Personally, I have gotten a lot of mileage out of Judge Ellis’ comment that our Covington, LA could be named after Covington, KY, because of the Kentucky whiskey that local officials enjoyed profoundly. I myself enjoy a good whiskey drink. In the last couple of years, Kentucky initiated pilot programs for Industrial Hemp production, entering an international market with global demand.
While Louisiana is still reeling from the BP Oil Spill eight years later, places like France (the country) are banning the controversial practice of hydraulic fracking. Domestically, shareholders are bailing on the practice. The World Bank announced that they were ending financial support for oil and gas exploration. Other countries like Italy are discovering that planting industrial hemp helps with soil mitigation and nutrient replenishment. Between the number of superfund sites in our state, coupled with the recently publicized issue of orphaned and abandoned wells, plus pipeline spills and explosions, perhaps Louisiana could also benefit from programs similar to the ones that Kentucky is pioneering.
Diversification. Start looking at other energy technology. The market is not the same and will not be the same because the manipulation is based on blind partisanship and fundamentalist philosophies, two things that are eroding quickly along with the petrodollar. Wouldn’t it be more desirable to be on the cutting edge rather than be an impediment to a progressive and healthier future?
