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Military spends more to air condition tents than NASA’s entire budget | Grist
Hmmm I recall having a discussion in the chat with a few people about the military's wasteful spending and here is just some more proof of it.
It might be good for morale.
It might be good for morale.
Some things to note: it's not as easy as simply upgrading the tents. The tents have to be portable(which is why you are using tents) and probably quickly. Cooling those tents during summer is key for health reasons. It's not wasteful spending, it's just part of the cost of doing business.
Military spends more to air condition tents than NASA’s entire budget | Grist
Hmmm I recall having a discussion in the chat with a few people about the military's wasteful spending and here is just some more proof of it.
Air conditioned tents don't show results on say, the War on Terror.
Why can't the US fight wars in nice climates?
Why can't the US fight wars in nice climates?
There's a reason why the military is one of the biggest backers of alternative fuels. That **** is expensive. Furthermore, getting oil based fuels into certain areas is fairly hazardous. I remember reading cost exceeding $200 to get a single gallon of gas into Afghanistan.
You know why it costs so much? Becaue they're trying to cool ****ing TENT and TEMP buildings . .. geesh - it's really a stupid idea.
Upgrade materials - get some insulation going on (as they're suggesting to do) - better yet - just do away with the actual tents unless they're necessary and build temp buildings (with better insullation) and it would greatly reduce the dissipation rate. . . and for tents that are produced they should use flexi-bon relfective insulation in the making process at the factory - subvert this entire issue.
Als - they should go solar / wind to power each unit . . . part of the cost is actally electricity. . . and then when the electricity goes out (as it often does) it's just funky.
This is a case where spending more on the outset for better materials would cost less in the long run, and probably be better for the soldier as well since their living quarter would be of a higher quality.
apdst is correct(that is painfull to say btw). If they are living in tents, it is for a reason.
It would cause damage to a unit's mobility. Tents are far more mobile than buildings.
US Army Uses SPF Foam to Cool Tents | Foam Roofing
In the sweltering Iraqi desert temperatures reach highs of 130 degrees Fahrenheit, and US Army tents don't provide much relief, even with air conditioning. In fact, even with air conditioning, the poorly insulated tents were often still over 100 degrees Fahrenheit inside. These were hardly livable conditions for soldiers.
In 2009 the U.S. Military began applying polyurethane spray foam to 900 air conditioned tents. Honeywell completed the 12.5 million dollar project. TerraStrong polyurethane foam was pumped from 55 gallon drums and applied to the surface of the tents. The foam conforms to the surface of the tents, sealing and insulating from the external elements and rays of the sun, keeping the tents substantially cooler. The rigid polyurethane foam also provides structural support as well.
Joseph Lstiburek, a building scientist and indoor air quality expert, told discovery news: "For the Army, there is no other solution even close to this given speed, flexibility, mobility". "You don't have to ship lots of big pieces of stuff around. Think about it: a big tent insulated on the exterior that acts as a combined water control layer, air control layer, vapor control layer and thermal control layer that is also structural."
The military expects to associated reduce air conditioning costs by at least 25 to 30%. The project is part of 2009-2015 initiative to improve the efficiency of military facilities and improve the quality of life for both troops and civilians.
EDIT:
Also, how many tents have sensitive computer or communications equipment that must be kept cool? Medical facilities? etc.
It's not always as black and white as some would paint it.
Whovian has a good solution on this page and also provides a good example of the benefits of not limiting one's imagination to the conventional.
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