Sky Sail May Cut Back on Some Ocean Freight Fuel

Kite-powered ship sets sail for greener future - Telegraph Sailing doesn't use any fuel. But in cargo ships, masts and rigging interfere with loading and unloading containers. They seem to have found a way around that.

During the journey from Bremen to Venezuela, the crew will deploy a SkySail, a 160 square metre [1722 square feet] kite which will fly more than 600ft [183 meters] above the vessel, where winds are stronger and more consistent than at sea level.

Its inventor, Stephan Wrage, a 34-year-old German engineer, claims the kite will significantly reduce carbon emissions, cutting diesel consumption by up to 20 per cent and saving £800 [$1555,00] a day in fuel costs.

Click over and check out the graphic.

Environmental concerns are going to implemented when people realize they make economic sense. And they do - for the most part.

What would you think of a solar design that could supply half the heating load needed for an entire winter by a Wisconsin home? Mostly the problem is perception. Everybody knows that Solar is "too expensive" because that's how it was in the 70s. (And we all know that technology never gets better or cheaper as the years go by.)