Thinking Beyond the Windmill

In these three planet-fixing projects, eco-engineers draw inspiration from snakes and toothpaste

By Lisa Katayama Posted 10.10.2008 at 11:14 am Comments

Water Snakes: Photo courtesy Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, U.K.

Water Snakes

The Anaconda wave-energy converter from the British company Checkmate Seaenergy is a 200-ton, 650-foot-long water-filled rubber snake that uses the ocean's waves to generate power. As waves rise and fall, the floating elastic tube transfers this energy to a turbine generator that cranks out power. Checkmate plans to set up several snake farms on western-facing coastlines around the world by 2012, with each producing roughly 20 megawatts of power.

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