Reduce the Military's Carbon Bootprint!
- by: Care2
- recipient: President Barack Obama
Energy efficiency is critical to U.S. security -- our dependence on foreign oil remains a burden to us militarily, diplomatically and economically. But America's single largest consumer of petroleum products is the Department of Defense, the very people who are responsible for maintaining our national security.
The Department of Defense currently consumes more than $13 billion in petroleum products each year. And many Defense Department inventions (for example, the Hummer) also become available to civilians. That's why it's critical that the Defense Department adopts energy efficiency as a national standard. Solar panels, biofuels, electric vehicles and high-performance batteries are all tools the military can use to reduce its carbon bootprint.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates could make energy efficiency a priority in his department's plans for research and development -- but he needs direction to do this from above. Tell President Obama to ensure we take steps to green the Defense Department!
Dear President Obama,
"Powering America's Defense," a recent report by CNA Analysis and Solutions, shines a light on how critical energy efficiency is to our Department of Defense. I urge you to insist that Defense Secretary Robert Gates takes appropriate steps to reduce our military's carbon bootprint.
The Department of Defense currently consumes more than $13 billion in petroleum products each year, making it the single largest consumer of energy in America. And as we've seen over and over again, America's dependency on foreign oil is a threat to our security -- militarily, diplomatically and economically. In today's world, with fragile international relations, wars in oil-rich nations and a weakened global economy, we cannot delay on energy efficiency any longer.
Solar panels, biofuels, electric vehicles and high-performance batteries are some examples of tools the military can use to reduce its carbon bootprint. And I'm sure the brightest scientists at our Department of Defense can create solutions that will have a huge impact on our military's energy efficiency.
[Your comment here]
Please direct Secretary Gates to green the Defense Department.
