Category Archives: Green travel

Boy died in bus collision after friend unlocked e-scooter, inquest told

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Family calls for more restrictions on underage access to electric scooters after Mustafa Nadeem was killed last December

A 12-year-old boy was killed while riding a hired Voi e-scooter unlocked by a 14-year-old friend using their father’s account, an inquest has heard, as his family called for stricter measures to prevent children using loopholes to access them.

Mustafa Nadeem suffered fatal injuries when he rode an e-scooter along the pavement and accidentally collided with a pedestrian causing him to fall on the road into the path of a bus in Birmingham on 6 December last year.

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I took a trip to Scotland’s ‘secret coast’ – and found a quiet haven roaring back to life

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The scenic Cowal peninsula west of Glasgow is once again attracting holidaymakers with its mix of unspoiled nature, community ventures and cool places to stay

The remote Cowal peninsula, extending into the Firth of Clyde, is not the sort of place you’d expect to find artisan coffee roasters, outdoor infinity pools and modern outdoor sculpture. Take it from me: my mum was born here, in the faded Victorian resort of Dunoon. Outside shinty circles – those familiar with the local hockey-like game - “the secret coast” is little known, even in Scotland.

But a spotlight shone briefly on the village of Tighnabruaich last November, when artist David Blair’s vaulting 20-metre-long, six-metre-high Ark of Argyll – designed to raise awareness of the climate emergency – was visited by delegates to COP26. I’d heard about other new ventures breathing life into Cowal, so turned away from the Scotland of queueing campervans on Loch Lomond and went to investigate, with my 10-year-old daughter in tow.

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10 of the best eco-friendly places to stay in Europe

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These sustainable stays offer the chance to share mountain views with bears, sleep easy in a low-carbon hotel and wellness experiences

The Holenberg forest is the gateway to the Maashorst nature reserve, a rewilding pioneer in North Brabant, home to roaming bison and Tauros – a project to revive the aurochs, an ancient European ox. Tucked away in the forest, among a rusty palette of trees, heather and wetlands, sits off-grid and self-sufficient Cabin Anna. From the linen to the recycled waste-product tableware, the emphasis is on reducing your environmental impact. The cabin sleeps two and has a vast glass atrium for enjoying the natural surroundings in all weathers, and a sunken bathtub. There are safaris, cycling and hikes on the doorstep.
From £154, holenberg.com

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What is bivvying? How to have a night of adventure – without a tent

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Armed with long experience, our writer gives the lowdown on getting there, the best equipment and picking your spot for a great night in the wild

When I bivvy I’m not in search of sleep. I know I’ll wake up frequently, feeling restricted by my sleeping bag. Bivvying is camping at its simplest: sleeping outside without a tent and minimal gear.

It isn’t about a comfortable night’s rest. It’s about squeezing an adventure into a humdrum week; it’s about being in nature, hearing hedgehogs snuffling and waking to the dawn chorus. It’s a short, sharp dose of escapism that has become even more restorative in the past 15 months. And, while I’ve bivvyed on Dartmoor, on Scotland’s west coast and in places in-between, most of the time I’ve been within 10 miles of my home in Bournemouth.

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How an emerging African megacity cut commutes by two hours a day

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The next 15 megacities #2: Could Dar es Salaam’s experiment with Africa’s first ‘gold standard’ bus rapid transit system offer an alternative to a future dependent on private cars?

The next 15 megacities #1: Baghdad at 10 million

Dusk falls in Dar es Salaam, and for hundreds of thousands of people in this African megacity-to-be the daily chaos and frustration of the journey home begins.

People cram themselves into dalla dalla minibuses, some even climbing through the windows once the entrance is blocked. Others hang out of the doors, but the Kilwa Road heading south towards Mbagala slum is jammed and these diesel-belchers are going nowhere fast.

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