If you have a war for oil, you can’t have your soldiers using renewable energy can you? Especially if that renewable energy will help keep them from having to constantly risk their lives transporting fuel back and forth along dangerous roads.

It seems one Marine Corps Major General Richard Zilmer, the head of coalition forces in western Iraq, called for 183 solar- and wind turbine-equipped stations. He didn’t want to have to keep sending his troops up and down bomb and sniper filled routes just to get fuel to run the stations generators when there was plenty of sun in Iraq to power his base. “If this need is not met, operating forces will remain unnecessarily exposed… and will continue to accrue preventable Level III and IV serious and grave casualties”

The Joints Chiefs of Staff rejected that request, saying that the solar and wind technology are “not mature-enough” to use in the battle field. Solar panels have been in use since the 50’s how much more mature do they need to be? A solar panel will withstand a bomb just as good as any diesel generator will, so it’s not a matter of toughness. The problem instead seems to be lack of foresight from the Joint Chiefs.

This is yet another way in which we are not supporting our troops. No armor, no health care, and now no wind turbines. It is ironic that renewable energy could both save the lives of our soldiers in Iraq, and if used right, keep them from having to ever fight a conflict for oil in the first place.