Military innovation, consumer demand

To The Campus,

In response to, “U.S. Military Orders Less Dependence on Fossil Fuels” by Elisabeth Rosenthal, published on Oct. 4 in the New York Times, I offer this opinion.

Michael Klare, in his book Rising Powers, Shrinking Planet, warns readers that growing scarcity and sustained worldwide demand for fossil fuels has created the new geopolitics of energy, which is putting many at risk. Risks to humans worldwide include increased energy prices and adverse environmental impacts, and the possibility of resource wars between powerful nations, fighting for control of these precious but few drivers of our modern economies. So, when Navy secretary Ray Mabus says that he wants 50 percent of the power for the Navy and Marines to come from renewable sources by 2020, steps are clearly being taken in the right direction. That the armed forces are reducing their heavy reliance upon fossil fuel-powered machinery can only help in transforming the psyche of the American consumer.

In a war zone where fuel is scarce and has to be trucked in to military camps at costs of as much as $400 per trip, such a transition makes sense economically and militarily. Sustainably powering base camps saves not only fuel cost over time, but also reduces risks to military convoys which transport fuel to rural Afghanistan over dangerous ground.

As political rhetoric of late has taught us, reducing our reliance on foreign oil coming from the Middle East can only improve our national security, and as history has shown us, the actions of the military, especially of the largest military in one of the largest consumer economies in the world, influence how the consumer sector reacts. Ironic as this decision may seem in light of Americans’ addiction to oil, the military is often the first to embrace technological development and implement it in machinery and weaponry. The military, by switching from coal to gas before World War I, propelled the U.S. into becoming the leading oil-consuming nation in the world. Now, with its investment in developing and implementing renewable sources, it can help us reduce our addiction.

Military leaders can “order the adoption of renewable energy,” bypassing lengthy congressional debates about energy policy and making renewable energy more practical and affordable for all. This is what we need. Instead of being directed to hunt and fight for “vital resources,” the military’s ability to stimulate development of new sources of energy will consequently stimulate social and economic demand for these resources from the vital American private sector. The means by which we pursue our ends in Afghanistan and militarily throughout the world must be conducted in a more sustainable fashion. Such sustainable means are smart and practical.

In the interest of national security and the future of the human race, thank you, United States Armed Forces.

Sincerely,
Evan Doyle '11.5