Louisiana should produce ethanol with sugarcane
With the overwhelming presence of the oil industry in Louisiana, I am surprised that our state has not capitalized on the current "green" trend. These oil companies have been developing research for years on various energy options, and Louisiana has just the right resources to rocket us to the front of this new innovative market. Corn industry lobbyists from Kansas want to make sure that any new national investment in ethanol goes their way first, but we've got the sugar cane to provide ethanol more cheaply! Even this new cellulosic ethanol is something that Louisiana's agricultural resources could handle. I am sure there are other tricks up the sleeves of our oil companies, but we're so used to being 49th in the country that we're afraid of taking this risk. With the capital coming from large states like New York and California, there are sure to be huge profits to be made from the "green" movement. Who better needs the money right now than Louisiana? In the wake of hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the rest of the world currently associates Louisiana with the environment. That name recognition would go a long way if we were to get our act together and push for alternative energy sources - those that we already have at our disposal.
Moshe Cohen mathematics graduate student
Be the first to comment on this article!