The Green Traveller Digest
My digest of green travel in the news
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Some English cities could be given national park status The Guardian reports that Government body Natural England is considering giving some English cities national park status under new proposals in response to the Glover report on protected landscapes.
The Independent to focus on sustainable travel
The Independent has announced that it will be putting sustainability at the forefront of its coverage. The newspaper’s new travel editor, Helen Coffey, describes why it is pledging to do things differently. Readers may also be interested to read the Guardian’s Head of Travel article that he wrote in 2019 about the Guardian's climate pledge.
In case you missed it: In the previous issue of The Green Traveller Digest, we reported that The Times has launched a new ‘Green Travel’ section, saying: "Consumer, industry and media sentiment finally seem aligned on the urgent need to prioritise sustainability... Here at Times Travel, we pledge to keep green travel at the very top of our agenda".
Blue Earth Summit
Inland surf centre The Wave in Bristol is to host the inaugural Blue Earth Summit, 13-14 October, a two-day live event “for thinkers, explorers, and storytellers with a shared mission to make a positive change and act in the interests of the environment”.
E10 petrol
A "more eco-friendly petrol" – the E10 - is being introduced to filling stations in UK, according to the BBC. It reports The Department for Transport (DfT) says “it could cut carbon emissions by 750,000 tonnes a year”. Drivers can check whether their car will run on E10 on DfT’s site: Check if your vehicle can run on E10 petrol.
Slow Travel in North Wales
The Guardian has written about a slow travel break to North Wales organised by the new low carbon specialist travel agent Byway.
Opportunities for women in travel
The FT has written about a gastronomical tour of west London organised by Intrepid Urban Adventures whose new partnership is creating opportunities for women in the travel industry: Postcard from Shepherd’s Bush — a taste of Ethiopia
Venice set to charge tourists for entry
Bloomberg reports on an article in the newspaper Stamp that Venice is set to charge tourists for entry from next summer. According to the newspaper, visitors will have to reserve access in advance.
Electric passenger planes
RNZ reports that electric passenger planes are set to fly in New Zealand within five years.
Only small cuts in flying needed to tackle climate change, says think tank
The Times’ Environment Editor Ben Webster reports on a findings by Tony Blair’s think tank the Blair Institute for Global Change, which says that only small cuts in flying and driving are needed to tackle climate change
Tusk Lion Trail
Life-sized lion sculptures, designed and made by some of the planet’s foremost artists, musicians, and sportspeople, have been installed on the streets of London, Bristol and Edinburgh to highlight the threats currently faced by ‘the King of Beasts’, and to raise funds to support community conservation and livelihoods impacted by Covid-19 across Africa. See: Tusk Lion Trail
Funding provided to decarbonise transport
Smart Transport reports on the news that four projects “aiming to find solutions to decarbonise commercial transport and tackle electric vehicle (EV) range anxiety” have been given a share of £91.7million from Government and industry.
A bus odyssey across the UK
The BBC reports on a bus trip made by a civil servant from Ealing who wanted to see how far he could travel from London in one day using only public bus routes (he got as far as Morecambe). The trip has had a lot of attention on social media with lots of people sharing their own favourite bus journeys – see the Twitter account of @politic_animal
Cycling the Swiss Alps by electric bike
The Guardian has published an article by Alf Alderson about what it’s like cycling the Haute Route - a week-long, 250 kilometre from Chamonix to Zermatt on an electric bike.
Taking bikes on trains in Scotland
Scotrail has announced it is working with Transport Scotland “to bring the UK’s first active travel carriages to Scotland’s west coast”. The carriages are being specially designed to take bikes, skies and other sporting gear. Read more about Class 153.
Hydrogen buses in Liverpool
Smart Cities World reports that the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority has placed an order for 20 zero-emission hydrogen double-decked buses.
Seaside heritage sites given listed status
Six heritage sites in England have been Grade II listed status by Historic England. The sites are Blackpool’s seafront promenade shelters as well as the city’s Middle and Lower
Walk Colonnades, a boathouse in Devon, Hythe Pier in Hampshire, Skegness town Hall, the Crow Stone in Leigh-on-Sea, Southend.
Utrecht – the cycling city
The Times reports on how the Dutch city of Utrecht “became the world’s best city for cycling” thanks to urban planners combining “flat streets with creative thinking”.
