green isn’t just the color of their fatigues

For the first time, the U.S. Army released a Sustainability Report in a move that shows its commitment to going green. This is due in part to a global action to environmentally sound living, but also because the Army has found, like many of us, that it is just simply cheaper to be green.

In their efforts, they have:

1.) committed to making all new buildings LEED certified
2.) decreased their water usage by a third
3.) moved towards making environmentally friendly “war machines”, including a tank that can be broken down into recyclable parts.
4.) built a 12 acre solar farm in Colorado

Nevertheless, “The Army is at the very early stages of its sustainability journey… There is still much progress to be made and still much to learn,” warns the 62-page report.

A shortfall is the Army’s inability to stop producing so much hazardous waste – 45 million pounds in 2006 alone. Not only is the amount large by any standard, but it is 35 percent higher than in 2003. One reason for the rise is that the Army produced more ammunition and trained its soldiers more often to prepare them in the “Global War on Terror.”

They may still have a long way to go, but at least they have started down the path. I, for one, think that is a major step in this progress.

You can find the entire article at the Environmental News Network, HERE.