Fuel Efficiency Saves Lives « The Washington Independent

No, not in any sort of mushy “save the planet, save lives” way. This latest proclamation comes not from environmental groups, but from the Pentagon.

Half of all U.S. military casualties in Afghanistan and Iraq are caused by attacks on convoys, reports The Washington Post. And many of these convoys are used to transport fuel to military bases, particularly to power generators at forward operating bases. In fact, since we entered Afghanistan in 2001, fuel consumption at U.S. forward operating bases has increased tenfold.

So the Pentagon is devoting $300 million of its $7.4 billion in stimulus funding to implementing programs that will emphasize alternative fuels and save energy. In the process, the military hopes to prevent avoidable casualties caused by dangerous fuel-lugging missions. The future of the planet (in an environmental sense, not a military-political one) is an afterthought, if that — but the end result is the same if consumption of oil is indeed reduced.

And the alternative energy coalition continues to grow …