"Kite Ship" to Use Wind Power Video -- National Geographic

"Kite Ship" to Use Wind Power Video January 17, 2008—Not a sailboat and not a parachute—this German-built ship aims to save fuel by towing a kite to capture wind power high above the water.Welcome to the National Geographic video player.Video Sections

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- $20-Million Contest Announced - April 2, 2008—Scotland plans to award 10 million pounds (about 20 million U.S. dollars) for the first viable technology to harness the sea's energy for electricity.
- "Kite Ship" to Use Wind Power - January 17, 2008—Not a sailboat and not a parachute—this German-built ship aims to save fuel by towing a kite to capture wind power high above the water.
- 'Annoying' Bird Mimics Sirens - July 14, 2008—Having mastered some of the world's most grating sounds—sirens, cell phone ringtones—a blackbird is irritating Britons with its powers of mimicry.
- 'Giant Fish' Faces Big Trouble in China - September 11, 2007—Join biologist Zeb Hogan of the National Geographic Society's Megafishes Project as he explores the threats facing the giant Chinese sturgeon and the efforts underway to save it.
- 'Mutant' Mosquitoes Created - June 20, 2008— U.K. scientists are genetically modifying mosquitoes to be resistant to malaria, which kills millions annually. But some experts fear these supermosquitoes would upset the ecosystem.
- 'Shark Island' Swarms With Jaws - October 24, 2008— Costa Rica's Cocos Island National Park, nicknamed 'Shark Island,' has what might be the highest concentration of sharks anywhere. But even here, sharks are vulnerable.
- Afghan Winter Kills Hundreds - February 8, 2008—Unusually severe winter weather in mountainous Afghanistan has caused more than 650 deaths, according to an Afghan official.
- Airliner Flies on Plant Fuel - December 31, 2008—Air New Zealand says a test flight Tuesday was the first commercial-jet journey to use a fuel that is equal parts biofuel and standard jet fuel.
- Alaskans Choose Mine Over Fish - August 27, 2008—Alaskans voted down protections that would have stopped the huge proposed Pebble Creek mine, which may boost the area economy but could harm economically important fisheries.
- Albatross Fall for Fish Bait - December 19, 2007—The magnificent, poet-inspiring sea bird is under serious threat, and fishhooks are a key problem. Conservationists say 17 of the 24 albatross species face extinction.
- Algae Threaten Olympic Sailing - July 2, 2008—Officials are working to clear a huge algal bloom that has struck the waters near Qingdao, where the Olympic sailing events are scheduled for August.
- Algae to Power Jets? - October 2, 2008—Research is underway to turn algae into biodiesel that developers hope could eventually fuel jet airplanes.
- Amazon Forest Burned - October 1, 2008—Amazon forests in Brazil are shrinking three times faster than in 2007, officials say. A key culprit is the national government itself, according to reports.
- Animal Dung Fuels Gas Stoves - October 10, 2008—In Ethiopia, farmers are being taught how to use livestock dung as a renewable energy source to create gas for cooking.
- Antarctic Survey's Stunning Species - December 2, 2008—Scientists have discovered that islands near Antarctica's main peninsula harbor more species than even the Galápagos Islands, the experts claim.
- Antarctica Ice Collapses - March 26, 2008—A section of Antarctic ice seven times the size of Manhattan has broken away from a large ice shelf. Scientists say it is a sign of continued global warming.
- Antarctica Images Best Yet - November 28, 2007—A nearly cloudless satellite image is the most geographically accurate and true-color map of the southern continent—at ten times the resolution of previous NASA views.
- Anti-Whaling Activists Released - January 18, 2008—Two anti-whaling activists were returned to their ship in Antarctic waters Friday after a tense standoff with Japanese whalers.
- Arctic Ice in "Death Spiral" - September 17, 2008—NASA animations show dramatic Arctic ice melt again in 2008, which saw the second smallest Arctic sea ice cover on record, scientists announced this week.
- Arctic Seed Vault Opens - February 26, 2008—An Arctic island north of the Norwegian mainland marks the opening of an underground vault set to store millions of plant seeds to protect species from disasters.
- Asian Illegal Logging Exposed - March 20, 2008—A British group has released footage it claims shows illegal logging in Laos that helps feed Vietnam's booming furniture trade to the U.S., Europe, and elsewhere.
- Asian Plate Caused Quake - May 13, 2008—Monday's devastating earthquake in central China occurred along a fault where South Asia pushes against the Eurasian land mass, scientists say.
