In 2005 I wrote about a story in Wired called “Green Berets Prefer Biodiesel” where the military said they had found ways to reduce dependence on foreign oil. In 2006 I gave the following analysis on advances in diesel technology — quiet, fuel-efficient engines reduce risk and save lives:

Even the HumVee is going to [diesel-electric hybrid] (rebranded the Shadow RST-V), according to military.com. They wax poetic about “going green”, but let’s face it, dependence on fuel is a giant security vulnerability issue — the more efficient a vehicle the less risk to soldiers from a supply chain.

Technically I was wrong about the rebrand — the Shadow RST-V was a DARPA and ONR project for a Marine Corp deep reconnaissance vehicle. Nonetheless, reduced dependence on fuel, quieter operation (e.g. element of surprise), and more environmental features (e.g. drinking-water recapture systems from exhaust) should be in high demand beyond the Marines. However, that paradigm of innovation is pretty much the very opposite of what American car companies seem to want to sell to the American consumer. A Dodge Charger or a Cadillac Escalade makes about sense to me as a team of Clydesdale horses parked in my garage. Sure, they look pretty, but the smell, noise and mess is unacceptable.

Thomas Friedman now writes in the NYT that the US military is now forcing greater demand for efficient vehicles based on data that shows fuel efficiency saves American lives

Spearheaded by Ray Mabus, President Obama’s secretary of the Navy and the former U.S. ambassador to Saudi Arabia, the Navy and Marines are building a strategy for “out-greening” Al Qaeda, “out-greening” the Taliban and “out-greening” the world’s petro-dictators. Their efforts are based in part on a recent study from 2007 data that found that the U.S. military loses one person, killed or wounded, for every 24 fuel convoys it runs in Afghanistan. Today, there are hundreds and hundreds of these convoys needed to truck fuel — to run air-conditioners and power diesel generators — to remote bases all over Afghanistan.

Mabus’s argument is that if the U.S. Navy and Marines could replace those generators with renewable power and more energy efficient buildings, and run its ships on nuclear energy, biofuels and hybrid engines, and fly its jets with bio-fuels, then it could out-green the Taliban — the best way to avoid a roadside bomb is to not have vehicles on the roads — and out-green all the petro-dictators now telling the world what to do.

Unlike the Congress, which can be bought off by Big Oil and Big Coal, it is not so easy to tell the Marines that they can’t buy the solar power that could save lives.

Nerds win, finally. And the smart choice does not have to be ugly. The Shadow RST-V looked pretty cool for 2006.

Fast-forward to this year’s diesel V-6 (yes, it’s a V-6) powered Audi race car with some amazing lines designed to reduce drag and the frequency of pit-stops.

My only beef with Friedman is that he makes reference to the Prius instead of the real future of efficiency — surging diesel innovation and demand. That doesn’t make sense since he mentions at least two diesel military vehicles:

…the Navy has tested its RCB-X combat boat on a 50-50 blend of algae and diesel, and it has tested its SH-60 helicopter on a similar biofuel blend.

Neither of these examples compare well with the gasoline-based Prius, which has barely evolved since its main advocate and “Toyota hybrid guru” died in a plane crash on November 25th, 2006. They do, however, compare well with the VW, Honda, Subaru, Audi, Lexus, Mercedes, or BMW diesel vehicles, which also can run 50-50 on algae. Hmmm, strange that there are no American-made options in that list of manufacturers. Cadillac still might be the best hope, as I wrote in 2008. I have pretty-much given up on them but maybe, just maybe, someone at Dodge is looking at an SH-60 engine and thinking about a revised Super Bee that at least doubles its MPG without losing a second on the track.

