Jet Stream Kites Could Power New York City 263
Damien1972 writes to tell us that researchers from the Carnegie Institution and California State University claim that a fleet of kites could harvest enough energy to run New York and other major cities, especially if they are affected by polar jet streams. "Using 28 years of data from the National Center for Environmental Prediction and the Department of Energy, Ken Caldeira of the Carnegie Institution's Department of Global Ecology and Cristina Archer of California State University, Chico compiled the first global survey of wind energy available at high altitudes in the atmosphere. They found that the regions best suited for harvesting this energy align with population centers in the eastern U.S. and East Asia, although they note that 'fluctuating wind strength still presents a challenge for exploiting this energy source on a large scale.'"
Lightning Capital (Score:5, Funny)
Ben Franklin, eat your heart out.
Major side benefit (Score:5, Funny)
Great defense against incoming jetliners as the kites get sucked into engines, either from terrorists or major campaign donors out for a spin in Air Force One.
It'll be like the ending of Mary Poppins, only it never ends! Let's go fly a kite, up to the highest height...
Re:How is this going to impact the aircraft? (Score:2, Funny)
Have you been to Burningman? (Score:4, Funny)
I am asking because if you had, you would be laughing like I am right now. Powerful winds tear through everything that has even the tiniest bit of slack. At ground level. Tarps rip to pieces, grommets are completely useless. Shelters fly away into the playa, women's clothes break free and take on their own. Oh, well, I am getting distracted.
TFA's description is much more vague than ones I've seen in science fiction.
Several technologies have been proposed to harvest these high altitude winds, including tethered, kite-like turbines that would be floated to the altitude of the jet streams at an altitude of 20,000-50,000 feet and transmit up to 40 megawatts of electricity to the ground via the tether.
Well, I am proposing building flying cities maintained by giant robots. We can use the high altitude, jets streams and clear skies to harvest clear solar and wind energy.
Here's my proof of concept: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castle_in_the_Sky [wikipedia.org]
Re:Lightning Capital (Score:3, Funny)
Indeed. Now it will be called the shadiest place on Earth.
Re:OMG Think of the planes! (Score:1, Funny)
Won't the kites create wind resistance and slow down the earth's rotational spin? There might be a lot more things fallingz!
Re:Lightning Capital (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Major side benefit (Score:5, Funny)
Honestly, will we ever get our national cojones back?
I would think that, having blown off the UN to invade half of the middle east, some might say we have too many cojones...
Yeah that took "balls". What are they going to do...pass a non-binding resolution to some day send us a strongly worded letter.
Re:OMG Think of the planes! (Score:2, Funny)
Sure it may not be a problem for your airplane, but what about for the tens of thousands of flying cars that will be filling the sky over the major cities?
Hilarious!!! (Score:5, Funny)
Um, they could have threatened nuclear war for violating the UN charter.
My god, I haven't laughed so hard in days.
Are they going to launch a strike from the secret UN base in a dormant volcano? Or perhaps the huge fleet of UN satellites in orbit armed to the teeth and ready to pounce on the slightest transgression!!
If you recall, the German invasion of Belgium was enough to get the British into World War I
I was not aware the british were the UN.
likewise, the invasion of Poland started World War II in Europe.
Wow, that was started by the U.N. too? I guess the books I read were all wet! Thank god we had you along to tell us the true chronicles of Captian UN, hive-mind savior of humanity with the first strike Fist Of Great Justice!
Ha!
Re:Major side benefit (Score:5, Funny)
2006 OMG Ponies!!!
Re:Major side benefit (Score:1, Funny)
Now shut up and go watch the TV.
Can't! TV is broken! It's been broken for a couple days.