Every year Nebraskans spend millions of dollars combating invasive species of weeds that threaten crops, pastures, waterways and other parts of the state’s ecosystem.

But the battle is just not in Nebraska, nor is it just against weeds.

How about giant snakes.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, five giant non-native snake species would pose high risks to the health of ecosystems in the United States should they become established here.

According to a USGS report  released today, the risks of nine non-native boa, anaconda and python species that are invasive or potentially invasive in the United States.

“Because all nine species share characteristics associated with greater risks, none was found to be a low ecological risk. Two of these species are documented as reproducing in the wild in South Florida, with population estimates for Burmese pythons in the tens of thousands,” according to USGS report.

America needs ethanol. It diversifies America’s fuel mix. It creates additional wealth for the country. And it won’t drive food prices up. And, by the way, there’s no reason to believe that corn yields won’t keep increasing at the rate they have been the last decade.

Government regulations can be helpful some times, especially when it comes to protecting citizens from the abuses of big business. In President Franklin Roosevelt’s “Economic Bill of Rights” he spoke of the “…right of every farmer to raise and sell his products at a return which will give him and his family a decent living.”  The key for the farmer earning that “decent living” Roosevelt refers to goes back to another reference to Roosevelt’s “Economic Bill of Rights” is the “…right of every businessman, large and small, to trade in an atmosphere of freedom from unfair competition and domination by monopolies at home or aborad.” Regulations aren’t needed when the free enterprise system works correctly and businessmen (including farmers and ranchers) can “trade in an atmosphere of freedom from unfair competition.” A good example of the free enterprise system working and providing a local market to farmers and fresh food to consumers is the growth of farmers markets. A recent story from the USDA is encouraging to see that local farmers markets are growing and thriving. It’s also health care reform if you believe what you eat impacts the your health.

Eventually, the sunwill be the main source of energy on this planet. The technology is just a generation away (probably less) in making solar energy, or for that fact, any alternative energy, more cost efficient than converting fossil fuels into usable energy. The key to energy independence for this country and for the planet is to diversify our energy sources. Energy diversification also will stimulate economic activity in job creation. For example, look at the wealth created in Nebraska from the ethanol industry. Just think of the economic activity and wealth creation both wind and solar energy will bring to Nebraska. And we don’t have to abandon our public power model to achieve it. Sure wind and solar energy cost more to produce than energy from coal. But technology will eventually bring that cost down and don’t forget the tremendous environmental costs fossil fuel use has on the envirnoment. Also, diversification of our energy resources will stimulate competition, which is the hallmark of our free enterprise system. Maybe that will be the incentive to make the investment in clean coal technology pay off.