by David Hearne
The elevator door opened and Frank still smiling at Kat said, “They will know you! See you tomorrow morning.”
Outside the presidential suite, Senator Laforge uttered one deep shuddering breath as she quelled her anxiety and then knocked softly on the huge oak door. Almost instantly she heard the click of the latch and the door swung open. Ira and Lyndsey stood in the doorway; their beaming faces assured her that she was recognizable. The second she stepped into the room, she was locked in Ira’s embrace. On her back, she felt the caress of her daughter’s hands and heard Lyndsey murmur “I’m so happy you’re back mom.” This was the moment she had longed for, the feel of her husband’s arms around her, to see the smile of her daughter, and to hear their voices. She trembled uncontrollably as Ira kissed her neck. For a long moment, they stood locked together, and then she broke away from her husband’s passionate embrace and looked down into her daughter’s tear-filled eyes. She pulled Lyndsey towards her, brushed a stray lock of hair from her moist eyes and gently kissed her. She felt beautiful again and loved.
It was a fantastic feeling being home the first night. She listened to Lyndsey telling her all that she had missed while away. For a few minutes, she played with their cats that Lyndsey had smuggled into the room. Later she talked to Ira about how much she had missed him and some of the tragedy, she had witnessed in Iraq. The conversation was difficult at times and Kat told him they would talk about it later. She felt a bit guilty that she was now safe with her family, and for those that she had become so much a part of were still in harm’s way. She prayed that they would stay safe and make it home alive. She had developed a great empathy for the frightening emotions that our soldiers live with as they perform under the constant threat of death that plagues their every moment. She knew this experience would never go away; it would be in her memories and heart for the rest of her life.
The day quickly faded away and Senator Laforge welcomed the first night in bed with her husband after almost two months of separation.
At 8 am the following morning Katherine sat in a large overstuffed chair in the living room of her Suite and looked out over the city of Houston. She felt rested and hoped she could get a good day of work in toward moving her campaign forward. The city spreading out in front of her reminded her that Houston, the onetime capital of the oil empire was still a giant in the energy game. It was still a major hub for the energy barons boasting headquarters for billion dollar companies like Halliburton, Shell Oil, and Conoco. According to the morning paper’s headlines, her return coincided with Houston’s annual Offshore Technology Convention with seventy five thousand attendees. She hoped that Houston and Texas would embrace the needed changes to maintain their roles in the pageant of history as energy leaders.
She glanced at the paper, while she nursed a cup of coffee. The major stories were about the execution of Roger Vaughn, for a 1991 robbery and slaying, the blight of prostitution in the Houston neighborhood just off the Southwest Freeway, protecting Baghdad University from attacks by rebels and an article comparing the insurgency in Iraq to the bloodletting period following the end of the Civil War. This article intrigued her. It chronicled the anniversary of the May 8th, 1865, raid on a Georgia storehouse by a band of four hundred former confederate soldiers. The raiders carried away or destroyed all the contents of the depot. The post Civil War years deteriorated into widespread riots, looting, gang arsons, group beatings and killings of Yankee collaborators. There was a disturbingly similar parallel to the mayhem now happening in occupied Iraq. Rampant crime didn’t exist in Saddam’s era nor did it in the pre Civil War south. But the dissolution of the governments and armies of the vanquished triggered a period of bloody mayhem following both wars. A year after the end of the civil war, the headlines continued to emphasize the terrible atrocities, robberies, rapes, lynching’s, and murders spreading across the south just as the media now focuses on the hideous acts of post war Iraq. The civil war insurgents evolved as the Ku Klux Klan. In its infancy it was a harmless fraternal organization, but quickly became the invisible army of the white south that eventually became notorious for its public hangings, shootings, lashings, rapes, acid brandings, and castrations. The similarities between the two insurgencies were many, hiding behind mask, preying upon civilians, and using religious scripture to justify their actions. The post civil war insurgency went on for many years. Katherine wondered how long and bloody the Iraq’s insurgency would be, but her thoughts were interrupted by Ira as he entered the room and planted a kiss on her neck.
“Good morning, Sweetheart!” He murmured.
“This is a good morning!” Katherine turned her head and met his eyes.
“I am anxious to get the show on the road. Frank should be here by now shouldn’t he?
“He is on the way up now.” Ira responded.
Just as Katherine got up to get herself another cup of coffee, the doorbell rang.
It was Frank. The three of them got comfortable in the living room with coffee and pastries as Katherine started to outline the day’s business.
“Before we hit the campaign trail, I would like to visit with some of the most knowledgeable and respected individuals on the subject of alternative energy. I think you should contact those who could help our cause and invite them to visit with us here in Houston or in Washington. Let them know we would even be amendable to visit them, if they cannot get away. It would be nice to see a larger variety of alternative energy implementations anyway.”
Frank Payne responded, “Well, I am glad you feel that way, because I just happen to have a gentleman from your home state that I think can answer many of our questions on one form of alternative energy, biodiesel.”
“And who is that?”
