At 600 to 1, 000 meters above the ground, no matter where you are in the world, there is a strong and steady wind at those heights.

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Another part of the picture is the large number of women now in the global workforce: fully half, driven by better education and aided by the steady wind of social forces.

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Philadelphia (CNN) -- Darryl Williams and Benjamin Kline were shivering before the speech even started, their black umbrella no match for the steady rain and brisk Philadelphia wind.

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Horizon Wind Energy noticed the steady winds blowing of Lake Ontario.

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Max held the rudder steady, and the sail had a constant bellyful of wind, but as the hours passed the city grew smaller.

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The need for a strong, steady breeze means that many of the best sites for wind farms are just the sort of wild and windswept uplands that rural campaigners want to preserve.

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"I played nice and steady and took a few chances on the front nine and then the wind got up, " he said, before giving credit to his temporary local caddie.

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But unlike other forms of renewable energy, such as solar or wind power, it has the further advantage that it is not intermittent, but can provide steady, predictable baseload electricity, all day and all night.

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