U.S. Air Force eyes alternative fuel, slashing CO2 - Reuters

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

U.S. Air Force eyes alternative fuel, slashing CO2
Fri Oct 26, 2007 8:53pm EDT

By Jim Wolf

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The world's most powerful
air force is seeking to wean itself from foreign oil
and nearly zero out its carbon dioxide output as part
of a sweeping alternative energy drive, a senior
Pentagon official said on Friday.

By early 2011, the U.S. Air Force aims to make sure
its entire fleet of bombers, fighters, transports and
other aircraft can use a domestically produced 50-50
blend of synthetic and petroleum-based fuel.

William Anderson, an assistant Air Force secretary,
said the goal was to reduce energy demand, look for
cleaner power sources and to reuse captured carbon
commercially, for instance to enhance the growth of
biofuels or improve oil well production.

"We can get ourselves very close to a zero carbon
footprint," said Anderson ahead of talks on the issue
with counterparts in Britain and France next month.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUSN2640141120071027

[kestrel91316]

1. This could go a long way toward saving our collective bacon.

If the DEFENSE INDUSTRY gets into alternative fuels research, that's some SERIOUS dollars and time and man-hours.

I could go for this. Plus, my dad (he was career USAF) would think it was very cool.

[Kolesar]

2. They are going to commandeer all of our hippie-biodiesel stockpiles in the name of national defense

We are going to have some nuclear vessels with no limitations, but we are at the limits of our ability to project power around the globe due to the lack of fossil fuels. During WW2, the US was producing about half of the world's petroleum and exporting a lot. It's not that way now.

[NNadir]

4. Um, the word is "synthetic."

What they are talking about is undoubtedly FT coal.

Ethanol is not "synthetic." I hate to burst yet another ethanol bubble, but US forces currently exist and mainly are employed to maintain the oil supply, not a corn or cellulose supply.

The "biofuels will save us" test is on. Every time one of these "renewables will save us" tests gets conducted, the result is more junkies pulling up the cushions on the couch looking for that last quarter.

The car culture cannot run on biofuels, and suddenly all the ethanol IPO's are seeming far less sexy. You know, the car culture was really, really, really, really put in place in the 1950's. When Eisenhower sold the interstate highway system, it was called the "National Defense Highway System" or some bullshit name like that.

The United States will not be able to terrorize and occupy foreign oil fields with ethanol and biofuels. It's merely more talk. Nobody with an education expects the US to maintain its culture of war and cars with biofuels.

The best way to use ethanol to avoid facing the problems with oil is probably to drink it.

[hunter]

3. Or maybe we could just slash the U.S. military 90%

It would keep us out of a whole lot of trouble, and it wouldn't be a paradox that our borders would become more secure because we wouldn't be making so many enemies overseas.