Response to RADM Robert G. James (USNR Ret.)'s 2 August 2011 Wall Street Journal op-ed "Of Mustard Fuel and Marines"

Amory Lovins defends the U.S. military's adoption of renewable energy and biofuels against criticisms from RADM Robert G. James. Lovins asserts that reducing oil dependence is a strategic necessity to protect service members from convoy attacks and improve combat effectiveness. He clarifies that his research advocates for biofuels derived from waste and non-food crops rather than food crops, and highlights the development of ultra-efficient carbon-fiber vehicles as a means to reduce oil reliance.

• The U.S. military's transition toward energy efficiency and renewables is based on field commanders' needs for force protection and combat effectiveness, rather than political trends. Reducing oil logistics is critical because over 1,000 U.S. Servicemembers died in convoy attacks over the previous decade, primarily while transporting fuel.
• The U.S. Department of Defense is likely the world's largest single purchaser of both oil and renewable energy. The Marines' XFOB (Experimental Forward Operating Base) at Twentynine Palms has pioneered fifth-generation expeditionary energy systems that are tactically advantageous and less vulnerable than fuel convoys.
• Lovins clarifies that his work, including the book Soft Energy Paths, advocates for biofuels produced from farm, forest, and urban wastes, and specifically does not propose using food crops like corn or grapes for fuel production.
• The Rocky Mountain Institute's study 'Reinventing Fire' proposes a path for the U.S. to eliminate oil and coal use by 2050, projecting a present-valued cost $5 trillion lower than business-as-usual. This strategy relies on electrified, lightweight carbon-fiber vehicles with efficiencies between 125 and 260 mpg-equivalent.

APA

Lovins, A. (2011). Response to RADM Robert G. James (USNR Ret.)'s 2 August 2011 Wall Street Journal op-ed "Of Mustard Fuel and Marines". RMI. https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/05/RMI_Document_Repository_Public-Reprts_2011-10_ResponseToRobertJames.pdf

Chicago

Lovins, Amory. Response to RADM Robert G. James (USNR Ret.)'s 2 August 2011 Wall Street Journal op-ed "Of Mustard Fuel and Marines". RMI, 2011. https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/05/RMI_Document_Repository_Public-Reprts_2011-10_ResponseToRobertJames.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Lovins |first1=Amory |title=Response to RADM Robert G. James (USNR Ret.)'s 2 August 2011 Wall Street Journal op-ed "Of Mustard Fuel and Marines" |publisher=RMI |date=3 August 2011 |url=https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/05/RMI_Document_Repository_Public-Reprts_2011-10_ResponseToRobertJames.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{lovins2011response, author = {Lovins, Amory}, title = {{Response to RADM Robert G. James (USNR Ret.)'s 2 August 2011 Wall Street Journal op-ed "Of Mustard Fuel and Marines"}}, publisher = {RMI}, year = {2011}, month = aug, url = {https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/05/RMI_Document_Repository_Public-Reprts_2011-10_ResponseToRobertJames.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }