Waging a Green War
With several wars underway in the world and sitting on the precarious precipice of more, particularly in the Middle East, I got to thinking the other day of the war the US would wage when we ideologically arrive at the “net zero emissions” point in 2050 or earlier.
That would mean that all our aircraft, missiles, ships, submarines, tanks, trucks, and all other ground equipment would use ‘green’ energy for propulsion.
We also know that a war with China, for example, would also involve satellites launched with green energy.
How would we do that – wage a war using green energy?
Well, we already have nuclear powered ships and submarines, so an answer might be nuclear power, right?
Not so fast.
The US Air Force and NASA have conducted extensive research into something they called Project Orion, and there have been detailed mathematical enhancements and theories advanced. The proposition was/is the viability of nuclear pulse satellites and other equipment that would be directly propelled by a series of atomic explosions behind the craft. Without going into the extensive mathematical details, suffice to say that thus far the experts consider “the cure worse than the disease.” The project has been abandoned because the nuclear fallout, including radiation, electromagnetic pulses, and uncontrolled isotopes represent a significant, immediate danger to nearby, friendly humans with the prospect of longer-term health problems. Further, the electromagnetic pulses generated would play havoc with, and damage, onboard and stationary computers, and other sophisticated, high-tech equipment.
That leaves us with the potential of waging a green war with solar and wind. The prospect of our troops waiting for a charge to propel and engage an enemy with green energy – that is, the sun or wind, while the enemy using fossil fuel generated power overruns our stationary military is not pretty. So, you say, for example tanks, could be fueled by huge storage batteries. Even if that were feasible, where and how would those batteries recharge? Further, the military would somehow need to cart those heavy batteries around where needed when regeneration is necessary.
If there ever was an example of how far we are from being ready to adopt a net zero mandate for everything, it’s to think about how the military would adopt and adapt it and still be able to wage war and succeed. The technology isn’t there. It can’t be done at this point.
Imagine a tank crew sitting on the battlefield with their solar panels or wind turbines waiting for the sun to shine, the wind to blow, or to plug in to a battery. They’d be dead in their tracks. Further, because solar and wind generating equipment is necessarily external, that tank would lose any ability to fight – just with damage to their exposed power source. A well-aimed pistol could take out a tank.
The service branches are already consistently missing their recruitment goals. A green energy dependent military currently would be made up of soldiers with wish a death wish, waiting to commit suicide.
The current President, some politicians, local, state and national, numerous tax-funded climate change organizations, ‘elite’ spokesmen and the United Nations have staked so much in the green agenda that to backtrack now would be to admit that they’ve been dangerously naïve. Unfortunately for them it seems far easier to continue to pursue strategies at odds with reality.
When this scenario – a war waged with green energy – is seriously considered, it makes a strong case for the development of our fossil fuel resources, not the crippling thereof. It also flies in the face of depleting our strategic oil reserves.
Our military needs fossil fuels to be viable, successful, and feared by our enemies.
At present and for the foreseeable future, a ‘green’ military is none of those things.
Drill, baby drill! Keep us safe and carry a big stick.
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Have a great and prosperous week.
Hug somebody.
References:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Orion_(nuclear_propulsion)
SPIDER Bites
This week’s trivia question is: Which country is geographically the largest in the world? The answer to last week’s question re: Spain ceded Florida to Britain in exchange for what territory: Cuba. This happened in 1767 after the Seven Years War. Spain wanted Havana’s natural harbor, and at the time, Florida was considered largely unfit for human habitation: unending swampland, summers so hot and humid you could die of heatstroke while lying in the shade, and swarms of mosquitoes and all the tropical diseases that go with them. Florida as we think of it today is the result of a century of massive civil engineering projects – and air-conditioning.
Yesterday marked the 2024 Chinese New Year. It’s the Year of the Dragon.
Taylor Swift won an unprecedented 4th Album of the Year at last week’s Grammy Awards. No other artist in the 66-year Grammys history has claimed the coveted honor four times. Music legends Frank Sinatra, Paul Simon and Stevie Wonder won three each.
It was not a good week for President Biden or the country. Between the Special Counsel report on home stored classified documents and the reason to not bring charges – and a subsequent nightmarish news conference – his limited mental capacity was publicly exposed again. It’s really sad to watch. It’s past time for him to retire.
Consumer confidence jumped to its highest since July 2021 in January but remains well below well below pre-pandemic levels and short of the long-term average, according to the U. of MI index. Consumers hate inflation.
The Senate released the 280-page bill negotiated with the President on addressing the border crisis. It would allow up to 8,500 illegals/day with an average cap of 5,000. That means 150,000/month and 1,800,000/year. Illegals would still top the 1M or so per year legal immigrants allowed in annually. It also gives the 5,000/day illegals work permits, basically making them legal immediately. Plus, it gives the president the power to wave the proposed law. This is a solution? Gratefully it was DOA in Congress. Just shut the border down while somebody solves this problem. And, don’t put more aid to Ukraine and Israel in the same bill.
I wonder if the four illegals who attacked two NYC cops made it to California yet. They fled their no cash bail release and obviously their NYC court dates to flee from a sanctuary city to a sanctuary state.
Those four illegals are also missing out on the $1,000 credit cards being passed out to immigrants in the Big Apple. Meanwhile an illegal who has been arrested 8 times in the last six months while living in a $500/day hotel room in Mid Town was released again.
The House is wasting more time trying to impeach the Sec. of Homeland Security. He’s only carrying out his orders from the WH.
The FL Supreme Court last week heard arguments for and against putting a constitutional amendment on the Nov. ballot to abolish all restrictions on abortion in the state. Planned Parenthood and the ACLU are backing the amendment that our attorney general says the proposed language is too vague to place on the ballot. Regardless of the decision, it’s too easy to amend the FL constitution. Several years ago dog racing was placed in the document after passage of an amendment outlawing dog races.
