KITE HELPS TO PULL SHIP
In these times of rising fuel costs and growing environmental concerns, shipowners are searching for ways to reduce fuel consumption and emissions. And they are using an old ally – the wind. One idea that has already been tested is that of using a kite to assist with pulling a ship, reports the newspaper Franfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. The kite, 1,000 feet in the air, harness the wind, allowing the captain to throttle back the ship’s engine. A 1,722-square-foot kite recently helped to power a cargo vessel across the Atlantic.