The future of American-Latin American relations is extremely important. For the past sixty years, the US has taken a strong interest in Latin America initially as a security type buffer zone. The nature of the interest has evolved over time according to relevant threats and pertinent demands including human rights and expansion of markets. With our current crisis, we will have to continue to lead, setting strong examples and help other nations make advancements in positive directions.

The US should adopt some of the alternative fuel technology currently in place in Brazil. Ethanol burns cleaner and with proper agricultural production, is renewable and practical. Currently, the biggest problem for Brazil’s ethanol industry is the competition between ethanol capable crops used for food and those used for ethanol.

The US has technology to produce enough grain for large scale ethanol production. We should share our agricultural technology so that Brazil can produce more ethanol capable crops, as well as give aid in the form of subsidy to catalyze the implementation of such technology. This will provide a strong example of inter-hemispheric collaboration that other countries can look to.

Helping to strengthen agricultural industries in South America will not only facilitate production of more ethanol, it will help combat hunger. More efficient production will provide more ethanol capable crops of all types and as supply rises, prices will fall making food more available to the large poor classes. This may appear a poor situation for farmers but keeping in mind, the US’s domestic implementation of ethanol and our insatiable appetite for such sort of fuel sources, demand for ethanol capable crops would sustain a fair market price.

With the implementation of ethanol in the US and technology sharing in the agriculture industry, we would also be combating global warming by burning less fossil fuels and reducing our dependence on them. An even bigger impact on global warming would be in the form of the developing nations that would have otherwise been dependent on oil, now producing their own ethanol.

As a world leader, this example and this sort of progress is absolutely necessary. Developing nations will look to the cheapest and most successful models (which have succeeded using fossil fuels) for their growth models. By implementing ethanol ourselves and helping them in the direction of cleaner technology, we provide positive examples and functional alternatives with which to model their growth.

Another positive aspect of the promulgation of ethanol is the reduction of dependence on Venezuelan oil. Hugo Chavez is one of the most anti American leaders in the world. Nations dependent on Venezuelan oil could be blackmailed or bribed to side with him and turn against the US. By giving them the tools to produce ethanol capable crops and then process ethanol, their oil demand is reduced and their dependence on Venezuelan oil is diminished.

In a time of deep concern for the future of the US in the modern world, the decisions made must be wise. Moving toward a renewable energy sources and helping other nations do the same is wise for the future of the US, the future of other nations and for the future of our planet.