Green Options

On this Veterans Day, set aside to honor the sacrifices and contributions of U.S. military veterans, another contribution can be added to the rolls: veterans are playing a strong part in America’s transition away from fossil fuels into a more sustainable, healthful environment and a more secure energy future.

Veterans groups including Operation Free, VoteVets, and an ad hoc group of retired senior military officials are calling for more sustainable fuels and a lower carbon footprint, a position that reflects the Pentagon’s growing urgency to free its high mobility, high tech 21st century warriors from the burden of using fossil fuels that harken back to the days of kerosene lamps and horse drawn buggies.  It also reflects an under-the-radar green metamorphosis in the philosophy of U.S. national defense itself.

This is a guest post by Meg Hamill who works at the Environmental non-profit LandPaths, in Sonoma County, California.

Leaders in the aviation industry join together, committing to bring sustainable practices into their fuel supply chain.

For those of us who have taken a flight recently,  it’s obvious that the airlines are in trouble.  Who ever would have thought that we’d be paying extra for a pillow?  Or an aisle seat?  With the rise in oil prices, many airlines are seeking out creative ways to stay afloat.  Some of these companies are going straight to the heart of the issue, and beginning to investigate a more sustainable fuel supply.

While Boeing has been researching biofuels in the aviation industry for some time, last week’s formation of a new collaborative group ratchets up their commitment to the issue, and brings some key players to the table.

Boeing joined Virgin Atlantic Airways, along with eight other commercial airlines to establish the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Users Group.  The group is committed to accelerating the development of sustainable biofuels for use in the commercial airline industry.  Honeywell’s UOP, a refining technology developer, is also part of the group.