Cross Posted at Daily Kos
I saw an article in the Boston Globe about a week ago whose subject didn’t seem to get a lot of publicity. A study ordered by the pentagon has found that rising oil prices and a shrinking supply of oil have made the United States military "unsustainable in the long term."
The study, produced by a defense consulting firm, concludes that all four branches of the military must "fundamentally transform" their assumptions about energy, including taking immediate steps toward fielding weapons systems and aircraft that run on alternative and renewable fuels. It is "imperative" that the Department of Defense "apply new energy technologies that address alternative supply sources and efficient consumption across all aspects of military operations," according to the report, which was provided to the Globe.
The report was performed by LMI a government consulting firm and it was entitled "Changing the way the DOD looks at Energy."
It seems that the Pentagon has finally woken up to the fact the worrying about dependence on oil isn’t just for environmentalists. The world's oil reserves are going to run out. The disappearance of oil is a long term problem, in the short term the high cost of running the military on oil may prevent the Pentagon from investing new weapons technologies.
I think this report, if heeded, could be a pivotal moment in the fight to change our energy infrastructure and curb green house gas emissions. Thus far although a lot of lip service has been paid to alternative fuels, but the government has not put substantial effort into research and development of these technologies. This could change all that. Looking at recent history, if there is one thing you can be sure the United States government isn’t going to skimp on it’s the military. If the military needs these technologies the government will pay for it.
Besides that it is excellent framing of the energy dependence issue. It’s a sick world in which people are more likely to respond if something threatens the military, than the entire earth, but that appears to be the world we live in. Upkeep of the military is a matter of national pride and United States power. People on all sides of the political spectrum can easily get behind it.
A transformation of the way the United States military uses energy would be substantial as it is by far the largest energy using entity in the US (logistically speaking). Renewable energy technology created for transportation of military vehicles could then be exported to the private sector. This would continue a tradition of military needs creating technological breakthroughs, which has produced results like the American highway system.
Here’s to hoping this can be the beginning of something good. Thanks for reading.
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