Is renewable energy truly a national defense issue?

There has been a lot of talk in the news and in politics since that fateful day, Sept. 11, 2001, about the need to end global funding of terrorist factions, and justly so. The playbook rhetoric has always been that we take the war to them, and we did, that we find where the funding is coming from and stop it, and we did, sort of.

Terrorism exists on ideology and money. Without money it is impossible for a terrorist group to buy weapons, organize training camps or bribe officials in locations where training operations take place. Our government’s policies favor invading or putting in place sanctions to force countries that harbor terrorists to our will. These tactics haven’t worked in Cuba. After enduring years of US economic sanctions, Cuba is now looking to China to help it find oil 60 miles from Key West. This proves that isolation only creates strange bedfellows and that these tactics are so counterproductive that they do is create more problems. What will Cuba do with these profits, hopefully not harbor terrorist?

Invading other countries is a bad choice and often backfires. Help from other countries isn’t always there and the human toll is priceless. Yes we have triumphed in Iraq, or so it seems but time will tell. We can’t stay on this course any longer, we just can’t.

Terrorist attacks cost a small amount when compared to the funds they spend in developing their terrorist infrastructure, which cost perhaps billions of dollars to set up and maintain. Vast sums are spent on recruitment, training camps, conventional and unconventional weapons, intelligence gathering, various forms of propaganda, and other activities.

The methods used to acquire these funds are nothing new and have been around for decades, i.e. drugs and oil profits. The US has done little to curtail the influx of fossil fuels. Fossil fuels that fund the very terrorism that we then must fight. How many wake-up calls must we have before people in power act see this?

Tired of waiting for government action, the American public is taking matters into its own hands. They are saving more, fighting for their legal rights and buying locally to help themselves get out a financial quagmire while Congress continues its lackluster performance. The 2008 economic crash left the United States people no choice but to rethink the place of our country in this new global economy.

The United States needs to make the change to clean electric cars and solar, wind and geothermal technologies as quickly as possible to help lead the country and the world out of this dependence. There is no more time to wait. Countries all over the world are making quick work of the change and we must too. We should take the message to Congress that this too is of national importance and must be put in the defense budget. This is the language they understand.

Money can be reallocated from research on worthless technologies or new line items should be added. It’s that important.

The defense expenditures for 2010 were as follows:

• Operations and maintenance $283.3 billion +4.2%
• Military Personnel $154.2 billion +5.0%
• Procurement $140.1 billion −1.8%
• Research, Development, Testing & Evaluation $79.1 billion +1.3%
• Military Construction $23.9 billion +19.0%
• Family Housing $3.1 billion −20.2%
• Total Spending $683.7 billion +3.0%

DOD Programs: 

• F-35 Joint Strike Fighter $11.4 billion +2.1%
• Ballistic Missile Defense (Aegis, THAAD, PAC-3) $9.9 billion +7.3%
• Virginia class submarine $5.4 billion +28.0%
• Brigade Combat Team Modernization $3.2 billion +21.8%
• DDG 51 Aegis-class Destroyer $3.0 billion +19.6%
• P–8A Poseidon $2.9 billion −1.6%
• V-22 Osprey $2.8 billion −6.5%
• Carrier Replacement Program $2.7 billion +95.8%
• F/A-18E/F Hornet $2.0 billion +17.4%
•  Predator and Reaper Unmanned Aerial System $1.9 billion +57.8%
• Littoral combat ship $1.8 billion +12.5%
• CVN Refueling and Complex Overhaul $1.7 billion −6.0%
• Chemical Demilitarization $1.6 billion −7.0%
• RQ-4 Global Hawk $1.5 billion +6.7%
• Space-Based Infrared System $1.5 billion +54.4%

The 2012 Defense-related budget breakdown shows where all the money is going to be spent:

• DOD spending $707.5 billion Base budget + "Overseas Contingency Operations"
• FBI counter-terrorism $2.7 billion At least one-third FBI budget.
• International Affairs $5.6–$63.0 billion At minimum, foreign arms sales. At most, entire State budget
• Energy Department, defense-related $21.8 billion
• Veterans Affairs $70.0 billion
• Homeland Security $46.9 billion
• NASA, satellites $3.5–$8.7 billion Between 20% and 50% of NASA's total budget
• Veterans pensions $54.6 billion
• Other defense-related mandatory spending $8.2 billion
• Interest on debt incurred in past wars $109.1–$431.5 billion Between 23% and 91% of total interest
• Total Spending $1.030–$1.415 trillion

My proposal is this. Add one more line item: 

• Strategic fossil fuel import reduction $431.5 billion - to be used to finance renewable energy

This amount is equal to the amount that is paid in interest for past wars alone. Maybe we can put an end to having to fight those types of wars. We must make it a National Priority.

George Lopez