How the Navy pushes clean energy full steam ahead

When I think about the forefronts of passion, energy, resources and most of all money for trying out the next generation of clean energy, my mind drifts to California startups, to grassroots organizations across the country, and a little bit to the carbon footprint programs in Europe and Australia. These are the people I hear about the most in the press doing research, revealing inventions or starting programs.

What I don't think about is the U.S. military. For me, those words conjure up images of wars I don't believe in, out of date training in technology for the students I had who went to join their ranks and a begrudging acceptance that I need them at all in the first place. (Not to speak ill of the military, I've got family and friends in the military and I firmly acknowledge it is necessary and responsible for plenty of my privileges and general sense of safety).

But I don't sit back and think, OK, who is going to innovate in the environmental space this year? Hmmm…The military!

But they are. In fact, they are in some ways leading the charge. Why? They use a lot of fuel and they're looking at a shrinking budget. So, they're just like the rest of us!

I read this article over at the Atlantic about the Navy and how it is specifically leading the way on the shift to clean energy.

(Note: The article came out of an amazing partnership between the Atlantic, Slate, the Guardian, Mother Jones and others who have all banded together to create something called ClimateDesk.org, which turns out to be one of the greatest reporting resources you could ever hope to find on the future of climate science and green innovation. If you're into environmental news, read it.)

THE GREEN NAVY

Their article starts out with a story about a "Green Fleet" of jets that will run on 50/50 gas/bio-fuel. That's interesting, but what's most interesting to me is the rationale. Here it is, no edits, straight from the horse's mouth:

As a nation and as a Navy and Marine Corps, we simply rely too much on a finite and depleting stock of fossil fuels that will most likely continue to rise in cost over the next decades," announced Navy Secretary Ray Mabus at the launch of the program back in 2009. "This creates an obvious vulnerability to our energy security and to our national security and to our future on this planet.

GREEN RATIONALE

What's most fascinating to me about this statement are the reasons why the military is looking at bio-fuel and clean energy in general.

1. "...we simply rely too much on a finite and depleting stock of fossil fuels that will most likely continue to rise in cost..."

That in and of itself is a compelling enough reason for the military to spend three times as much per gallon on bio-fuel than on regular jet fuel for now. They KNOW PRETTY MUCH FOR SURE that bio-fuel will go down and regular bio-fuel will go up in the future. The pendulum will swing so much that we will absolutely have to use cleaner energies, so, let's get going now.

2. "...creates an obvious vulnerability to our energy security and to our national security..."

The number one first reason the head of the Navy gives for creating a cleaner fuel to fly jets on is to make sure we are not vulnerable. This is an amazing insight into the military perspective on how the world works. What's the safest thing we, as a nation, can do? Figure out how to use bio-fuel. Stay bullet-proof. I love it.

These things are givens. They are put forth as if everyone knows this and the Navy is just doing what it thinks is the most strategic and rational thing to do.

I love that it has nothing to do with global warming. I love that it has nothing to do with "saving the planet." Not that it couldn't. Guess who is dealing with rising ocean levels and a melting arctic? The Navy.

I love that it is not only a financial argument, but an inherently economic argument that also gets to the core of what drives all of us on one level or another: SAFETY.

This argument, this simple argument, is the answer to how to get everyone on board for clean energy of all kinds. It's non-partisan, it's actionable and it will touch every single person out there.

Democrats and Republicans, take note.

Salute image courtesy of familymwr via flickr

Aircraft carrier image courtesy of Jeff Kubina via flickr