“Professor Briggs from the University of New Hampshire. He is a researcher that has written an insightful paper called ‘Wide Scale Biodiesel Production from Algae,’ it seems to be a serious roadmap on how our foreign oil habit can be kicked by biodiesel produced from Algae.”
“Have you read his study?” Katherine asked.
“Yes I have and I was very impressed with it. I have also researched him on the Internet and found his ideas are quoted by various groups involved in biodiesel and alternative energy.” Payne replied.
“So when do we meet him?”
“Well, it just so happens he is here in the Lancaster for the day. So what about meeting him for a discussion over late lunch?” Payne answered.
“Good that will give us time to go over a few other candidates that I want us to meet and get them behind our team. I have read about a woman named Judy Treichel with the Nevada Nuclear Waste Task Force. She seems to be a well known authority on the problems with nuclear waste disposal and for years she has represented those opposing Yucca Mountain as a national waste dump for everyone’s radioactive garbage.” Katherine made a note before she continued.
“I would also like to get together with Congressman Nick Lampson. He shares our desires to become less dependent on foreign oil. He has some great plans for getting farmers being paid not to produce certain crops to have them grow soybeans or other biodiesel yielding crops. We need to nail down a meeting with him to view his Safuel facility here in Houston. It is supposed to be a much safer version of biodiesel.” Katherine quipped.
The meeting dragged on for another hour and finally Senator Laforge suggested they quit for the morning and work on their individual list of experts in the alternative energy and national sales tax areas. They would reconvene for a late lunch in the Lancaster restaurant at 2 PM with Professor Briggs and Congressman Nick Lampson.
Kat’s list of experts and political allies in the energy or tax policies grew longer and longer. Their names made her feel more confident that her priorities were correct. She had found political allies on her National Sales Tax agenda in all political parties. The need now was to create a grass-roots galvanization of citizens that pressure their elected representatives in Congress to support the national sales tax issue.
At 2 PM precisely, Kat, Ira and Frank walked into the Lancaster restaurant. The place was empty except for a young man sipping coffee on the far wall. The trio sat down in a large booth, ordered some coffee and patiently waited for the arrival of the professor and Congressman Lampson. While waiting, they exchanged lists of the experts they had called to assist them in the energy and tax issues. Before anyone could discuss the list, Nick Lampson appeared at the entrance. His eyes immediately locked on their party and a smile lit up his face as he approached their table. He had served as a Texas Congressman since 1997 and had a strong background in biology. Kat had heard his reputation as a man of character and conviction, which were the type of leaders she hoped to use to bridge the chasm between Republicans and Democrats. She was looking for leaders who were uniters, not dividers.
Ten minutes passed and Kat was now chiding Frank that his expert did not seem to know how to tell time. While they were waiting, Ira was fielding calls from various news organizations that wanted quotes and interviews with the Senator. As he got off the last call, he said to Katherine that it would be better if he returned to their room and provided the press with some news coverage of her return. The constant phone calls would be a distraction during their business with Lampson and Briggs, and it was equally important that they maintain a good rapport with the press.
After Ira left the restaurant, other individuals entered, but they were groups or couples who did not seem to be looking for anyone. Kat saw Frank’s eyes lock on to something behind her. He murmured quietly, “We have company, I think.” A young man in his twenties moved to the table and asked if this was Senator Laforge’s table? “Who are you?” Frank replied.
“I am Professor Briggs.” Kat realized he was the young man they had seen sitting alone when they first entered.
Frank stood and welcomed Briggs to the table. “Is this seat okay?” Briggs asked motioning to a seat opposite the Senator.
“Of course.” Senator Laforge quickly replied.
Once they were all seated, Senator Laforge commented to Professor Briggs, “I had never expected a professor so young. And I am sure you were looking for a Katherine Laforge that looked a bit closer to the person in the campaign posters. I have to apologize that I have not had time to transform myself into her, since I returned from Iraq.”
“I hope you are enjoying your stay here at the Lancaster.” Kat said rhetorically, “You know that Mr. Payne asked you here to give your perspective of the biodiesel’s chance of being our replacement for overseas petroleum imports. Will it really work? So, please tell me all about biodiesel produced by algae.” Katherine queried as she smiled at Briggs.
Briggs leaned over the table and said, “I hope that what I have to tell you will be something that you can see as a major answer to our energy dilemma. I have great faith in it as a way to end our reliance on foreign oil, but I know many will argue against this solution for various political reasons. Basically, Senator, biodiesel produced from algae is the most economical and self sustaining solution available for producing a replacement for foreign oil. It can be produced on land that is of no value for food crops so it doesn’t affect food production and their prices. It is fast growing and needs very little care. It can help decrease our co2 problem and its production can actually be tied into absorbing the co2 created from coal burning power plants.” Mr. Briggs took a sip of his coffee and met Katherine’s stare.
“How much better is it from the other options we have to create biodiesel?” Katherine asked.
“Well compared to other alternatives that are currently being used to produce biodiesel, algae makes them all look ridiculous. For example, soybean is the most commonly used plant to make biodiesel and it only produces 40 gallons of biodiesel per acre per year. You have an algae farm in west Texas right now that can produce twenty thousand gallons per acre per year, which obviously makes it a much better way to produce biodiesel. Senator, literally and figuratively biodiesel from algae is the mother lode of green fuels.”
