The
U.S. Department of Defense consumes more oil per day than 170 nations, including
Pakistan, a country with 166 million people. Although the amount of fuel consumed by the military is not published, the quantity is estimated to be between 400,000 and 800,000 barrels a day.
Keeping America’s war machine moving has become increasingly expensive as the price of oil has gone up. A single barrel costs $80, but added to that is the cost of transporting the fuel to U.S. troops in such places as
Afghanistan and
Iraq. This means that maintaining a single soldier in a war zone can end up costing hundreds of dollars more a day. This rising cost explains why the armed services are investing in alternative energy and fuel sources, including the use of biofuels for ships and planes.
-Noel Brinkerhoff