Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images

US President Barack Obama (L) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (R) tour Photovoltaic Array at Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas, Nevada, May 27, 2009 with Base Commander Colonel Howard Belote.

The U.S. Armed Forces burn through over 300,000 barrels of oil a day, putting troops in jeopardy who transport the fuel to front lines and costing taxpayers roughly $11 billion per year.

As the long-term outlook for oil prices only goes up, the Pentagon is exploring different ways to go green, including reducing oil consumption. Energy efficiency and renewable fuels have gained even more consideration in the wake of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The RAND Corporation’s National Defense Research Institute published a study that casts doubt on the affordability and effectiveness of some of the military’s plans to go green, but virtually everyone agrees that the military’s anticipated plan to increase energy efficiency and to use alternative-fuels could encourage a broader national cultural shift to embrace the green movement.

WEIGH IN:

How influential is the U.S. military in terms of setting cultural trends? Have Pentagon officials waited too long to push for more energy-efficient policies and procedures?

Guest:

Brian Rooney, correspondent, SoCal Connected

Sharon Burke, U. S. Assistant Secretary of Defense