By harnessing the power of the wind, cargo ships will be able to reduce their carbon footprint by a staggering amount. The Seawing system is an automated parafoil kite that can be attached to all types of ships. It works by connecting wind-monitoring computers to navigational systems, which help steer the ship and its kite into favourable wind conditions. It is expected to cut fuel consumption and emissions by a whopping 20%—a welcome change given that these titanic ships can consume up to 225 tonnes of fuel per day. Read full article here
Science
An Eerie Poisonous Fog
If you’re visiting a farm, keep an eye out for an ominous-looking bronze fog. Nitrogen tetroxide, a red-orange gas, is made by certain bacteria during fermentation when oxygen is lacking in the crop. The lack of oxygen causes the bacteria to use the nitrate within the crops, which then produces nitrogen tetroxide. Inhalation of the gas is known to cause permanent lung damage or kill people and livestock. To prevent this, farmers have started performing nitrate tests after four weeks of fermentation. Read full article here
Merv
November 30, 2022
