Agriculture/Farming--The Next Major Energy Source?

The agricultural industry may well be the next major source of energy for the U.S. Even now certain sectors of society are utilizing bio-diesel technology for fuel. Though this endeavor is still in its infancy it is well worth pursuing.

Each time there is an energy crisis in this country, either due to short supplies or skyrocketing prices, the calls for developing alternative sources of energy rise from here and yon. We are told that we can develop fuel cell technology that will render gasoline usage obsolete. We are told about nuclear power sources, solar energy, modern wind-mills, and ethanol. Then, as soon as the crisis has passed, it is back to business as usual with Americans buying gas-guzzling SUVs that give the big oil companies windfall profits.

I have nothing against companies making huge profits. This helps the stockholders who invest in those companies, and the result is a better economy for ALL Americans. However, fossil fuels are not a renewal energy source, and the conventional wisdom is that it is much to our benefit to start developing new, renewable energy sources that reduce our dependence of foreign oil and drastically reduce our depletion of non-renewablel energy sources.

This would not put the oil companies out of business. Rather, the oil companies have the resources, the funding, and the means to be at the forefront of some of these alternative sources of energy. Bio-diesel is one of those sources that holds great promise for several reasons. It is no more expensive than growing any crop. Farmers can then not only provide the nation's food supply but its energy supply as well. It puts the land to good use. It is renewable. It burns much cleaner than oil based products. It is less expensive than gasoline. And the oil companies, if they so choose, can do the refining that converts the crops to fuel.

Agriculture and farming is one of the things that made this nation great in its early years. What goes around comes around. Perhaps we are on the brink of seeing this vital industry take the lead in yet another endeavor, that of providing the nation with a better source of energy.

One of the campaign planks of Alabama Libertarian Loretta Nall is the push for the development of bio-diesel. Soy beans and other grains and grasses can easily be grown as the source of production for this type of fuel. Nall mentions the infamous, poverty-stricken 'black belt' of lower Alabama as an area where this type of agriculture could be developed. The soil is rich and suitable for farming, and the area could greatly benefit from the economic impact of having such a major industry.

There are other areas of the nation where the land is primed and ready for the development of this potentially fast-growing industry.

Presently, oil prices are way down once again. Reports indicate that before the free fall in oil is over, we could well see gas prices at $1.50 per gallon in some areas, or lower. The temptation would be to fall into the trap, as we have in the past, of breathing a sigh of relief and resuming our over-consumption of oil.

That would be a tragic mistake.

History is our guide. Oil prices do not stay down. We are at the mercy of foreign governments that manipulate the market for their purposes. Oil prices will surely rise again at some point, and we will be back at square one.

This time, one can only hope that we have lived and learned, and grown. This nation is very resilient. We can do this. It is time for us to get serious about the development and production of alternative sources of energy. The agricultural industry is a good place to start.