Rumsfeld Directs DOD To Study Energy Alternatives
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 05. 8.06
“Inside the Air Force”, reports that “Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has directed the Defense Department to explore a wide range of energy alternatives and fuel efficiency efforts in a bid to reduce the military's reliance on oil to power its aircraft, ground vehicles and non-nuclear ships”…”A pair of new efforts, ... are underway that aim to inventory the military's ongoing efforts to develop alternative fuels and recommend options for weaning the U.S. military from hydrocarbon fuels”.
As the single largest user of energy in the US, we’re guessing that the DOD is under “price shock”. Plus, we recall President Bush saying something about ending "addiction to oil."
Rumors are flying about biodiesel powered jets, flex-fuel infantry trucks, and such. Hence:
‘Off we go into the wild green yonder,
Solar panels, facing the sun;
Here they come zooming to meet our thunder,...
Chances are that we'll see a lot of looking into biodiesel and electric vehicles. The USMC and Army have been developing a hybrid/electric replacement for the HMMWV for a few years already.
No amount of green vehicles will reduce the amount of depleted uranium scattered all over Iraq. War is an environmental disaster, I don't know what kind of sick irony this is supposed to be.
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Yes there is an irony: the military budget segment associated with protecting oil resources is the highest gas tax of all. Paradoxically, increased oil prices become the tax limiting factor!
Just as fuel cells came out of NASA technology, DOD is in a position to accelerate positive technology change. Would that this could be done with the will of peace time. But since the comand is already issued, the best we could hope for is to work to ensure that any patents go into the public domain.
It is kind of a bizarre irony...the Hummer brings the civilian market a inefficient vehicle. Now they (the military) are looking for a Prius ;)
(I know it's a stretch, but it does seem ironic). Nice to see they want more efficient death machines. Lead ("Green") bullets and hybrid tanks. Nice. Everyone wants to be sustainable...now war gets to be "sustainable" too. Personally, I like my wars costly...that way they won't come as often (gold plated tanks, anyone?!).
Boeing is aggressively looking at alternative fuels for their aircraft. At over $101,000 to fill the gas tank of a 767-400 for a single flight, there's justification to bring alternatives into the market with haste. The Air Force is doing the same thing with it's jets. People can complain all they want about wars and weaponry, but one should never balk at anyone trying to improve greenhouse gas emissions.
I imagine wind/solar systems will be also slightly useful for this 30% unmanned vehicle target I heard the US army is aiming at....
Sustainable solar UAVs, spying n' dropping bombs for days on end! I can't wait!
This is great!
The easiest way to market something is to convince everyone that it is the biggest, toughest, most manly thing out there. Therefore YOU are bigger, tougher, and more manly if you buy it. If a company can claim that the hybrid system on their vehicle, or the alternative fuel it is burning, was adapted from the army's newest fighting vehicle, the masses will flock to buy them at any cost. Alternative fuels and fuel saving systems will spread wide and far.
sigh......