Posted on 10/14/2010 1:56:32 AM PDT by Cindy
NOTE The following text is a quote:
Mullen: Military Has ‘Strategic Imperative’ to Save Resources
By Lisa Daniel American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Oct. 13, 2010 – The military has a “strategic imperative” to lead the nation in environmental conservation, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said here today.
“We in the Defense Department have a role to play here -- not solely because we should be good stewards of the environment and our scarce resources, but also because there is a strategic imperative for us to reduce risk, improve efficiencies, and preserve our freedom of action whenever we can,” Navy Adm. Mike Mullen said.
Mullen made the comments at the Pentagon as part of his keynote address at the Defense Department’s first energy security forum. The forum included panel discussions by military leaders and department officials, and showcased the services’ environmental innovations.
There is evidence around the world of the impact of climate change, such as melting polar ice caps which are “rerouting the geopolitical maps of the world,” Mullen said. And, he said, Americans are beginning to see the links between the environment and global security.
The younger generation, having grown up with more environmental awareness, is in a good position to lead the change, Mullen said. He recounted the disregard most Americans gave to the environment when he joined the Navy in the 1960s.
“Our version of energy security was knowing where the next oiler [refueling ship] was going to be,” he said. “Like most of America, my shipmates and I operated under a ‘burn it if you got it’ mentality.”
Americans -- and earlier generations of servicemembers -- were not deliberately wasteful, Mullen said, rather “we just held the very conventional view that fuel was cheap, easy and available without ever really connecting it to any broader geopolitical implications. “Clearly, that is not the world we live in anymore,” he added.
The nation loses both blood and treasure in its consumption of fuel and other resources, Mullen said. The department uses about 300,000 barrels of oil each day, and fossil fuels are the No. 1 import into Afghanistan, he said. The delivery of fuel and other petroleum products there provides an inviting target for insurgents who attack supply convoys, injuring and killing servicemembers, he noted.
All the services are making strides in reducing their fuel consumption, Mullen said. The Navy is on track to cut non-tactical petroleum use in half by 2015; the Air Force is reducing demand and increasing renewable and alternative fuels; Marines from Camp Pendleton, Calif., deployed to Afghanistan with solar-powered generators; and soldiers from Fort Irwin, Calif., recently deployed with insulated-foam tents that save millions of dollars per month in air conditioning costs, he said.
The Army also is taking steps to reduce water consumption -- another major deployed resource -- with a new shower-water recycling system, the admiral added.
Conservation efforts need to be thought out before troops deploy, Mullen said. “Energy security needs to be one of the first things we think about -- before we deploy another soldier, before we build another ship or plane, and before we buy or fill another rucksack,” he said.
Conservation of natural resources is so central to the world’s future that it requires American leaders -- and U.S. military leadership, Mullen said.
“We can either lead the change or be changed by the leadership of others,” he said. “I prefer the former.”
Because of the interdependence with which people live and how organizations like the military operate, Mullen said, “this effort is not merely altruistic; it is essential.” An example, he said, is the reliance on the public power grid, which some military installations are working to move away from, because of its vulnerability to natural and manmade disasters.
Worldwide, rising sea levels could lead to mass migration and displacement similar to what has occurred in the aftermath of recent severe flooding in Pakistan, the chairman said.
The services are making progress in procuring weapons systems that are more energy efficient, but more attention must be paid to environmental costs instead of focusing only on capabilities, Mullen said.
“Fortunately, I believe this is an area where we can learn from our young people who are from a generation that grasps the need to get the mission accomplished while managing our resources and valuing our environment,” he said.
Biographies: Navy Adm. Mike Mullen
Related Articles: Service Leaders Discuss Way Forward on Energy
"The nation loses both blood and treasure in its consumption of fuel and other resources, Mullen said. The department uses about 300,000 barrels of oil each day, and fossil fuels are the No. 1 import into Afghanistan, he said. The delivery of fuel and other petroleum products there provides an inviting target for insurgents who attack supply convoys, injuring and killing servicemembers, he noted."
Half of the wars of the world were fought over resources...
Plus, do you have ANY idea how heavy batteries can get? Them suckers are HEAVY. Gimme solar panels any day. Or hire me sherpas. Either way.
When is this Moonbat retiring?
Palin has a lot of purging to do in the Military when she takes over... and she will.
LLS
Since no one in Washington cares about the MOVE Act
Bump.
Yeah! Pick up your brass.
When is this Moonbat retiring?
What a fruit loop this guys is.
I joined the Navy in another lifetime. We in the lower pay grades used to complain about senior management for any number of reasons. I think we all still had confidence that the big boys would take us out and bring us home in one piece. At the very least, I never thought the Admirals were morons.
If Mullen really talks this way he sounds like an imbecile. Has he taken steps to replace every ordnace projectile with biodegradable water balloons?
Has he announced the plan to power our planes and ships with vinegar and baking soda so the environment will smile?
What an airhead!
Fire him. Now. OMG
Conservation efforts need to be thought out before troops deploy, Mullen said. “Energy security needs to be one of the first things we think about — before we deploy another soldier, before we build another ship or plane, and before we buy or fill another rucksack,” he said.
Wrong, Adm. Mullen - killing the enemy is the first thing that needs to be thought of. If I have to burn an extra 500, 5,000 or 500,000 gallons of fuel to kill every one of the damn3d enemy, then that’s what I’d do.
“Dying for my country isn’t heroic, getting your enemy to die for his is. As long as you win in the end”. (my contextualization of the George C Scott quote from “Patton” - I want you to remember that no bastard ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor, dumb bastard die for his country. “
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.