ELECTRIC VEHICLES AND NATIONAL SECURITY

NewEnergyNews' great friend Forbes Bagatelle-Black here makes another invaluable addition to the argument on behalf of electric vehicles.

Are EVs the Ultimate Weapon Against Terrorism?
Forbes Bagatelle-Black, January 2, 2008 (EV World)

Part 5 of the EV Basics Series: Part 1 (A Tale of Two Hybrids), Part 2 (An Electric Vehicle Primer), Part 3 (Why Drive Electric?), Part 4 (Electric Vehicles and the Environment)

WHO
Bagatelle-Black: “…The logic behind these ideas is simple and powerful enough to convince people from groups as diverse as the Green Party and the “inner circle” of George W. Bush’s cabinet that our reliance on foreign oil is a security issue we can no longer ignore…”

The U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC) is developing a plug-in hybrid alternative mobility vehicle (AMV) as a heavy expanded mobility tactical truck (HEMTT). Acronyms. Love 'em.

WHAT
Bagatelle-Black: “…there is one idea that is garnering increasing support from hawks and doves alike; our nation will be safer when everyone starts driving electric vehicles. EVs will increase our self-sufficiency by allowing us to use domestically-produced energy to fuel our automobiles. A dramatic decrease in our demand for foreign oil would cut off the cash flow to terrorist organizations bent on the destruction of our society. Since EVs can run on renewable power sources, widespread use of them could eliminate the threat of global warming, which would eliminate the associated threats of natural disasters and the political upheaval such disasters would create….”

WHEN
Bagatelle-Black: “…if we look into the future, we must realize that our oil supply will eventually run out. If we are unprepared for this eventuality, disaster will occur. Without a steady flow of oil, our current society would lose its ability to transport goods, heat homes and grow crops in adequate quantities to feed our population. If these catastrophes come to pass, civilization as we know it could come to a grinding halt. On the other hand, if we use our remaining oil supply, slowly and wisely, as an means of creating a sustainable energy infrastructure, we can prepare for the transition to an oil-free world without undo hardship or political chaos…EVs will play an important role in the patchwork of oil-free energy solutions…”

Everybody's favorite acronym: PHEV (Plug-in hybrid electric vehicle).

WHERE
Bagatelle-Black: “…In her book Plug-In Hybrids, the Cars That Will Recharge America, author Sherry Boschert describes…“Oil Shockwave,” a simulation project designed to test America’s ability to withstand severe disruptions in our oil supply created by terrorist attacks and other causes. It was held in Washington DC in June, 2005. The participants included Woolsey, Robert M. Gates (who currently serves as the U.S. Secretary of Defense) and a host of other policy experts from various branches of government… participants came away from it with a clear understanding that our reliance on foreign oil funds terrorists who are committed to destroying our society, weakens our nation economically and politically, and could cause a severe disaster when our oil supply is disrupted to any significant extent. Furthermore, they learned that if we start driving EVs as soon as possible, these calamities can be averted…”

WHY
Bagatelle-Black: “…Other security benefits related to domestically-produced energy are equally clear…if every locality produces its own power, then a disruption in the energy pipeline on the other side of the globe will not cause a local energy crisis…if our need for oil were no longer a “bargaining chip” in our foreign policy relationships with oil-rich countries, we would not be forced to take compromise positions on matters such as human rights, environmental destruction or genocide…if we replace fossil fuels with renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar, we can eliminate the environmental disasters caused by the extrication, transportation and usage of these fossil fuels…Imagine the implications of environmental changes which could make [Hurricane] Katrina look like a minor weather hiccup! If rising sea levels, massive storm fronts and devastating droughts result in large-scale refugee displacement, famine and/or the collapse of our transportation and communications infrastructure, then our entire socio-political system will be put in jeopardy. We have the power to prevent these disasters…One of the choices we need to make is the adoption of oil-free transportation, such as EVs…”

This guy's favorite acronym? EV (Electric vehicle)

QUOTES
- James Woolsey, former Director of the CIA and a firm supporter of our current military action in Iraq: “The problem is that we are at war with a fanatical enemy that has lots of patience and wants to destroy not only our infrastructure, but us…If you want to get decisive things done quickly in the midst of a war… encourage hybrids and high-grade diesels and plug-in hybrids and alternative fuels.”
- Bagatelle-Black: “Dove: A politician who favors peaceful resolution of conflicts… Hawk: A politician who tends to look for military solutions to political problems….EV: Electric Vehicle – Any vehicle that uses electricity to provide some or all of the power to its wheels.”