They could start by just replacing the Hemi V8 SRT 6.1L (425hp, 420 lb-ft torque) with an upgraded V6 6.7L Cummins turbo diesel (350hp at 3,013rpm, 650 lb-ft torque at 1,500rpm); yes, again it’s a V6. Then give the new diesel Super Bee something Tron-ish looking with an “out-green” theme. Maybe call it the anti-terrorism machine…the Green Bee:

The Autoblog Green reports more great news for American car buyers: Audi diesel sales soar in November; TDI model accounts for 69% of A3 sales

Though Audi’s sales numbers certainly have improved over last year, it’s the automaker’s TDI-equipped clean diesel vehicles that have gained the most ground. The TDI engine accounted for 69 percent of all Audi A3 models sold in the U.S. in November. Additionally, the diesel-burning version of the Audi Q7 represented 45 percent of the SUV’s total sales volume. Both Audi and partner Volkswagen have witnessed a trend of growing interest in their clean diesel models and hope to continue to ride the surge with more TDI model launches scheduled for the U.S. in the coming years.

More TDI models? Excellent! Dear Audi, please include an all-wheel-drive option on the TDI passenger cars. I have been trying to find a way to import the amazing Audi Allroad TDI since 2004. The VW is nice, but variable height suspension and quattro are safety enhancements very useful in these big Sierra snow storms. I do not need the bling and mass of a Q-series, just the efficiency and functionality of the Allroad. At this point, however, I (and about ten others I know) would be thrilled to take delivery of an A3 quattro TDI.

Speaking of bling, the new V6 Le Mans diesel engine option would also be much appreciated as an option, even without anything like the stunning looks of the car:

The future of clean and smart engine design: Diesel by Audi.

Come on Honda and Subaru! Get in on the action. I have seen similar stories about your diesel models in Europe:

The company’s first horizontally-opposed boxer diesels have rolled out in Europe, and Subaru’s executive vice president Tom Doll said the diesel engine is a hot seller over there, so much so that Subaru total sales are increasing.

Autoblog Green says the car companies are now waiting on the government to mandate higher miles per gallon before they will believe American consumers are willing to buy better technology.

Our chance of getting this powerplant seems slim but new CAFE regulations requiring upwards of 35 miles per gallon by 2016 could convince Subaru that the time to offer Americans a diesel is now.

Toyota took a chance with the Prius and look what happened? The VW and A3 TDI sales are surging. Don’t wait for regulation; ship a limited run to the US and watch the data. Demand is here. Look at comments on the Autoblog Green for example:

I drive 25K miles per year in my 2000 Outback, need to burn 925 gallons of gas per year @ 27 miles per gal costing $2497 @ $2.70 per gal. If I used a diesel engine I would burn 500 gal @ 50 miles per gal costing $1500 @ $3.00 per gal. Save $997 per year or $29 per week. Additionally if diesel spikes up I have the option of making my own diesel out of various materials such as vegetable oil or algae. I really want that option in my next car.

That’s from an American with a low mileage estimate. I could not have said it better myself. Save money, clean the air, and shift America to alternative fuel sources through diesel engine sales, without sacrificing any performance or comfort.

The heat generated by growing plants indoors, combined with poor insulation, led police to a “cannabis factory” in northern England

Members of the community reported suspicions about what was happening at a rented house in Montrose Road, Leicester.

When officers began checking out the information, they noticed the house was one of the few in the area without snow on the roof. Cannabis factories tend to be very warm due to the high number of industrial-strength lights used to encourage plant growth.

Officers obtained a search warrant, and yesterday (Thursday December 16) they raided the house. They discovered around 300 plants worth tens of thousands of pounds, and a sophisticated growing system.

[…]

“By closing this drugs factory we have disrupted a significant criminal enterprise, and stopped a large amount of drugs from reaching the streets of Leicester.”

Marijuana raids always mention a number of plants and 300 seems to be fairly common, as reported in California, Connecticut, Kansas, Florida, Idaho, Pennsylvania….

At first I was curious how 300 compares with other amounts reported for “significant” indoor finds so I searched by incrementing 100s (400, 500, etc.); I gave up when I reached 6400 (more than a ton, estimated at $9 million). That could melt a lot of snow.

The Leicestershire Constabulatory concluded their report with this quick guide to “cannabis factory” spotting:

* Windows obscured at all times
* Heavy condensation on windows
* The distinctive smell of cannabis
* Lights being used at odd times
* Deliveries of large items late at night

A Senior VP of UPS tells CNN that left turns on commercial roads are less safe, take longer and cost the company more (to the tune of $20 million). It sounds like he also assumes low or no pedestrian traffic (on the right).