Summary: The Great Green Fleet

499 Words1 Page
bulb-icon

Recommended: Biofuel as an alternative source of energy

In mid January, the Navy launched the “Great Green Fleet” out of San Diego. The Fleet represents the Navy and Marine Corps' first strides into adopting alternative energy sources to enhance military operations. The energy-saving capability will help to combat the over usage of the Earth’s natural resources and protect the economic welfare of rural America. The launch of the fleet is a milestone in the military not relying on foreign sources for their energy.

Tom Vilsack, the Navy’s Agriculture Secretary, was joined by Navy Secretary, Ray Mabus, at the launch of the Navy’s latest achievement. Mabus was appointed the Secretary of the Navy back in 2009, and set an aggressive goal in his first years in office. He stated that by 2020 the Navy …show more content…

The Navy, who uses more than a third of the energy, have been forerunners in ending their ties with foreign oils as part of a national security plan.

Early plans to switch to biofuels were met with outrage when the Pentagon bought biofuels at $26 per gallon back in 2012. As a result of the high price tag, lawmakers passed a law that would restrict the purchase of biofuels unless the price was on par with the price of petroleum. Now, the purchase of 77 million gallons of a 10 percent biofuel mix cost $2.05 a gallon. At 13 times less than 2012 only three and half years later, it’s a victory for Mabus. As a result of the price drop, other contracts are in the works to fuel ships in other places.

The biofuel is a mix made from waste beef fat that was provided by Midwestern farmers and ranchers. By purchasing from rural America, it will help create a sustainable economy for the 15% of Americans who resider there. Besides providing new energy sources for the fleet, the small towns of the Midwest provide around 40% of the military. Mabus stressed that land used for farming will not used in the creation of biofuel. Besides working towards eliminating the carbon footprint made by the Navy, the usage of biofuel will add thousands of jobs in an area that is hard

Show More
Related

  • Five-Star Admirals and Technology of World War II

    725 Words  | 2 Pages

    I learned many things from the different naval experiences that these men were confronted with, but what had intrigued me was the vast majority of naval technology used during the war and its particular job as well as who had control over the vast majority of it. The future Fleet Admirals were appointed certain jobs, and were each given different naval ships they had to command with knowledge, and each played a role in the Allied victory in the sea. Before the war each officer held on a variety of vessels, battleships, submarines, aircraft carriers, and how the development of each type of vessel influenced the course of naval warfare. While battleships had reigned as the most reliable and preferred vessel of the seas, their supremacy was soon challenged by the uprising of the carrier. Leahy was the oldest of the four who had clung to his view of the vessel he felt was reliable and he believed strongly in the battleship's power. Nimitz was an advocate of the submarine as a strategic and very effective weapon as it could be evasive to vessels on the sea’s surface. Halsey was a devotee of the destroyer but eventually came to under...

    Read More

  • The Keystone Oil Pipeline Project

    1037 Words  | 3 Pages

    Almost every single nation in our world today, the United States included, is extremely reliant on oil and how much of it we can obtain. Wars have been started between countries vying for control of this valuable natural resource. The United States as a whole has been trying to reduce its reliance on foreign oil and has had some success, especially with the discovery of the Bakken formation and projects like the Keystone Pipeline.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of The Battle Of Midway

    1334 Words  | 3 Pages

    There were not any appointments available at the time he applied. James L. Slayden, Nimitz congressman, informed Nimitz that there was one appointment available for the Navy. Nimitz was appointed to the United States Naval Academy in 1901. Nimitz graduated with distinction, seventh in a class of 114, on 30 January 1905. In WWI, Nimitz was the aide to the Rear Admiral Commander, Submarine Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet (COMSUBLANT). He held many commands after WWI. He was commander in chief, United States Pacific Fleet (CINCPACFLT), in 1941. During the Battle of Midway Admiral Nimitz was known for his principles of calculated risk. He clearly conveyed his intentions to his task force commanders. The task force commanders had no doubt about what they were supposed to do, how they were supposed to do it, and what level of risk was acceptable. Admiral Nimitz’s operations plan for the defense of Midway was proved to be a model for effective macro-management. His plan spelled out essential tasks in general terms with a minimum of detail-specific requirements which made him extremely effective throughout his

    Read More

  • US Needs to Have Energy Independence

    795 Words  | 2 Pages

    Introduction The reliance on other countries for fossil fuels that produce energy has put the United States of America at risk of being pulled into unstable regions around the world, jeopardizing international relationships and putting its own citizens in harm’s way. America needs to balance both the pursuit of alternative energy solutions and reducing energy usage. Our military runs on fossil fuels produced by other nations who do not have similar interests or values as the United States, ultimately adding unwanted risk that becomes difficult to manage. There are advantages to alternative energy solutions that could allow for America to become an independent energy nation, eliminating the need to support and stabilize various regions around the world. The U.S. Military needs to reduce its overall energy usage by taking advantage of breakthrough technologies that could be integrated into current systems.

