The Biofueled Military
28/08/12 13:04 Filed in: GenomeWeb Daily Scan
Submitted by S. Pelech - Kinexus on Wed, 08/29/2012 - 02:24
As long as major populations continue to rely on fossil fuels to supply their energy needs, the potential risks of environmental damage as well as the costs to consumers will only increase at an accelerating pace. Moreover, world peace between countries could become increasingly threatened with diminishing resources that are based on oil and coal economies. Alternative sources of energy will only continue to be less competitive if there is a lack of political will and action to innovate and develop these options. However, where there is strong commitment, we have many examples, including the declining cost of computing, DNA sequencing, and agricultural production, where innovation can spur on what would previously be inconceivable.
While I am not a great fan of the US military industrial complex, I do see long term benefits of these energy programs that could eventually spill out into civilian life. This could be much like what resulted from the US space program in the later half of the 20th century. Nevertheless, it would be preferable if a much greater commitment towards development of alternative energies was also adopted by civilian branches of governments world-wide. Biotechnology has a lot of offer towards these ends if societies chose to exploit it more aggressively than they do presently.
It is interesting to reflect that the US entry into World War II was clinched by the attack on Pearl Harbour by the Japanese. Historians have pointed out that the major impetus for this decision was actually provoked by the cutting off of oil supplies to Japan, which would have left the Japanese military equipment inoperable within 18 months. Faced with such a looming and serious crisis in their imperialistic plans, the Japanese government concluded that they had no option but to take on the US. The rest is history.
Link to the original blog post
As long as major populations continue to rely on fossil fuels to supply their energy needs, the potential risks of environmental damage as well as the costs to consumers will only increase at an accelerating pace. Moreover, world peace between countries could become increasingly threatened with diminishing resources that are based on oil and coal economies. Alternative sources of energy will only continue to be less competitive if there is a lack of political will and action to innovate and develop these options. However, where there is strong commitment, we have many examples, including the declining cost of computing, DNA sequencing, and agricultural production, where innovation can spur on what would previously be inconceivable.
While I am not a great fan of the US military industrial complex, I do see long term benefits of these energy programs that could eventually spill out into civilian life. This could be much like what resulted from the US space program in the later half of the 20th century. Nevertheless, it would be preferable if a much greater commitment towards development of alternative energies was also adopted by civilian branches of governments world-wide. Biotechnology has a lot of offer towards these ends if societies chose to exploit it more aggressively than they do presently.
It is interesting to reflect that the US entry into World War II was clinched by the attack on Pearl Harbour by the Japanese. Historians have pointed out that the major impetus for this decision was actually provoked by the cutting off of oil supplies to Japan, which would have left the Japanese military equipment inoperable within 18 months. Faced with such a looming and serious crisis in their imperialistic plans, the Japanese government concluded that they had no option but to take on the US. The rest is history.
Link to the original blog post