Frank Payne asked, “How much do you think it would cost to create enough production facilities to replace or seriously reduce the use of foreign oil?”
Professor Briggs looked pensive and then said, “It would be a few hundred billion dollars to get this method of fuel production up and running to the point it could completely replace our need for foreign oil.
“You are saying that could completely replace our foreign import of oil?” Lampson asked.
“Absolutely! The cost would be less, if we created more facilities like Glen Kertz’s place, near El Paso. His facility is the one that I mentioned produces 20 thousand gallons per acre per year using a vertical system, which grows the algae in long rows of moving plastic bags. The bags are transparent so this method exposes the algae to more sunlight and allows for greater production than simply using the surface of the pond.”
Biodiesel from algae is probably the best possible candidate to replace fossil fuels as our primary transportation energy source. And that’s because it is a renewable fuel that can replace petro-diesel in current engines and transported and sold using today’s infrastructure, if Big Oil companies allowed it. A few fuel stations are making biodiesel available to consumers, and more and more large transportation fleets use a proportion of biodiesel to fulfill their fuel needs.
Lampson questioned him about the scale of some of the various production facilities? Are you familiar with Kent Batman’s biodiesel facility in Hardin County, Texas that makes his fuel from rice bran, sunflower seeds, flax and cottonseed?
“No, I am not.” Replied Briggs.
“Well, really my question is how difficult is it getting EPA approval for these small refineries?”
Frank answered for him, “From my experience, the EPA can be a major obstacle to biodiesel producers. It appears that the tentacles of Big Oil have reached out and complicated approvals to where they are virtually impossible unless you have tremendous legal and financial resources. Things will get even tighter, because some Big Oil lobbyist are proposing laws to prohibit even those who make biodiesel for their own use from used cooking oil.”
The discussion of various alternative energy methods continued for about another hour and then Briggs excused himself, because of another engagement. Lampson also decided it was time to leave so only Katherine and Frank were left there sipping coffee.
Almost as soon as Briggs and Lampson exited the restaurant, a man with a briefcase walked toward their table. He was a rotund, pale face man in his fifties. Smiling broadly he exclaimed, “Senator Laforge!” in a tone as if they were old friends. Katherine could not recognize him, but his demeanor appeared harmless. Frank Payne stood up and said, “Hello, I am Frank Payne the Senator’s campaign manager. I am sorry, but I don’t believe I recognize you.”
“That is understandable, Mr. Payne, because until today, I have never had the privilege of meeting you or Senator Laforge. We do however move in the same circles, and I am very impressed with the verve of the Senator’s campaign. My name is Donald Hill, and I wanted to chat with the two of you about your campaign and see if I could be of some assistance. I represent some very influential people with great financial means who would very much like to see Senator Laforge elected. I hope you can give me the courtesy of a few minutes to express my clients concerns and offer.”
Frank hesitated and then beckoned Mr. Hill to sit down. “So who do you represent, Mr. Hill?”
He pulled up a chair and sat down opposite Katherine and placed his pudgy hands on the table’s surface. A contemplative look replaced the smile, and he replied, “Well, I represent various companies involved in the energy industry. I guess you could call me a career lobbyist. I know some look down at my profession, but I think you both would agree that we are as instrumental in making laws and keeping those big government wheels turning as most elected officials. Anyway, I think I have the ability to give your campaign one hell of a cash infusion.” He declared with a toothy smile.
“What part of
the energy industry are you with?” Katherine asked.
“Good question.” Hill cleared his throat, “I think I have read that you call it Big Oil. I represent most of the biggest producers of petroleum products being sold here in America. In the 2000 election, Senator, one of my clients contributed more than four million dollars to help worthy individuals get elected.”
“Mr. Hill, I am sure you are aware of my desires of cutting our shackles to foreign oil, and I know you realize I have voted against every bill providing your associates with the roughly $113 billion in yearly federal subsidies. So why would you think I could or would accept any funds from those that get rich from us being dependent on foreign oil?”
“Senator, Senator, we see the same things, but just from different perspectives. My clients would love to be in the alternative energy business, but they have stockholders to appease, serious obligations to leaders in many countries and billions invested in a business that is making more money than it has ever made. So why would they do something to kill the golden goose?”
“The golden goose cannot live much longer, and while it does it is robbing Americans of their money. And you didn’t answer my question why you would be here talking to me about supporting my campaign.”
“Well Senator, we think it would look good for our industry’s image to put a few millions into your bid for the presidency. A woman running for President backed by Big Oil would say we are working out our differences. It would be good for both of us, and frankly Senator your vision of making any dent in our market share is hopeless. We have your colleagues promoting worthless alternative energy programs that are so ineffective that they will do nothing more than anger consumers. We have helped promote methods like the production of biodiesel from soybeans and ethanol from corn, which is about as effective as attempting to cut down a forest with a plastic knife.”