    Read More

  • Fracking In The United States: Article Analysis

    908 Words  | 2 Pages

    The United States as well as the rest of the world are dealing with the issue that the world supply of oil is dwindling. Ever since our peak consumption year in 2005 the United States has been a major consumer of crude oil and petroleum products. As of 2012 according to the U.S Energy Information Administration “The United States consumed 18.6 million barrels per day of petroleum products, making us the world’s largest petroleum consumer.” The U.S. has long been dependent on foreign petroleum products to meet our ever growing energy demands and consumption. With the revolutionary and controversial rise of fracking it is now possible for the United States to become a self energy sufficient country. With fracking, the proper technology and economic

    Read More

  • Article Analysis: Challenges Facing The Trucking Industry

    740 Words  | 2 Pages

    Fuel prices is an area of concern for the motor carrier industry. Fuel prices are at an all-time high, driving the industry to make drastic changes. Individuals in the industry believe that by reducing the demand for fuel is the best way to address the current fuel issue. One of the leading alternatives to this fuel issue could be natural gas.

    Read More

  • The Rise of the American Empire

    1633 Words  | 4 Pages

    Aside from causing a major shift in geopolitical power, WWII also solidified the integral role oil played politically in national security. However, following the war the United States was no longer the world’s largest oil producer and was unable to maintain self-sufficiency as it had in the past. As a national security imperative oil was more important at this point than ever before. America’s war machine needed to be well oiled in case the new Cold War suddenly turned hot.

    Read More

  • America’s Dependence on Foreign Oil

    1087 Words  | 3 Pages

    The United States has had several scares throughout its history in terms of oil, most turn out to be over exaggerations of a small event. However, these scares highlight a massive issue with the U.S. and that issue is the U.S.’s dependence on foreign oil. Why does it matter that our oil should come from over seas? In a healthy economy this probably wouldn’t be as relevant, but the U.S.’s economy is not exactly healthy at the moment. There are 4 things that I would like to address: what the problem is, how it affects us, what some solutions are, and what solutions I feel are best.

    Read More

  • Bridging the Valley of Death

    2271 Words  | 5 Pages

    The purpose of this paper is to review the Department of Energy's (DOE) programs and recommend future directions for US policy to address President Obama's desire to save our planet from climate change and reduce reliance on oil (Roberts, Lassiter, & Nanda, 2010, p 4). The context of this review is following the 2008 election of President Obama and the enactment of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act) in February 2009. This paper will evaluate the effectiveness of the measures implemented by the Act and compare their effectiveness with an alternative strategy of implementing a carbon tax, then make a recommendation on which strategy would have achieved the President's aims in view of the political, economic and environmental situation that he faced.

    Read More

  • Dissapearance of Civilization in Jared Diamond The Ends of the World as We Know Them

    779 Words  | 2 Pages

    America is threatened by the destruction of their own environment. United States is known for their innovation towards alternative energy like solar power, wind power and nuclear power. However , these alternative energies are not completely beneficial towards the United States.

    Read More

  • The Energy Crisis: Traditional Energy vs. Renewable Energy

    729 Words  | 2 Pages

    "Reduce Oil Dependence Costs." Fuel Economy. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 18 Oct. 2011. Web. 18 Oct. 2011. .

    Read More

  • Persuasive Speech: Solar Power

    1587 Words  | 4 Pages

    Significance: The United States must face the fact that the world is running out of oil and with today’s rising oil prices, economic and political instability in regions where the United States gets the majority of its oil, this country must begin looking into alternative means of energy to replace oil and end our dependence on foreign powers.

    Read More

  • Project Management in the Automotive Industry: A Critical Review

    1824 Words  | 4 Pages

    ...n. "Twenty Years after the Embargo US Oil Import Dependence and How It Can Be Reduced." Energy Policy 22.6 (1994): 471-85. Print.

    Read More

  • We Can Stop Climate Change

    1009 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the search for alternatives to fossil fuels, scientists and policy makers have focused on three options: nuclear power, energy from biomass; and a combination of wind, water, and solar power. Nuclear power, however, is much more costly and runs the risk of having it fall into the wrong hands where it could be turned into a weapon of mass destruction. The third option entails wind turbines, photovoltaic power plants and rooftop systems, concentrated solar thermal power plants,...

    Read More

  • Renewable Energy is the Future

    990 Words  | 2 Pages

    Using fossil fuels such as coal and oil is inefficient, dangerous, and otherwise a process that is known to eventually fail as a long lasting energy source. Yet, there is hope for the future of energy, this new hope has many shapes and forms, but requires a chance to be fully implemented in our everyday life. Such energy sources like solar energy, wind energy, geothermal energy, and hydro power are the key to our future. These energy sources are proven to be long lasting, safe, more reliable, and the next innovation. In short, all Americans should switch to renewable energy, resulting in a safer and more efficient world.

    Read More

More about Summary: The Great Green Fleet

Open Document