THE EDITOR, Sir:

THE ENERGY of Jamaica ... whether it's a climb to the Blue Mountains or the John Crow mountain to view the landscape of rolling hills or mountainside. One is prompted by the question: What are the new developments in energy?

I had the opportunity to scan an article by David Jessop, director of the Caribbean Council in The Sunday Gleaner, March 19, 2006, highlighting action plans produced by Caribbean government to transform their sugar industries, with details of a proposal to turn over a part of the cane production to green energy in the form of bioethanol, the seemingly alchemic process whereby matter can become fuel to power cars, trucks and turbines.

Ethanol offers the world an ecologically sounder way to address the ever increasing price of energy. Global requirement for ethanol are growing by 11 per cent per annum. Brazil, the world's largest producer, produced four billion gallons of ethanol from cane. In response to demand, Brazil's ethanol producers are racing to increase sugar cane production.

In Jamaica, land of wood and water, this is a very important success story in the sugar industry, taking into consideration the fact that sugar cane is one of our major natural and export commodities.

I am, etc.,

E. LEWIS

159 Cedar Drive

Old Harbour P.O.