Portland, Oregon, USA

Who would have thought the second biggest polluter worldwide could hide an eco-conscious gem like this? Portland is regarded as the most eco-friendly city in the US and one of the ‘greenest’ worldwide, because of it use of renewable energy, efficient transport systems and recycling.

Cape Town, South Africa

This one’s well on it way to becoming one of the world’s ‘green’ cities of the future. The city has adopted a plan to reduce it’s carbon footprint by ensuring 10% of it’s energy use is renewable and 10% of homes are solar powered by 2020.

Costa Rica

This Central American country was named the No.5 ‘greenest’ country in the world. And, surprise surprise, it was voted the happiest for 2009 by the Happy Planet Index. Costa Rica plans to be the world first completely ‘green’ country by 2030 through fossil fuel reduction, hybrid vehicle use and increased tree planting initiatives.

Vancouver, Canada

With about 90% of the city’s energy coming from renewable energy sources, Vancouver is as close to ‘green’ as you can get. Canada’s third largest city uses hydroelectric power, but plans to further reduce it’s carbon footprint by adopting solar, wind and tidal energy. It also continuously ranks as one of the best cities in the world to live in – could there be a connection?

For more info on eco-destinations check out www.treehugger.com

Surprisingly the project, The Berg, has won a fair amount of support from the German public. The artificial mountain is aiming to become the city’s largest tourist attraction, though we suspect the team behind The Berg will have to literally move mountains to make this ambitious plan a reality.

Aside from tourism, the aim of the ‘mountain’, which still remains firmly in the pipeline, is to create a habitat for wildlife such as deer and fox. If The Berg is erected, it will be a platform for natural snow cover during winter and provide a place for winter sports in the city.

In fairness to Germany, it’s not the first country to manufacture ‘natural’ attractions – Dubai does it with artificial beaches, the UK with lakes. At least you can be sure that Germany’s offering will run like clockwork!

Since 9/11, the queues ahead of passport control and the security scanner have been long at best, disruptively unwieldy at worst. It’s no surprise given the number of hoops travellers are asked to jump through – and there’s no hoop more time consuming for punters, and staff, than the 100ml liquids allowance.   

Regulating the volume ofwater, make up and toiletries travellers want to take on board is incredibly costly for airports, as well as passengers who are often forced to dump aerosols, drinks, creams and gels in a bid to satisfy the rules. While the wheels of change are in motion, passengers have been warned to expect the lengthy queues to continue until 2013.

If a draft proposal from the European Commission gets rubb

er stamped, airports who can afford expensive liquid bomb security scanners will be allowed to relax their regulations, while smaller airports will have to maintain the 100ml rule. It could make flight transfers tricky to say the least. On the bright side, the plan does say that all airports should be able to screen suspect liquids by April 2013.  Only three and a bit years to go, then!

Koenigsegg Group AB has now announced it has found just that in Chinese automaker Beijing Automotive Industry Holdings.

The deal has yet to be finalized and no monetary amount has been given, but Koenigsegg did say that Beijing Auto will be a minority non-controlling shareholder.

In return Saab will not only get much-needed funding but also access to the massive Chinese marketplace.

“This is an important step on the road to a new SAAB Automobile. We have a solid business plan, an important partnership and we are now in a position to go ahead without any governmental financing,” said Christian von Koenigsegg, CEO of Koenigsegg Group AB.

Official release after the jump:

Koenigsegg Group AB signs MOU with Beijing Automotive Industry Holdings Co. Ltd (BAIC) regarding SAAB Automobile AB

Koenigsegg Group AB has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Beijing Automotive Industry Holdings Co. Ltd. (”BAIC”) to explore growth opportunities in the Chinese and international markets for the products of SAAB Automobile and BAIC.
Under the terms of the MOU, BAIC would become a non-controlling minority shareholder in Koenigsegg Group. Koenigsegg Group will own 100 per cent of SAAB Automobile AB. The intention is to conclude an agreement later this year. Due to confidentiality agreements signed, further facts cannot be discussed at this time. The Swedish Government has been fully briefed on the MOU.

“This is an important step on the road to a new SAAB Automobile. We have a solid business plan, an important partnership and we are now in a position to go ahead without any governmental financing,” said Christian von Koenigsegg, CEO of Koenigsegg Group AB.

Koenigsegg Group now focuses on the ongoing discussions with the Swedish National Debt Office about the government guarantee for the loan with the EIB that SAAB Automobile has applied for.

With regard to cargo, which has been severely impacted by the steep decline in world trade, a restructuring plan is underway, including a much more significant reduction in capacity (of some 15%), also aimed at improving the load factor.

To adapt to these lower activity levels, the company has communicated to the CCE its intention to implement a voluntary redundancy plan, in line with the majority agreement signed in July 2009. The timetable and terms of the plan, which could involve around 1,500 jobs, will be the subject of discussions as early as next week, with a view to presenting a project voluntary redundancy plan to the CCE on October 21st.

Listen up, San Francisco area rental car companies: the Rental Car Rally starts June 12 at 9 pm at an undisclosed location in your City by the Bay. The rally, in the spirit of Cannonball Run and Gumball Rally, ends in Yuma, Ariz. the next day.

Are you scanning your reservations as we speak to see if any of your renters might be involved? Or have you been contacted by the organizers? According to the Web site, they’re negotiating discounts with car rental companies. They better do this quick; the race starts in three days. But would any rental car company want to give a discount to someone guaranteed to put 1,300 miles on your rental unit, or pick up a one-way rental in Yuma?

On the face of it, you shouldn’t have anything to worry about–there is no prize for getting there first and drivers must obey all traffic rules.

But what may give rental car operators heartburn, in addition to the heavy mileage, are the ways to garner points. Team Style includes the vehicle, so your rental unit may be in store for a “costume.” And the Freelance category looks a bit dodgier: “Whether jumping a canyon or robbing a bank, spectacular feats of daring-do will earn your team up to 10pts.”

Be sure to check your car’s alignment and suspension upon return.

I’m not condoning profiling, but if having a gang of hipsters using your rental on a quest for weekend adventure is not part of your business plan, then you might consider working these questions into your reservations script:

- Do you watch Robot Chicken and Family Guy religiously?

- Do you call friends “brah” and “dude?”

- How many times have you seen “Slacker,” and can you repeat three classic lines from “Garden State?”

- Do you pick up info on where to eat/what to buy from hip Web portals like Thrillist?

- How long do you sit at Starbucks with your laptop and newspaper?

- Do you think it’s cool to be all retro and read an actual newspaper?

- Would you describe yourself opinionated, regardless of actual knowledge?

- Had you considered a career in “something creative” but are settling into white collar cubicle life, begrudgingly?

- Did you play Dungeons and Dragons, but gave it up when you started liking girls?

- Did you voted for Obama, but secretly flirted with Ron Paul?

- Do you constantly update Facebook from your iPhone?

- Do you go by your middle name of Dashielle, Wood or Kingston because it’s more distinctive?

- Would you consider yourself “thrift store trendy,” but at least know that Ed Hardy is no longer cool?

- If you smoke, do you smoke American Spirit cigarettes?

- Would you consider John Cusack a hero?

This is an impartial list, but I realize you only have so much time on the phone. Rental car operators: let me know how this works. And if it doesn’t, I hope your car comes back in one piece and you’re not self insured.