In a recent interview with Palo Alto Online, Jeremy Walker, the CEO of KiteShip Corporation made an astounding claim: One trans-ocean container ship outfitted with a traction kite -- essentially a kite surfer's kite on lots and lots of steroids – could save TWO MILLION gallons of fuel per year. The resulting reduction in sulfur dioxide emissions, he claims, would be the equivalent of replacing every automobile in the state of California with a hybrid.

Wow -- what an enormous opportunity to save fuel, money and clean up the environment at the same time!

No wonder, then, that others are jumping into this ring: A German company -- SkySails -- is also racing to turn traction kites into a viable way to tow big ships across the world's oceans. Unlike old-school sails which attach to tall masts and cause ships to heel – not good when they're piled high with containers, as today's ships are -- traction kites are launched from the bow of the ship, fly 100-300 meters above the deck, where winds tend to be stronger and steadier, and cause only negligible heeling. And, they claim, they'll allow skippers to throttle back their big engines around 30% without slowing down.

While the promise is huge – KiteShip recently won the 2006 California Clean Tech Open Transportation award – questions remain. KiteShip's Website features photos and news regarding their innovative kite spinnakers for pleasure sailboats, but only CAD drawings of commercial applications, making me wonder how far along their efforts are at this point.

SkySails site, on the other hand, features a video of a smallish version of their design towing a smallish buoy tender in what they call a "final test before market entry." In addition, it appears they may have commercial shipping clients signed up already.

I'll continue to investigate this promising technology. Who knows? Maybe they can address the safety issues that've plagued the sport of kiteboarding while they're at it.

The demand for silicon is prompting investments in new technologies that can efficiently manufacture solar cells. Demand for solar-grade silicon is expected to outpace supply for the next 2 to five years, according to the Australian.

Applied Ventures (the investment company funded by Applied Materials) gave $3 million to solar manufacturing company Solaicx, which will use the money to open a new plant next year. Solaicx says its continuous Czochralski (CZ) crystal growing methodology is up to five times more productive than systems designed for semiconductor silicon.

In Norway, Elkem Solar is investing $1 billion in a new production plant in Kristiansand, according to the Norway Post. The facility will produce 5,000 tons of solar grade silicon per year, and a new manufacturing process will require less energy.

Investing in silicon solar cell manufacturers -- whether old or new technology -- is almost a sure bet today.

This one’s a no-brainer: Replacing the thermostat in your home with a programmable model is simple to do, and even the most advanced models can pay for themselves in lowered heating bills pretty quickly. The swap usually takes only a few minutes – connect a couple of wires, drill a few holes and you’re done.

Once it’s up and running, a programmable thermostat can be set to automatically lower your home’s temperature during times of the day when you’re away, burning a fire in your EPA Approved wood-burning stove or when you’re fast asleep under a pile of cozy pillows and blankets.

For more information, check out: Energy Star's Thermostat info page.

Washingtonians who generate their own solar or wind energy will now receive additional incentives from Puget Sound Energy.

Utility PSE has been using rebates on renewable energy equipment and net metering - which reimburses individuals or companies for excess electricity that is sent to the grid -- as clean energy incentives.

PSE's new Renewable Energy Advantage Program (REAP) pays between 15 to 54 cents for each kilowatt-hour (kWh) generated up to a limit of $2,000 per year. The utility will also pay retroactively dating back to July of 2005.

Power companies benefit from these programs because cutting back the demand during peak hours enables them to avoid using their oldest and dirtiest generating facilities. Relying on the oldest technology makes it more challenging to comply with state and federal clear air regulations.

By paying per kWh, PSE provides an ongoing incentive that will spur interest in renewable energy adoption. This system works well in Germany where the government subsidizes based on production, not just the initial investment, and solar installations are going through the roof, so to speak. Congratulations to PSE and its renewable customers for doing their part.

Nicole, Wilmer, and other celebs promise to act green while their eyes are turning red. A group of concerned A, B, and C-listers will party at January's Golden Globe Awards with minimal environmental impact. The Environmental Media Association will be hosting a green party after the Golden Globes that will be held in an environmentally responsible way.

The group has its own lesser known awards show, the 16th Annual Environmental Media Awards (somehow I missed the first 15) that celebrates movies and TV that incorporates the environmentally responsible message. The E! network will show highlights from the event on November 28th.

Now skeptics will point out the Prius' driving crowd including Ed Begley, Darryl Hannah and Cameron Diaz live in energy-wasting mansions and often travel by jet, so their driving of hybrids or biodiesel powered cars are empty actions. However, that they are doing something and trying to get the message out about sustainability through PSAs or their choice of car is more important for the message that it conveys to an easily persuaded public.

