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Jacob Leblanc: The fact that so far all of you still believe the future of this area is only oil is why this area has no long term future.
Marvin Terrebonne: What do you recommend?
Jacob Leblanc: New industries and investments. How? I don't know. But continued dependence on oil can't happen either. Oil is the past and with renewables on the rise and new technology, oil will be dead in the next 50-100 years.
Levurn Charpentier: Well, that's no help.
Matthew Mauriello: New industries. Please list some examples.
Jacob Leblanc: I'm not a business leader or a politician. How would I help even if I had the knowledge? Other areas of the country are booming. Emulate them.
Marvin Terrebonne: Renewables still require oil for a majority of the components that make them function.
Jacob Leblanc: Renewable energy services and support industries, robotics, a.i. and computer-related industries are a good start. Look where the future is, and that's where we should head.
Arthur Houston: Well as soon as you come up with something new, oil and gas is it. And actually the gas has the brightest future with the way industry is going. Chemical plants do not want to build this close to the Gulf, not when they can build along the river and have heavy access by ship, barge and rail.
Dustin Rage Charbonnet: That’s false. We have enough oil (with new finds and reworked assets) to power this entire country for 150-200 years. Not to mention all of Texas and the rest of the country that is producing. Not to mention the reserves that are chocked completely full. Renewables are great but all still rely on oil in some form to be produced and maintained. Plus you’re looking at less efficient, more expensive energy right now. Maybe 100 or more years from now, it may be worth it, but no time soon.
Jacob Leblanc: Why do so many of you hate planning for and laying down the foundations of the future? I fully understand oil is a thing for a few more decades. But why is that enough for all of you to shun the responsibility of planning for after that? Like you are all so lazy and fearful of the hard work and hard decisions associated with changing your outlooks and beliefs that you are saying "the future? Bah humbug. That's something for our kids and grandkids to worry about."
Marvin Terrebonne: If you have ever worked in the oilfield, you know we're not afraid of hard work. We are just skeptical of anything unproven.
Jacob Leblanc: Then work harder for a better future. I get that your and a lot of others livelihoods are in oil. But don't condemn future generations to the same economy. We can do better.
Dustin Wells: What exactly is the issue with continuing to harvest oil until morfe energy sources become more reliable and economically viable? Very few will disagree that there needs to be a better choice for energy, but you can't just eliminate the need for oil in the meantime. This expansion is good for the area and nation as a whole. Just because you don't like the administration that implemented it, it doesn't change that.
Jacob Leblanc: Please point out exactly where I say we should eliminate oil here and now. If you read closely, you will notice all I've said about oil going away is that it will happen naturally over time. Also, expansion isn't guaranteed to help anyone more than short term, as it could produce a surplus, thus tanking prices again. People have been begging OPEC to cut production for years and want to ramp up at same time. Silly.
Alton Cheramie: Until Louisiana’s education system is up to par, none of those industries are coming here. That’s a big part of the reason why Texas is doing so well and we’re not.
Joe Chaisson: Damn, how long do you plan on living?
Joe Chaisson: Suggestions without solutions are just useless suggestions.
Matt Burkett: I have to agree about diversifying. I really don't understand why locals are so against expanding their local economies with something that's a little less boom or bust. Why would you not want a more stable industry?
Jacob Leblanc: See, proof that there's always some ground for agreement and compromise.
Patrick Ghirardi: No industry is going to move and set up in a flood plain that can be wiped out in an instance.
Joe Chaisson: You mean like the huge BP facility on La. 311 or the big Hunting Industries on 311 or the big KB industries facility in Houma?
Patrick Ghirardi: Oil and gas is not what I am referring to. I am talking about car assembly processing plants, manufacturing plants that produce items such as mattresses, furniture, etc., things that tend to be built in the center of the country in order to be in a central location to facilitate limiting the costs of shipping.
Jacob Leblanc: We shouldn't be looking at facilities that can be run by robots in the future either.
Joe Chaisson: OK, what you said was “no industry,” so I assumed you meant “no industry."
Patrick Ghirardi: We were speaking about diversifying the region. We already have oil and gas. The comments of mine were directed to the concept that we need to diversify our industries in the region and not just rely on oil and gas; therefore, it should have been relevant to you, but it went unnoticed that oil and gas was not included when I tried to succinctly state what I wanted to say. So, since you are being argumentative, you can feel free to take my comment and add to to it, “No industry, other than Oil and Gas.”
Jacob Leblanc: A little snarky, but in the end I agree with your last statement.
Robert Gonzalez: Increased drilling will only hurt southeastern Louisiana Simple economics -- supply and demand. This will cause the price of oil to drop, hurting Louisiana.
Justin Cheramie: No, it won't.
Robert Gonzalez: The current price of WTI crude oil as of Jan. 5 was $61.35 per barrel. More drilling will bring the price even further down. That is basic economics (supply and demand).
Errol Jon Portier: Drilling doesn't affect the price of oil. The production is what affects it. Just because a well is drilled doesn't mean it is put into production. A lot of new deepwater finds take 10 years before they produce their first oil.
Robert Gonzalez: Very true. But my comment is based on the future prices of oil. Many European countries and other countries throughout the world are desperately trying to cut back on petroleum. Many parts of the country have experienced gasoline around$2 per gallon for the last four or five years while hurting southeastern Louisiana economy. The future of southeastern Louisiana does not look very promising.