US Army looks to reduce it's dependence on fossil fuel
Since the Army relies on diesel to run its vehicles, air-condition its tent cities, and run its generators, you can imagine how much a forward operating base consumes on a weekly basis. That's why the Army is now engaging in what you might call going green. Solar panels, wind turbines, and hybrid armored vehicles are just a couple of the things you might see as the Army begins to clean up its act and make life safer for its soldiers. According to the department of Environment, Safety and Occupational Health, the Army plans to cut its consumption of fossil fuel 30% by 2015.
Not only does the army want to reduce its carbon "bootprint" for environmental reasons, but they want to limit the need for dangerous supply convoys where soldiers are targeted by IEDs. Fuel makes up a large percentage of the cargo.
The plan is to find portable ways for mobile bases to harness renewables like solar or wind power and then to use their energy supply more wisely. One way to do that is to redesign tents with more insulation -- 85% of energy used on bases in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, and Djibouti went towards air-conditioning alone.
Army bases on the front lines of conflict zones depend on diesel fuel for almost all the power they consume. So, when the military starts to look for ways to change its energy policy, you've got to wonder if they don't know something you don't. After fighting two wars in and around some of the world's greatest oil fields, you'd think that the US Army has a pretty good perspective on how tenuous the world's oil supply really is.
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