United States Senator Sherrod Brown (Democrat of Ohio) makes remarks following the Democratic Party policy luncheon in the US Capitol in Washington, DC on Tuesday, January 23, 2018.

To the editor:

Few call Ohio the tech capital of the nation, but chemical engineers at Ohio State are putting that assumption to the test. Researchers there are working toward harnessing the power of chemical looping, a relatively new process by which fossil fuel would release much less carbon into the atmosphere. This amazing advancement was recently covered by The Lantern, but it is worth reiterating and emphasizing.

While the majority of Ohioans agree that finding renewable and sustainable energy is critical, many still fear the move away from older forms, such as coal. This technology would not only act as a way to harness the power of coal, but also will be an intermediary during a transition to better solutions.

Coal won’t last forever, and the resources we do have are often extremely detrimental to our own environment. Moving forward means not only encouraging others to consider the impacts of carbon emission, but also making sure our lawmakers and representatives understand the need for change. Those at the federal level, like U.S. Sens. Rob Portman and Sherrod Brown, should take stock of the innovation at Ohio State and promote the need for greener transportation technology.

Joseph Wittman 

Fourth-year in political science