Here is what appears to be a very promising variant in efforts to harness the wind for electricity. Its attributes: * One turbine can generate up to a gigawatt of energy, enough to power 750,000 homes. "Traditional" turbines generate 5 megawatts.

* One of these turbine takes up a substantial footprint, but far far less than the equivalent number of conventional turbines, making it easier to locate near populated areas. Now, one of the drawbacks of all those turbine farms out in the far countryside is that they're not near the electrical grid. And, they're not pie-in-the-sky; one is being built now, in China. 'Course, that doesn't mean it won't be without flaws as it enters operation, but it's not merely an idea, either. From Inhabitat.