Ethanol From Sugar Cane - Caribbean Vogue
The Caribbean islands are often viewed by North Americans as a pleasant place to flee from the grasp of winter. What several don't realize is that the islands are a source of wealth for centuries-which there is a source of wealth watching for today's savvy investor.
Columbus arrived in quest of gold. European planters arrived in search of agricultural land. The islands truly came into their own when sugar cane developed as their primary crop. That was the $64000 gold, as real as the gold that covers the ceilings of British aristocracy's homes. That gold was purchased from the proceeds of sugar, rum and molasses. Was it profitable? My graduate research at Bettie's Hope Estate in Antigua revealed 18th century documents that proved the profitability of the islands for sugar cane production. In one year alone, Bettie's Hope delivered a profit of over one million pounds at the tip of the eighteenth century. This is a fortune by any century's standards and this was only one plantation on one island.
Sugar cane agriculture died out within the islands soon after World War II when sugar beets became a cheaper supply of sugar for world markets. Many of the islands currently have acres of land lying in scrub brush where sugar cane used to grow. The land is primarily owned by governments who bought out the planters when they abandoned the islands for additional lucrative investments.
Together with the dearth of marketplace for island sugar cane is a local stigma connected to agricultural work. The colonial mindset still has a control on these islands and working in fields is seen as too menial for many of the population. Even when the Antiguan government offered free land to anyone beneath twenty five years old to use as farmland, only a few accepted the offer. However, there are folks there who still know the way to grow sugar cane and grow it well.
The time has come back for a renewal of agriculture within the Caribbean islands. The people and stable governments of these islands might not even notice that the world is seeking a source of fuel that they're in a very prime position to provide in nice quantity. That source is ethanol from sugar cane.
Sugar cane is good for ethanol production since it will not negatively impact the food chain through the consumption of food crops as fuel for our technology. Already the concerns are growing in North America of the monetary impact of using corn and alternative crops which are used to feed animals that are a supply of meat. Different foods will be affected as sugar beets become a source of ethanol as well. Brazil could be a prime example of how producing sugar cane for ethanol will supplement oil reserves to eliminate dependence on imported oil from unstable areas of the world.
The infrastructure is dormant on the islands but with a replacement awareness of the demand for this crop it may be resurrected. Ethanol production could scale back their dependency on tourism alone. A positive resolution for the islands and a fuel hungry world.
Columbus arrived in quest of gold. European planters arrived in search of agricultural land. The islands truly came into their own when sugar cane developed as their primary crop. That was the $64000 gold, as real as the gold that covers the ceilings of British aristocracy's homes. That gold was purchased from the proceeds of sugar, rum and molasses. Was it profitable? My graduate research at Bettie's Hope Estate in Antigua revealed 18th century documents that proved the profitability of the islands for sugar cane production. In one year alone, Bettie's Hope delivered a profit of over one million pounds at the tip of the eighteenth century. This is a fortune by any century's standards and this was only one plantation on one island.
Sugar cane agriculture died out within the islands soon after World War II when sugar beets became a cheaper supply of sugar for world markets. Many of the islands currently have acres of land lying in scrub brush where sugar cane used to grow. The land is primarily owned by governments who bought out the planters when they abandoned the islands for additional lucrative investments.
Together with the dearth of marketplace for island sugar cane is a local stigma connected to agricultural work. The colonial mindset still has a control on these islands and working in fields is seen as too menial for many of the population. Even when the Antiguan government offered free land to anyone beneath twenty five years old to use as farmland, only a few accepted the offer. However, there are folks there who still know the way to grow sugar cane and grow it well.
The time has come back for a renewal of agriculture within the Caribbean islands. The people and stable governments of these islands might not even notice that the world is seeking a source of fuel that they're in a very prime position to provide in nice quantity. That source is ethanol from sugar cane.
Sugar cane is good for ethanol production since it will not negatively impact the food chain through the consumption of food crops as fuel for our technology. Already the concerns are growing in North America of the monetary impact of using corn and alternative crops which are used to feed animals that are a supply of meat. Different foods will be affected as sugar beets become a source of ethanol as well. Brazil could be a prime example of how producing sugar cane for ethanol will supplement oil reserves to eliminate dependence on imported oil from unstable areas of the world.
The infrastructure is dormant on the islands but with a replacement awareness of the demand for this crop it may be resurrected. Ethanol production could scale back their dependency on tourism alone. A positive resolution for the islands and a fuel hungry world.
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