With the news that planners have approved designs for the £35m Gloucester Gateway project, which aims to reinvent the motorway pitstop for the carbon-conscious generation, we take a look at other green initiatives launched this year that might appeal to tourists.
1. Place to St Mawes Ferry, Cornwall
Visitors to Cornwall can now make the 10-minute minute ferry journey across the Roseland Peninsula powered by chip fat supplied by St Mawes Hotel. The boat trip from picturesque Place Creek to St Mawes is part of a year-long trial launched this June, aimed at saving money and reducing carbon emissions. Cornwall Ferries' owner Tim Light is considering adding rose petals or sandalwood to scent the biodiesel and make the journey across the Roseland Peninsula as sweet as possible for passengers.
• The ferry runs every 30 minutes seven days a week until October. Adults: single £3.50, return £5.50; child (4-16 yrs): single £2.50, return £4.00; family return: £15; bikes: £1. kingharryscornwall.co.uk/frl/ferries/st_mawes_ferry, +44 (0)1872 863132
2. Hydrogen buses, Canada
The 2010 Winter Olympics in February heralded the introduction of hydrogen fuel cell powered buses in Vancouver and the nearby ski resort of Whistler, ferrying visitors around the city and to events in near silence and leaving zero emissions. Visitors to Vancouver can also get around on electric trolley buses, while in Whistler, there are electric buses which are nearly twice as efficient as existing diesel buses and can travel more than 300 miles before they need recharging - a perfect way to explore the peaks of Whistler, which is also home to the world's biggest mountain bike park.
• bctransit.com or whistlerblackcomb.com
3. Pedibus, London
Offering tours of Shoreditch, Borough Market and Parsons Green – as well as "Pubcrawler Parties" - the Pedibus seats eight cyclists who sit facing each other as if at a dinner table and pedal their way around London, steered by a "driver". Cyclists sip drinks from the onboard bar en route, while the solar powered sound system and night lights create a party atmosphere.
• Tours are £26pp (must be pre-booked) and run Mon-Fri evenings and weekends. pedibus.co.uk, +44 (0)20 011 3590
4. Boom festival, Portugal
Held every two years in Portugal, Boom is an open-air festival that attracts more than 20,000 people from all corners of the world, showcasing everything from music to theatre, cinema to tai chi and even a balloon circus. Acts this year include English duo, System 7 and Mexico's electronica artist Murcof. After using 45,000 litres of waste vegetable oil to power the generators in 2008, Boom is also introducing solar panels and windmills this year, while all festival structures will be made from straw bales, super adobe, bamboo and recycled wood. In addition, a Boom Bus service will run from Lisbon and Madrid airports, encouraging festival goers to travel together by allowing them to access the festival site one day early.
• Boom, Idanha-A-Nova Lake, 18-26 August 2010. Ticket prices start at €180 (£149) including camping (now only available on the gate). boomfestival.org, +35 (0)1 91 3486010
5. Crowne Plaza hotel, Copenhagen
In April, this 366-room hotel in the Danish capital introduced a year-long trial designed to encourage guests to reduce their carbon footprint and get fit in a cycle for your supper programme. Two stationary bicycles in the gym are hooked up to generators with an iPhone attached to the handlebars to monitor how much power is being produced, and guests who generate 10 watt hours of power are rewarded with a meal worth about 240 Danish crowns (£27) in the hotel's restaurant or bar. It is estimated that one guest cycling at 30kmph for an hour will produce around 100 watt hours of electricity, meaning that reaching the threshold for the meal should take only six minutes. Since launching, more than 300 people have successfully pedalled for their dinner, while over 1,000 have attempted to. Info: Rooms start at £95 per night (B&B basis).
• cpcopenhagen.dk/#/dk/home, 0871 423 4896
6. Solon city tour cruise, Berlin
Germany's capital now has a solar-powered passenger ship that can carry up to 60 people along its waterways offering an alternative view of Berlin. The catamaran is named after one of Europe's largest solar manufacturers, which supplied the 24 solar panels that are fitted to its roof, powering passengers for city tours and short cruise trips. Passengers can also enjoy Sunday morning jazz brunches in the summer and the boat can be chartered by the hour. SolarWaterWorld AG, the boat's manufacturer and operator, is also behind the world's first solar charging station for solar-powered boats in the Köpenick district of Berlin.
• solarwaterworld.de, +49 (0)30 81879 9310
7. The Lobster Box restaurant, Canada
Back from touring Europe, a solar-powered portable restaurant in the form of a used shipping container has popped up in Montreal, Canada for the second summer running. Within just 15 minutes, the container converts into a fully operational kitchen, wood-fired pizza oven, covered seating for 28 people and bistro seating 14. Complete with an environmentally friendly floor made from recycled tyres, the pop-up restaurant, called The Lobster Box, also has two solar panels in the roof, enabling the unit to be up to 40% self-sufficient in terms of energy use. Specials include lobster pizza, lobster rolls and clam chowder.
• The Lobster Box, lace du Génie, Old Port of Montréal. Open 11.30am – 9pm all summer, weather permitting. muvboxconcept.com
8. Ferry to the golf club, Hong Kong
The world's first parallel hybrid electric solar ferry service launched in Hong Kong in June, with the lightweight catamaran ferrying up to 100 passengers on the 15-minute journey between the mainland and the Hong Kong Jockey Club's three public golf courses on Kau Sai Chau island. Estimated to cut fuel consumption by 50% compared with the previous ferry, the hybrid catamaran is also expected to reduce costs by HK$2.5m (£200,000) a year. The ferry ticket price is rolled into golfers' green fees, but walkers can also take the trip and enjoy lunch (a set lunch buffet for £10 includes ferry travel).
• Ferry service runs between Sai Kung and Kau Sai Chau on the hour and at 20 minutes and 40 minutes past the hour. Return ticket is £4.90. kscgolf.org.hk
9. Le Kuklos restaurant, Switzerland
Reached by cable car and cog railway, this panoramic restaurant, 2,048 metres up on the summit of La Berneuse in Switzerland, now uses solar energy to revolve, allowing up to 250 diners to drink in the changing views of Lake Geneva, the Rhone Valley and Mont Blanc. Ten solar panels allow the restaurant to complete one 360-degree turn every 1.5 hours, making it the only place where guests can admire both the Eiger and Mont Blanc without leaving their seat. Le Kuklos also plans to install a vertical axis windmill, ultimately making it entirely independent of traditional energy sources.
• teleleysin.ch or leysin.ch, +41 (0)24 494 31 41
10. Eat 'n Park, US
Pennsylvania recently opened its first wind-generated restaurant last month - although the wind turbine isn't quite yet in place due to a missing part. The latest branch of the Eat 'n Park chain, located in the Waterworks Plaza shopping precinct, will feature a 40ft-tall wind turbine that is expected to generate 2,000 kilowatt hours of electricity per year. The diner is housed in a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design-certified building, saving energy and minimising waste.
• Eat n Park, Waterworks Plaza, Freeport Road, Pittsburgh PA, eatnpark.com, +1 (0)412 461 2000
