Finally some good news…

…about what they're doing to my Army. Via Richard Allen Smith at Vet Voice…

The Army plans to phase out all incandescent lighting within five years as one of many newly announced steps it is taking to cut energy consumption at its facilities 45 percent below 2003 levels by 2020.

****

"Energy security, sustainability and efficiency are national security imperatives," Katherine Hammack, assistant secretary of the Army for installations, energy and the environment, said in a news release. "This policy supports the Army's global missions in a cost-effective, safe and sustainable manner that will benefit Army soldiers, families and the entire nation."

…and elsewhere...

Sgt. Sherri Gallagher of Fort Benning, was named the U.S. Army’s Soldier of the Year, the first woman to receive that honor.

Good for Sgt. Gallagher, good news for the Army.

Heck, good for news for America.

Good questions?

Cookie Jill's got a batch of 'em…

· why aren't we working on energy efficiency?
· why aren't we talking about our infrastructure's dependency upon oil?
· why are we so dependent upon the ooey gooey stuff?
· where are the "drill baby, drill" folks now?
· why is offshore drilling here in the u.s. not ok for the u.s. environmentalists but they are silent when the drilling is offshore in other countries? shouldn't we be concerned about their environment too?
· how much oil is required to ship food all over the united states?
· why is bp more powerful than the u.s?
· why are activists arrested but oil company executives are not?
· why aren't people being questioned about what they would be willing to give up to lessen our country's dependency upon oil?

…and "Because" isn't an answer.

Another argument…

…for energy independence. Via CNN...

Saudi Arabian officials beheaded and then publicly displayed the body of a convicted killer in Riyadh on Friday, an act that prompted a stiff denunciation by a leading human rights monitor.

I heartily join in that denunciation, fully understanding that nothing at all will, or, arguably, can, be done about it so long as the Saudis have us by the gas tanks.

They're not our allies, they're our pushers and, like junkies of any kind, we'll tolerate damn near any abuse rather than face Mr. Jones. Until we break the addiction, we're not really a sovereign country, are we?