Energy Alternatives

摘要

A big amphibious ship sails around South America driven mainly by electricity. The Blue Angels precision flying team powers its F/A-18s on fuel squeezed from plant seeds. A Riverine command boat rockets around Hampton Roads, Va., on a fuel mixture made from algae. Helicopters and V-22 tiltrotors lift off burning biofuel. And Marines have begun trading batteries for lightweight solar panels to power radios and Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers. The Navy is pushing hard to reduce its dependence on petroleum. The goal, Navy Secretary Ray Mabus has said, is to cut fossil fuel consumption in half by 2020. "We simply buy too much petroleum from volatile places on Earth," Mabus said during a recent press briefing.