- Atlantis Volcano Devastated Ancient Egypt? - April 4, 2007—See the freshly uncovered evidence that may prove ancient cities on Egypt and Palestine's coast were devastated by a massive Mediterranean volcanic eruption.
- Australian Wetlands Threatened - August 22, 2008—Australia's Coorong wetlands, long a haven for migrating birds and the fish they feed on, are threatened by the shrinking Murray River, the wetlands' primary source of water.
- Baby Sales Among Threats to Monkey - October 31, 2008— Already threatened by deforestation, rare Peruvian yellow-tailed woolly monkeys face doom as their babies are sold for a few dollars and their genital hair is taken as a trophy.
- Biggest Trout Fished in Asia - November 13, 2007—Fishing the world's largest trout, Mongolia's taimen, is encouraged—to help save it.
- Billboards Become Stylish Bags - April 21, 2008—Just in time for Earth Day, conservationists in the Philippines are recycling huge vinyl billboard advertisements as totes for everything from food to laptops.
- Cemetery Is Solar Source - December 8, 2008—Near Barcelona, Spain, a large solar power plant is in an unlikely location: a cemetery.
- Cheaper Solar? Just Add Steam - June 16, 2008— In the Israeli desert, a U.S.-Israeli team is testing a new technology that uses mirrors to harness the sun's rays and create electricity-producing steam.
- Cheetahs Return to Zebra Park - November 8, 2008— For 70 years, zebras at South Africa's Mountain Zebra National Park have had few predators. But now, conservationists are reintroducing cheetahs to the landscape.
- Chicken Feathers to Build Houses - October 8, 2008—A Philippine scientist has developed wallboard using chicken feathers. He says it could replace traditional woodchip wallboard used in construction.
- China Pandas' Bamboo Dwindling - June 16, 2008—Landslides following the May 12 earthquake have destroyed forests and blocked roads, leaving just a five-month bamboo supply for pandas in a Chengdu breeding center.
- China Quake Lake Drained - May 27, 2008—Fearing landslides or a dam collapse, Chinese soldiers opened a drainage path for one of many new lakes formed by the May 12th earthquake.
- China's Snow Worst in 50 Years - January 29, 2008—Heavy snows in southern China have wreaked havoc for residents heading home during the busy Lunar New Year travel season.
- Chocolate to Save Forests? - March 19, 2008—Destruction of Dominican Republic forests could be offset by farmers growing organic cacao used for chocolate.
- Christmas Lights Dazzle Sydney - December 24, 2008—Spectacular displays of Christmas lights draw thousands of spectators in Sydney, Australia.
- Clay Eating Discouraged - November 8, 2007—Poverty and tradition drive some Haitians to eat cakes of clay, salt, and butter. Nutritionists fight local beliefs about the dish's merits.
- Climate Change Satellite Launched - June 20, 2008—Early today NASA launched its new satellite, Jason 2, which will monitor how ocean masses move in an effort to understand climate change's effects.
- Climate Drives Nomads to Cities - February 21, 2008—Mongolia's harsher, less predictable, and increasingly warmer weather is helping to drive a migration of nomadic herders from the steppe into cities.
- Commercial Jet Uses Biofuel - February 25, 2008—The first commercial jet flight powered with biofuel lands in Amsterdam. Virgin Atlantic's Boeing 747 used a biofuel mixture in one of its fuel tanks.
- Cuba Gets Green Cred - November 14, 2008—Cuba is the only country that meets the criteria for sustainable development from the conservation group WWF. But concern persists for once thriving Caribbean marine turtles.
- Cutting Cows' Gas Emissions - October 24, 2008—Cow's emissions of methane, a greenhouse gas, can be reduced with a more natural diet, farmers are learning. Methane is a powerful contributor to global warming.
- Cyclone Kills Thousands in Asia - May 5, 2008—Tropical cyclone Nargis struck Myanmar (Burma) Saturday. The death toll may climb to 10,000, according to government statements.
- Daring Rescues in Peru Floods - April 8, 2008—Dramatic rescues are underway to help people stranded by devastating rains and floods in north and west Peru.
- Deadly Hanna Deluges Haiti - September 4, 2008—"If I couldn't swim, I would have been dead," said one Haitian survivor after tropical storm Hanna caused massive flooding, cutting off one city and killing dozens.
- Deep Sea Robo-Help - November 26, 2008—Scientists searching the depths of the ocean for undiscovered marine life off the coast of Maine get help from a well-equipped robot.
