A couple of days ago I was lucky enough to be one of several hundred green activists, academics and hangers on (that’ll be me then) who caught the first Eurostar train out of the new gleaming and incredibly beautiful St Pancras station.
Not only was it the first train to depart from north London as opposed to Waterloo, it also marks a new era for Eurostar in that the company claims the train was the first ever to be carbon neutral. So what does this mean in practice?
When most companies claims to be carbon-neutral there isn't really a huge amount the likes of you and I can do to check up on them. It is slightly different for Eurostar in that while much of their claim has to be taken on trust, there are a few things passengers can do to check the green creds for themselves.
Firstly the trip was really little more than a PR stunt. Eurostar has been trying to green its service for many months now. What happened on Wednesday was that it used the high profile launch of its new service to underline its current green credentials and suggest where it is going in the future.
Bikes are faster than cars if you commute in cities -- it's official, and proven to us by none other than Mr. Gas-Guzzler himself, Jeremy Clarkson. But we didn't need him to tell us that.
So what could be faster (and greener) than a bike that does half the work for you? The new Powabyke commuter bike with lithium batter is the first in a series of electric bikes we put to the test.
Today is a big day for green travel: Eurostar's first ever fully carbon-neutral journey across the to Paris has just left St Pancras station in London, and Ashley Norris is blogging the trip for us, live from the train. Read on to find out what's happening...
"The brand new station concourse is filling up, the punters are jostling towards the platform and the first Eurostar train to Paris is set to rocket out of St Pancras station in about twenty minutes time. Yet on board isn’t the usual mixture of local dignitaries, politicians in search of a photo opp and railway enthusiasts. Many of the, ahem, VIP crew for the first journey are green activists, campaigners and of course bloggers (which is where I sneaked in) here to judge for themselves the environmental credentials of Eurostar's new cross channel carbon-neutral service.
It has widely accepted for some time now that the journey between London and Paris by train produces a tenth of the carbon dioxide as one using a plane (11kg as opposed to 122 by plane). But Eurostar claims that thanks to some core changes in its service passengers can enjoy a completely carbon neutral trip."
As Eurostar moves its HQ from Waterloo to St. Pancras, and shaves off 20 minutes' journey time to the continent, another milestone is being somewhat overlooked: it's about to complete its first ever carbon neutral journey.
The greenest Eurostar trip yet will leave London for Paris on at 11.03 on Wednesday November 14th. All journey on Eurostar from then on will be carbon neutral, at no extra cost to passengers.
Stagecoach has decided to power its Scottish buses and coaches with chip fat - hot on the heels of McDonalds doing exactly the same thing with its delivery vehicles. It sounds like a strange choice for a fuel, but used chip fat makes a good biofuel because it doesn't present the same problems regarding destruction of natural habitats or interference with the food chain which other biofuels do.
I have to admit to the fact that Stagecoach, like McDonalds, is not one of my favourite companies - if you remember the scandal involving Brian Souter donating £1m to the Scottish Schools Boards Association in order to campaign to keep Section 28 in place, you'll know why. However, while I have reservations about Stagecoach as a company after Souter's actions, I have to admit that this latest initiative is a good idea.
This bike looks pretty ordinary to me, but don't be fooled; it's the latest designer fashion accessory from Chanel.
The 'ergonomically designed' 8-speed bicycle, which incorporates the label's signature quilting and 'double-c' logo has been created as part of Chanel's spring/summer 2008 collection. It's sure to appeal to the ultra-chic 'green is the new black' set, who'll be trading in their Vogue Land Rovers for the brand new it-bikes next spring (here's hoping).
The Chanel bike hits the boutiques in time for Christmas, and will cost around £6,200.
There's nothing I'd like better than a spot of cycling right now (though possibly not in this morning's drizzle), but unfortunately my shiny new electric bike *still* hasn't arrived from Urban Mover. I ordered it in the summer time, but it's still not here, and it's probably safe to say that the summer is now well and truly over. Personal bike gripes aside, those of you lucky enough to own a bike will probably be turning your thoughts to the imminent clock change on the 28th October.
ECOutlet has done a nice post on its company blog to advertise its range of eco-friendly bike lighting. First up, their new Micro Bike Lights have been designed by the supreme Trevor "wind-up" Bayliss. One minute of winding provides 90 minutes of illumination, which should be more than enough to get you home and back. .
A couple of days ago I was lucky enough to be one of several hundred green activists, academics and hangers on (that’ll be me then) who caught the first Eurostar train out of the new gleaming and incredibly beautiful St Pancras station.
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As Eurostar moves its HQ from Waterloo to St. Pancras, and shaves off 20 minutes' journey time to the continent, another milestone is being somewhat overlooked: it's about to complete its first ever carbon neutral journey.
Stagecoach has decided to power its Scottish buses and coaches with chip fat - hot on the heels of McDonalds doing exactly the same thing with its delivery vehicles. It sounds like a strange choice for a fuel, but used chip fat makes a good biofuel because it doesn't present the same problems regarding destruction of natural habitats or interference with the food chain which other biofuels do. 
