Gas in Afghanistan Costs $400 Per Gallon
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto 
on 10.19.09
And we worry about the price of gas here. The Pentagon estimates that by the time it lands fuel in Karachi, trucks it through Pakistan, moves it around Afghanistan and sometimes even flies it in helicopters, gas costs four hundred bucks a gallon. The Marines run through 800,000 gallons per day.
According to the Hill, the $400 per gallon reflects what in Pentagon parlance is known as the "fully burdened cost of fuel."
"The fully burdened cost of fuel is a recognition that there are a lot of other factors that come into play," said Mark Iden, the deputy director of operations at the Defense Energy Support Center (DESC), which provides fuel and energy to all U.S. military services worldwide.The Commandant of the Marine Corps, Gen. James Conway, told a Navy Energy Forum this week that transporting fuel miles into Afghanistan and Iraq along risky and dangerous routes can raise the cost of a $1.04 gallon up to $400, according to Aviation Week which covered the forum.
And it is going to just get worse, as heavier mine-resistant vehicles are brought in to protect soldiers from roadside bombs.
Thirsty for more? Check out these related articles:
- Eco-Workers of the World, Unite: 8 Ways to Be a Green Groucho 'Marxist'
- Ed Begley, Jr. on Green Elementary Schools, Biodiesel, and More
- The Top Ten Most Fuel Efficient Cars of 2010--And the Worst Gas Guzzlers
- 12 Ways to Declutter for the Holidays
- Meet Ann Snook, The Nature Conservancy's Maya Forest Program Manager
- Ed Begley, Jr. Tackles Eco-Friendly Privacy Fences, Inexpensive Hot Water Heaters, and More
Comments ()
