Go fly a kite?

I have to admit I am a sucker for technology, especially with regard to renewable energy. I find the science and creativity that go into such innovation captivating. If you keep up with even just the cable news at the gym, you're probably in the know about wind power, "clean coal", and of course the dreaded biofuels. Even if you're not aware of the policies that are in place or the science behind them, most of us have at least heard politicians rally about them.

At a time when all such proposals seem to be dumb, dumber, and dumbest, I'm happy to see this new technology coming out of the Netherlands (why do they always come up with the cool stuff?). Kites, people. Not only is this amazingly cool (ok I'm a dork) but amazingly simple and practical.

When former oilmen are rallying for taxpayer money that requires huge restructuring of our electricity grid, innovations like this are most welcome. Not only do they require less to implement but the maintenance costs are minimal. I've talked before about the need for renewable energy subsidies and this is the ideal type of technology for government support: it is cheap to install and will pay for itself very quickly without diverting other resources (ahem, ethanol). To tackle climate change and create a sustainable network of renewable energy will require diversification, innovation, and apparently, creative uses for common items.