Above, the SS Preussen. The Balderdash Broadcasting Collective has reported upon a so-called “new development” – a sail assisted cargo ship (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-66543643)! Whilst the actual ship and the technology on her is new the concept itself is far from new. Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s SS Great Eastern (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Great_Eastern) was a pioneer. Technology has come a long way since that time.
Sailing ships continued to be built and operated after the Great Eastern. Perhaps the greatest square rigger was the Preussen (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preussen_(ship)) tragically lost due to the incompetence Master of the SS Brighton (1903).
Were an updated copy of the SS Preussen to be built today she would be a lot more efficient. High tensile steel and an all MIG welded hull would reduce weight. An auxiliary diesel engine would assist and make navigation safer. Electric and not steam winches would improve performance reduce crew numbers and improve safety. Modern navigation and sensors would assist and make navigation safer. Modern materials could be used to make the sails and sheets (ropes). Modern roller reefing systems could be used if traditional crewing methods was to be updated.
Of course the cargo cost (US$/tonne) of such a ship would be much more than the existing super sized container ships I see on the horizon when I am walking along the cliff path near my home.
However: If the Greenies are worried about CO2 emissions (I am not) they do not have to abandon the supersized container ships importing manufactured articles from China. They simply have to change fuel! Switch from traditional diesel fuel oil that comes out the ground to what is known as bio-diesel (B100).
Now many BG readers will protest and state: This is an outrageous suggestion! Farmland should be used to grown crops and as pasture for livestock! The BG agrees! But technology gives humanity the ability to produce bio-diesel on a very large scale without having to use an acre of good farmland!
How?
By genetic modification. It is now possible to combine the DNA of plant species in way that cannot be done in nature. It would be possible to genetically engineer the mangrove tree (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mangrove) to grow in temperate climates as well as equatorial climates and to increase their ability to cope with saline water. The trees could be further modified to produce a crop similar to canola, a type of rapeseed.
To quote the source below: “People have been using rapeseed oil to cook food and illuminate homes for centuries. Today, rapeseed oil is an important form of biodiesel fuel. Perhaps the most important type of rapeseed oil comes from canola, a type of rapeseed. Unlike other strains of rapeseed, canola is low in eurcic acid, which makes it healthier for animals and humans to eat.
Generally, biodiesel made from vegetable oil does not perform well in cold climates. Why is that? Since most vegetable oil is high in saturated fat, ice crystals tend to form in the biodiesel causing a car’s engine to seize. However, since canola oil is low in saturated fat, it is harder for ice to materialize in frigid temperatures.
Also, canola and other types of rapeseed have a higher oil content than other vegetable plants, which means canola and rapeseed can generate more energy when burned. Biodiesel made from rapeseed and canola oils releases less carbon monoxide than diesel fuel. Biodiesel made from rapeseed and canola is very efficient in powering heavy machinery and other vehicles. In general, engines that run on biodiesel are more efficient than gasoline(petrol)-powered engines (https://auto.howstuffworks.com/fuel-efficiency/biofuels/10-biofuel-crops.htm).
Of course, the Greenies would be outraged at this suggestion opposed as they are to “Frankenstein plants”!
This is the problem with the Greenies. Any reasonable solution to assist their cause is opposed!
Were a GM canola producing mangrove tree created that could grow in the Earth’s temperate coastal zones, the UK could grow it’s own biodiesel and help preserve the coastline! This because a huge mangrove forest stretching from Berwick upon Tweed to Margate would help reduce coastal erosion!
Of course making this suggestion will bring even more abuse on my head than before!