings Bonds". Savings bonds are normally purchased in $25 increments. This gives a way for just about any American to tighten their belts just a bit by skipping a meal at McDonalds or Pizza Hut and buying a RE savings bond to support a renewable energy project and save money at the same time for themselves. I need help pushing this project, I've faxed and emailed many in Congress/Senate already.If you agree with this plan please consider passing to other people in your district as it will be a great tool to get funding for PickensPlan projects. This is a way to help and give tools to all of us for getting more RE projects started. I believe if just one fax could make it to the Presidents desk or Vice Presidents desk (fax numbers listed on web page of course) we may have a chance he may say “make it happen” to the US Secretary of Treasury. My email is ke6cvh@yahoo.com. Here is a copy of a fax sent to Nancy Pelosi yesterday:
27FEB09

Honorable Speaker of the House Congresswoman Pelosi,

I am an Electronic Technician Chief in the US Navy with 27 years service stationed overseas. I’m outlying an idea to assist and work with current plans for achieving energy independence. I urge you, as speaker of the house and the driving force to form the select committee on energy independence and global warming, consider for discussion and introduction into the house US Treasury Savings Bonds for Energy Independance.
In WWII America sold war bonds supporting the war effort. When young, my mother told me her primary school raised enough money through bonds to build a tank to support troops. I am impressed with the patriotism and purpose of our greatest generation that accomplished so much.

Selling energy bonds for RE (Renewable Energy) development would lower foreign oil imports and assist with the complex problem of funding. Bonds sold as “Energy S” could support new solar trough plants, “Energy W” to support wind farms, Energy “H” to support hydroelectric plants, Energy “T” to support RE transportation such as electric bullet train routes powered by RE, Energy "C" COOPS for small communities only needing a small quantity of turbines, and Energy “I” for needed infrastructure high voltage power lines to the RE site. Bonds will have the project name and include an artist’s perspective of the project and an American flag. President Obama had great success with the internet during his campaign. In a similar manner, using the internet, energy bonds could have a website listing current projects and an “electronic checkout” could purchase a bond $25 or higher. Simpler methods of payment such as “PAYPAL” and credit cards would be available and after an electronic purchase is complete a color print out of the bond is available with a follow up of the bond in the mail. The website would limit quantity of projects for each category until funding is complete. After a project becomes funded, a new project will be available. A tab on the site will show history and status of previous projects. Purchasers may take great pride in “collecting” and displaying bonds of various RE projects and participating at different levels of financial support. Solar trough plants in the multi-hundred MW size capacity with molten salt energy storage in California, Arizona, and West Texas can provide a major portion of electric needs. North Dakota has potential to support 1/3 of our nations electric needs in it’s class 4 wind zone areas. There are plenty of suitable proposed wind turbine farms now around the nation to significantly increase our RE if funded. Mid sized hydro-electric has not been used in America to it’s full potential. Following the example of our neighbor, Canada, it would provide a significant increase in percentage of electric production. Developing all three we could provide the majority of our electric and heating needs through renewable energy in a "New New Deal" fashion allowing natural gas for transportation as T. Boone Pickens is working for. Bullet train routes have proven a viable alternative to commercial domestic air service and when powered by electricity provided by RE suppliers America would be in the forefront of world technology. Example, I heard of discussion for a commuter train from Denver to Colorado Springs. Such a route built as a renewable energy project with charter requirement legally requiring to only purchase electricity from available renewable energy sources would be a model example. There are many train routes, city bus systems, and government vehicles that can be converted to run from alternative energy sources and fuels. Jobs created would bolster the economy, lower trade deficit, and strengthen national security. I would take great pride in print outs of bonds with graphics of each project I supported and many other Americans would also. The energy bonds could have tax breaks. BLM lands may be a viable place to start for some projects.

I contacted the US treasury department and was told that the marketing department for savings bonds closed several years ago. I was told there would be problems because savings bonds are at the federal level while the projects will be at the state and local level. I disagree and believe that these can easily be figured out in the way of grants to the state and local level using money from the bonds for those specific projects. I was told to check out auctions on the www.treasurydirect.gov website and found them to not apply to citizens wanting to buy savings bonds to support a cause such as energy independance. I was told by the treasury department to look into CREB (Clean Renewable Energy Bonds). I found CREB to be large scale funding that a citizen would not be able to participate in as a US Treasury Energy Independance Bond would provide. If given the tools to participate directly, the power of the citizens of the United States to help achieve energy independance could not be denied. Americans mean well and the Energy Independance Savings bond program will give citizens the power at their level to make it happen. If marketed through a web page, commercials, and to federal employees the word would get out and participation would spread like wildfire.

Mr. Paul Gipe, a resident of Bakersfield CA, an author of several books about wind energy, and recipient of multiple awards as a pioneer in the industry since the 1970's has put a letter I wrote to Senator Dorgan on this subject as well as an older letter I wrote on wind COOP in JAN07. These websites are:

http://www.wind-works.org/coopwind/RenewableEnergyBondsforEnergyIndependence.html

and

http://www.wind-works.org/articles/AmericanEnergyIndependencethroughCooperativeInvestmentinWindEnergy.html

Sincerely and very respectfully,

ETC(SW/AW) Mike Kendall USN

Mailing address: PSC 476, Box 879, FPO AP, 96322 USA

Telephone (803) 265-4756, Email: ke6cvh@yahoo.com

I just joined district 7. I would love to help and get involved! Thanks.

Did you see the segment on Nightly News on the 18th with Brian Willliams..
There was a guy who takes things no one wants and makes awesome use of them... too lengthy to describe. But certainly worth looking at. He is a smart
guy... let me know what you think of his deal!!!!

Hi WE CAN

Thanks for offering to help TX-07! We only have 17 days until Congress is sworn in. We must improve our numbers fast. Can you please print off a petition and get a few supporters? We all know 8 people who know how important it is for us to get off foreign oil and onto American solutions. Ask your friends to join us and have them do the same.

Here is the petition:
http://media.pickensplan.com/downloads/PP/pollingsignupsheet.pdf

NO INFLUENCE WITHOUT NUMBERS

Please stop by and let me know how it goes. WE CAN DO THIS!

Best
Kim