London had several innovations in energy conservation that were new to me. They had a wonderful bike rental/borrowing system sponsored by Barclays Bank. There are bike docking stations all over certain areas of the city, and once you have registered you can just take a bike from one station (authorized bike rack) and return it to another. The first thirty minutes are free, so if you just need quick transport, grab a bike. Prices after that are extremely reasonable. "Barclays Bike Hire" has just celebrated its first anniversary and there are great plans for expansion with generous subsidies by Barclays. Such innovation.
Solar boats are available to rent in Hyde Park if you want to ride around the Serpentine. The solar shuttle runs every half hour and costs five pounds per adult. Twenty seven glass modules collect solar energy which is stored in panels and power silent electric engines. And this is in England which isn't known for abundant sunshine.
Our most personal experience with the greening of Europe started in the hotel near Gatwick where we stayed after missing our flight to Spain. You cannot use the electricity in the hotel room unless you insert the room key into a slot by the door. When you go out you remove your card and all the power goes off. When you return, you turn it back on again. We wanted to charge things while we were out so we asked for a second key. They gave it to us reluctantly. It was the same situation in the Spanish hotels. I've never see that in the United States, but I wouldn't be surprised if we do soon.
No comments:
Post a Comment