It seems like the utopia we envisioned for the 21st century was nothing more than pure fiction. With the levels of pollution rising and the ozone layer weakening more and more every day, it is a wonder if we will even make it to the next century. But there is still some hope. Throughout the world, there are cities who are doing their very best to become eco-friendly and fight off pollution.
The city of Zermatt is located on the edge of Matterhorn Mountain in Switzerland. It has resisted any and all attempts to become a major metropolitan city despite its popularity with tourists. You will not find an abundance of cars driving around here. Well you might see a few electric vehicles and plenty of bikes. The carbon footprint produced by Zermatt is virtually non-existent.
Similar to Zermatt is Freiburg in Germany. They have also adopted a car-free lifestyle. So if you want to enjoy the green hills that surround the city as well as the beautiful scenery you’ll have to do it on foot or while riding a bike.
The city of Oslo is one of the cleanest in Norway. It has replaced all of its energy producing facilities with renewable energy sources. We are not just talking about the things that power the city but also the vehicles like public transportation which now run only on biofuels instead of fossil fuels. They have also adopted a great recycling program and waste disposal system which is why Oslo is considered one of the cleanest cities in the world.
If you happen to visit Denmark, then visit Copenhagen. If the scenery and majestic castles don’t convince you to come again then perhaps the high environmental standards of living will. In order to fight off climate changes, nearly half of the residents use bikes to get to school or work. It is expected that this numbers will increase in the next few years.
If you are looking for a city that was made for bike riding then go down under mate to Adelaide, Australia. The city is so eco-green that it allows people to rent bikes for free. Plus it has over 29 parks that you can explore as you go on your little bike trek or hike. If you are not into bikes you can always use Tindo, a solar-powered bus that complete with A/C and internet service for its passengers. Aside from using solar power as a means of sustainable energy, the city is highly invested in recycling. It has even developed a program that allows for over 85 percent of the trash to be recycled.
Vancouver, Canada has implemented an ambitious plan to put an end to anything that leaves a carbon footprint in the city by 2020. To that end it has implemented bike paths that give the locals access to more parts of the city. This way people won’t feel the need to use their cars or public transportation as often.
These amazing cities are a beacon of hope for humanity’s future. Hopefully, their shining example will be contagious so that their eco-friendly philosophy spreads to every city on the planet. Then Earth can be the marvelous wonder we want it to be.