In reality the Cameron Diaz and Edward Norton's of the world can do a lot more to influence public opinion than you or I. If I had paparazzi and fans chasing me everywhere, I might have a hard time flying coach or living on Main Street as well, so some slack should be given.

BMW, that Bavarian purveyor of sex on wheels, those ultimate orgasm machines that seduce with shapely bodies then seal the deal with swank interiors and a playful-yet-sophisticated nature, has always been the Car Company that Could Do No Wrong. When others missed the mark, you could always count on BMW to get it right – to mix form and function in precisely the right ratios and cook up cars that both young and old dream about while shivering through cold and lonely nights waiting for a tow truck after your ten-year-old piece of crap breaks down and you realize that, despite the joy of avoiding car payments, perhaps it really is time to buy something new.

Not that I know from personal experience or anything. I’m just sayin …

Anyway, the point of this post is that, while I’ve always been a BMW fan as well as someone who’s pretty damned passionate about embracing alternatively fueled vehicles, all indications are that BMW’s new Hydrogen 7 – which should be a big old slice of rolling heaven for someone like me, even if I could never come up with enough jack to actually own one – looks instead like a misguided technological train wreck. And that makes me sad.

Why? Because at first blush, this thing seemed like a brilliant showcase of clean technology for those who want – and can afford – the status and guilt-free luxury of a 7-series that spits mere water out the tailpipe. What’ll show up in the driveways of 100 lucky VIPs next spring, however, looks more like an ill-conceived solution looking for a problem.

The German magazine Der Speigel slams the Hydrogen 7 as being worse for the environment than a heavy diesel truck. Despite marketing images of the Hydrogen 7 humming happily past windmills or parked beside solar panels the article reports that this thing's 12 cylinder engine – which can run on either gasoline or liquid hydrogen – gets a mere 17 MPG in gasoline mode and 4.9 MPG when burning hydrogen. In other words, as Der Speigel says "BMW has created an energy-guzzling engine that only seems to be environmentally friendly -- a farcical ecomobile whose only true merit is that of illustrating the cardinal dilemma of a possible hydrogen-based economy."

There are so many things wrong with this vehicle that it'd take more room than I have here to list them all. Most egregiously, since it takes more energy to create hydrogen than you can get from it, hydrogen offers absolutely no help to our environmental or oil supply problems until it is produced from renewable sources. Which means putting hydrogen into an internal combustion engine – especially one that gets less than five miles per gallon when burning it – is an enormous waste of energy all around.

Beyond the crass and hypocritical attempt to market this beast as a "green" mobile is minor problem of dealing with the liquid hydrogen fuel … assuming you can locate a place to fill it up with liquid hydrogen in the first place. Liquid Hydrogen needs to be stored in special tanks at extremely low temperatures and evaporates and escapes as it heats up. And it's expensive: Der Speigel estimates that it'd cost $38 to drive the thing 62 miles using hydrogen fuel. Talk about conspicuous consumption!

This whole vehicle smells like what happens when you lock a bunch of unsupervised engineers in a lab for too long: They lose track of reality and get so heads down in showing how clever they are that they emerge with a Rube Goldberg-esque solution looking for a problem. Embarrassing.

BMW announced a concept X3 Hybrid over a year ago. You'd think with all the money and time they spent on the Hydrogen 7, they could've produced a truly compelling hybrid by now – one who's closest competitors are the plain-jane (read: booooring) Toyota Highlander Hybrid and the Lexus 450h, which, while a bit better, still feels like something a rich kid's mom would use to drive the team to soccer practice (read: too expensive and precious for most active people who actually need four-wheel drive).

Here's hoping BMW gets their engineers pointed in the right direction in a hurry, so they can return to their proper place, at the front of the pack.

The network of organizations promoting sustainable traveling is growing, and that's good news for the most sacred and endangered travel destinations around the world.

The United Nations' World Heritage Alliance announced nine new members, including the Rainforest Alliance. The WHA is "committed to promoting sustainable tourism that contributes to the conservation of local biodiversity and cultures and creates opportunities for local community enrichment..."

Members work with local merchants such as hotels and tour operators to include cultural activities as part of tourism that protects the 830 designated World Heritage sites, such as the Machu Picchu in Peru and the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. The Rainforest Alliance has created a handy search tool for finding sustainable businesses.

Travel website Expedia is doing its part to protect these sites by offering special ecotourism packages and giving a percentage of the profits to the WHA. These trips give visitors insight into the local cultures and provide a more rewarding experience.

The landmarks are increasingly suffering the effects of global warming, according to a new report by the WHA.

Future generations deserve an opportunity to experience these timeless treasures, so it is encouraging to see Expedia and other organizations supporting travel that minimizes the environmental impact.