Pedal the New Zealand monorail

Reuters video (that does not allow embedding anymore by the way) reports on a new bicycling monorail in New Zealand.

The Schweeb utilizes a special clear pod that users pedal to get around on the set monorail track in Rotorua, New Zealand.

Right now it's in development but the creators hope to incorporate their technology in cities as a clean transport system.

Watch the video: A monorail that gets you pedaling

NZ underwear lizard smuggler sentenced

Treehugger reports on the sentencing of the man who was caught smuggling lizards in his underwear on a flight from New Zealand a few weeks ago.

The German man Hans Kurt Kubus had special compartments sewn in his underwear to conceal the 44 endangered lizards; which were believed to be sold on the black market in Europe.

Kubus plead guilty to two charges of violating the Wildlife Act and five under the Trade in Endangered Species Act. [He] will serve three and half months in prison, have to pay a $6,400 fine, and be deported back to his home country upon his release.

Read the full story: Man caught smuggling lizards in underwear is sentenced

Photo from Treehugger

Camp at gorgeous global sites

Treehugger reports on 10 beautiful camping sites around the world.

Among the sites listed are New Zealand's Abel Tasman National Park (picture right), Colombia's Parque Nacional Natural Tayrona, and Croatia's Glavotok Camp.

Read the full story: 10 breathtaking waterfront campgrounds

Photo by Jennifer Hattam

Exploring New Zealand by camper van

The Los Angeles Times reports on writer Mary Engel's and her husband Nolan Hester's 19-day a camper van trip through New Zealand's South Island.

Since they'd explored much of the world by trusty VW pop-up wagons, they wound up with an orange rental for their trip.

My husband, Nolan, and I had pulled in next to a train station to make coffee in our rented Volkswagen Vanagon camper when a wiry, red-haired man ambled over and knocked on our sliding door. It was our first morning in New Zealand, and we assumed he was going to tell us we couldn't park there.

Hands in the pockets of his fleece jacket, he smiled apologetically at interrupting our breakfast, and leaned in.

"What year is it?" he asked, meaning our bright orange van (a 1982). We'd hired it the day before in Christchurch from Classic Campers, which we'd found on the Web as renting "stylish retro campervans."

It was then that we noticed an almost identical orange Vanagon across the parking lot.

Read the full story: Rolling and roaming in New Zealand

Air New Zealand tests biofuels

Happy New Year and welcome back from Ecotravel News. We hope the holidays were a nice relaxing and refreshing time for everyone and we now can start 2009 anew.

As you can see Ecotravel News has a new look and hope you like it.

The holidays are always a great time for travel and that makes Ecotravel News happy about new innovations and greener ways to get around and see the world.

For the first post of 2009, Reuters is following up on the Air New Zealand story we ran last month about using biofuels in their flights. Watch their video report below:

Kiwi airline unveiling green inside

Environmental News Network reports on the biofuel test by Air New Zealand next month.

On December 3, the Kiwi airline will test a 50/50 mixture of regular jet fuel and biofuel made from the jatropha plant.

"Air New Zealand told Reuters in June it hoped to use one million barrels of biofuel a year, about 10 percent of its fuel consumption, in its jet fleet by 2013."

Read the full story: Air New Zealand to test biofuel next month

Books on the endangered environment

Traveling is bad for the environment no matter how "eco" the traveler is.

And to drill in that point The Washington Post reports on four books that will "make you think about where you're going."

The titles of the books say exactly what you will encounter:

1) Disappearing Destinations: 37 Places in Peril and What Can Be Done to Help Save Them

2) Disappearing World: 101 of the Earth's Most Extraordinary and Endangered Places

3) The Quest for Kaitiakitanga: The Ancient Maori Secret From New Zealand That Could Save the Earth

4) Across the Tibetan Plateau: Ecosystems, Wildlife, and Conservation

It seems like all the books' authors have actually traveled to the places they have written about. But nothing about if they used environmentally-sound traveling policies. The one thing that always bothers me is when pro-environmentalists go all over the world to show how bad the environment is but travel in planes or other greenhouse gas producing transportation, hence worsening the problems with global warming.

It seems to me a little hypocritical.

Read the full story: Traveling to the edge of extinction

Air New Zealand now offers carbon offsets

Yahoo! 7 News Australia reports that Air New Zealand now offers travelers the option of purchasing carbon offsets to counter their flight. Air NZ joins Australian airlines Qantas and Virgin Blue who already have offset programs. For example, flying from Los Angeles to Auckland, the distance of around 6500 miles, will cost about $70 (NZ$88).

Read the full story: Carbon offsets from Air NZ