- Deep Sea Robo-Help - November 26, 2008— Scientists searching the depths of the ocean for undiscovered marine life off the coast of Maine get help from a well-equipped robot.
- Deforestation Fear in Indonesia - October 21, 2008—The environmental group Greenpeace warns that if Indonesia doesn't eliminate rapid deforestation in the country, its forests could be gone in 10 years.
- Desperate Maasai Feed Cows Trash - December 17, 2008—Climate change is threatening the way of life for Africa's Maasai herders—even forcing some to take their cattle to feed at garbage dumps.
- Dogs vs. Rabbits in Eco-War - October 1, 2008—Springer spaniels are training to do battle to save an Australian island from a rabbit boom. The rabbits are destroying vegetation, thereby threatening other species.
- Doomed New Orleans - September 21, 2005—For years man-made changes to the landscape of New Orleans have affected how well it could withstand the wrath of a powerful storm.
- Ecotourists Aid Aussie Rangers - August 14, 2008—Vacationers are helping rangers in Australia's Grampians National Park study the effects of wildfires on the park's wildlife habitats.
- Ecuador Volcano Erupts - February 8, 2008—The Tungurahua volcano in Ecuador erupted again this week. The volcano has been active on and off since 1999.
- Ecuador Volcano Spewing Ash - January 9, 2008—The recently rumbling Tungurahua volcano is spewing more ash and smoke.
- Eruption Changing Galapagos - June 6, 2008—A Galápagos volcano is spewing lava for the second week in a row—changing the geography of the chain's largest island, experts say.
- Explosions May Save Wetlands - October 31, 2007—The Nature Conservancy has blasted through 1950s-era levees in the Williams River Delta in southern Oregon to save the wetlands and endangered fish species.
- Farm Fish Threaten Wild Fish? - January 31, 2008 —Fish farms currently provide sustainable populations of fish for eating, but fish raised in open-net farms can spread disease and parasites to wild fish.
- Fast Flood Wreaks Havoc - June 3, 2008—Amateur video shows cars piling on top of one another as a small stream swells over its banks in Jungingen, Germany.
- Flowers Losing Their Scents? - June 10, 2008—Air pollution may be stifling flowers' sweet smells, making it harder for bees and other pollinators to find them, say University of Virginia researchers.
- Freak Wave Kills Nine - May 5, 2008—A wave estimated at up to 16 feet (5 meters) tall struck a sightseeing spot in coastal South Korea.
- Freak Wave Pushes Cars - March 14, 2008—An unusually high wave crashed onto a boulevard in northwestern Spain, pushing people and cars aside. Much of Western Europe saw harsh weather this week.
- Galapagos Volcano Erupts - June 2, 2008—A volcano on a Galápagos island has erupted after ten years of relative silence.
- Giant Waves Crash Over Buildings - September 9, 2008—Surging over buildings as tall as five stories, waves from Hurricane Ike pounded a Cuban town on Monday. The hurricane is headed for the U.S. Gulf Coast.
- Giving Fish a Bath - December 19, 2008—Biologists literally give fish a bath to try and eliminate parasites in the sea near a coral reef in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
- Glacier Tunnel Collapses - July 10, 2008— A recently formed tunnel in Argentina's Perito Moreno glacier collapsed on Wednesday. This is the first time in decades such an event has occurred during the Southern Hemisphere's winter.
- Global Warming Good for Sharks? - October 16, 2008—Warmer waters around Antarctica could actually benefit a threatened population of gray nurse—or sand tiger—sharks, scientists say.
- Grand Canyon Skywalk - April 13, 2007—See what it's like to walk on a glass walkway 4,000 feet (1,220 meters) above the canyon floor in this un-narrated video.
- Green Dream Machines Debut - July 22, 2008—By turns spacey, electric, and just plain cute, fuel-saving car designs from Ford, Saab, Mini, and others took center stage at the British International Motor Show.
- Green Roofs Are Nothing New - June 4, 2008—Plant-covered roofs may seem like cutting edge eco-architecture. But the practice is an old tradition on the remote Faroe Islands.
- Grisly Whaling Video Released - February 7, 2008—To call attention to Japanese whaling practices, the Australian government released video captured on the ocean near Antarctica. Warning: graphic imagery.
- Grisly Wildlife Trade Exposed - February 25, 2008—An activist uses a video camera to expose what many would consider a grisly illegal wildlife trade in Myanmar. Warning: graphic imagery.

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