There are a lot of reasons to transition to alternative sources of energy... the environment, the economy and national security. As is the case with many innovations, the United States Military is a leader. Read about it here at Forbes. More here at NPR.
Here is a cool innovation (microgrids) that provides energy to soldiers in the field.
Today is Memorial Day.
Unmeasurable thanks to those who serve and to those who gave it all for our country.
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Switching to alternative sources of energy has been a huge topic over the past few years, with things such as hybrid and battery powered cars being created, almost every market is coming up with some sort of environmentally friendly alternative. I think its great to see that the US Military is a leader in this transition for many reasons. As pointed out in the article, the military is 25% of the governments energy burden. With such a large amount of resources being used by the military, even a few solar or wind powered alternatives would help conserve nonrenewable resources immensely. As the NPR article said one of our biggest vulnerabilities is our reliance on fossil fuels. So to be able to partner up with clean-tech companies can only increase our military's strength.
The military has always led the way on technology R&D.
The military is always moving. It is not surprising that the military accounts for 25% of fuel consumed by the federal government.
As a country the U.S. consumes close to 10 million barrels of oil per day. The 300,000 barrels consumed by the military is relatively insignificant when looked at from this angle.
I would like to see the numbers behind the "25% of energy burden" claim.
Last semester in Dr. Snider's Environmental Film class, I found out that the US Military was not only switching to green technologies, but also working on reducing their energy demands. For examples, instead of trying to cool a fabric, single-level tent, the US Military is using polyurethane spray-foam on the outside of the tents to insulate them. In this way they use less fuel trying to air condition the tents. I believe that both green technologies and reduction in energy demand can not only save the US government money, but also human lives.
As a military spouse I have been noticing over the past year the changes Camp Lejeune has been making in efforts save energy. Over the past few months on a main road the base has cleared a large area that they are preparing to use as a solar panel field.
I think that systems like the RENEW and REDUCE are great to help reduce the number of convoys our military has to take. Like the article said, saving energy saves lives.
Aren't green technologies and reducing energy demands not the same thing?
That RENEWS thing is pretty cool.
If you think about it the military created atomic energy during war time too and that has changed the world.
I am the biggest advocate of the military leading the way toward clean energy. My husband served two tours in Iraq. When we first learned about wind energy, we instantly imagined all the veterans that could be put to work. In fact, I have been working on the side to create a business that helps find veterans jobs in renewable energy. I believe this is also a great way to boost morale in the military!
This is the most exciting news I have heard lately! I think it is wonderful! Let the military lead the way, they stand for everything that is important in our lives, so it makes sense for them to show us how important this is. It is important to do whatever it takes to improve their situation in the front line. They can show us how to keep down extraneous costs. They will inspire others to follow their lead!
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