T. Boone Pickens Jr. spoke to a sold-out crowd of members and guests at last month’s downtown San Diego Rotary meeting at the Sheraton Hotel. More than 500 people were in attendance, making Pickens one of the most popular speakers of the year.  As well as boasting the largest membership in the state, Club 33 is the third largest Rotary organization in the world, so this was quite an exceptional meeting. In his typical Oklahoma twang, Pickens explained the Pickens Plan, from its ideals to its conception on July 8, 2008, commencing with Pickens’ own $59 million infusion into the coffers. While the general public associates Pickens with alternative energy, such as wind tunnels and solar energy, this is not the main focus or direction of his program. Rather he emphasizes natural gas, readily available in the United States, as his number-one solution to replace American dependence on crude oil, especially from the Middle East. Pickens originally brought his idea to then-President George W. Bush, who listened but did not act on the suggestion. “A fool with a plan is better than a genius with no plan, and we all look like fools without a plan,” Pickens said, sounding like Will Rogers. During the presidential race last year, when the energy problem was one of the leading questions in the debates, Pickens approached both candidates. Each supported his suggestions but neither was in a position to follow through until after the inauguration in January. Consequently, Pickens put in his own money to launch the petition.   His goal is to stimulate a “grassroots” movement such as those used successfully in the political arena. At present, more than 1.5 million members have joined on the website, including 14 governors, 52 members of Congress and 185 city mayors. Pickens is now spreading the word in person using his own jet on a world tour. A lifetime Republican, Pickens has successfully recruited environmentalist Democrats to his side in energy matters. He has received enthusiastic encouragement from such diverse groups as The Sierra Club, followers of Al Gore, both Democratic and Republican constituents and some “arm’s length” groups. Everyone is for this, he says, as everyone will benefit. One of his most enthusiastic fans is his wife, Madeleine. Although maintaining her own interests in racing horses, she still enjoys the ranch life in Texas, where the couple lives. Last year she surprised her husband on his 80th birthday with a party at the Dallas Country Club that resembled a Hollywood nightspot, complete with celebrities who flew in from all over the world. Coming from a humble background in Holdenville, Okla., and graduating from college as a geologist, Pickens’ colorful background has been documented in most major periodicals. Presently he is appearing on numerous talk shows to promote his unique position on the foreign oil crisis that has plagued America for 40 years. He says the answer isn’t switching to cards with batteries made in China. Instead, he proposes to use natural gas that is “green, clean and cheap.” For more information, visit www.pickensplan.com. For information on the downtown Rotary Club, visit www.rotary33.org.