As parks and public outdoor spaces are getting ever scarcer in urban areas, with town centres, cars and houses overtaking the world, leaving little room for nature, a French trick to create a green space in the sky is starting to catch on.

The promenade plantee is an elevated green space which meanders along the route of an old viaduct and peers down at the road 10 metres below. The innovative park is built along the path which is nearly three miles long and culminates in a series of shops built in the arches of the viaduct. Both pedestrians and cyclists share the space, with some parts of the greenway enclosed whilst others have been opened out for the full impact of the space to be appreciated by those with a head for heights.

The High Line is the second park of its kind – a nearly complete project located in Manhattan. Two thirds complete, it has been replanted as an aerial greenway along a former railroad which ran above the city. The work started on the High Line in 2009 and the second section was formally opened in June 2011. The track provides views over the River Hudson and whilst the track has been artificially replanted, a lot of effort has gone into leaving a less cultivated and natural feel to the area.

Mexico City is the latest place to hop onto the bandwagon with plans to bring a breath of fresh air to the city centre by the creation of its own elevated urban parkway.

The intention for the latest high rise green space is to create a link between the city’s biggest existing green area – the Chapultepec Forest – and the metro station. However, unlike the previous skyline parks, Mexico City is not utilizing a disused structure – it is planning on building a new high-rise pathway deliberately designed to act as an ‘arm’ of the forest.

The project has been designed to act as a beautiful garden path, stretching across two major traffic hotspots, but allowing tourists and residents who want to go to the forest for a picnic to be able to enjoy the walk rather than having to battle across busy roads to get there.

With the High Line proving a big hit with tourists and residents alike and other American cities such as Philadelphia, Chicago and St Louis also possibly developing their own high rise green spaces, a trip to the park in the future could involve climbing high…

Most people enjoy a tipple or two when away on their holidays…there is nothing quite like sipping a refreshing cocktail as the sun sets on the horizon after another balmy day in the tropics.

However, the production of alcohol can leave a nasty taste in your mouth as the gases and side-products can be very detrimental for the environment.

Thankfully, there are a number of alcohol manufacturers who are opting to make their drinks using eco-friendly techniques, some of which benefit other local firms in the area.

One of these suppliers is Don Q in Puerto Rico who specialise in the production of eco-friendly rum, allowing tourists to enjoy a mojito cocktail which is green not just in the colour of the drink.

Alcohol production inevitably produces waste C02 gases which normally drift into the atmosphere but Don Q has come up with a solution which is not only thrifty but helps the environment. The distillery collects all the gases formed as a byproduct and sells them cheaply to local firms to add the fizz to their soft drinks.

The solids produced from the distillery process are also recycled into fertilizer, whilst the waste water ends up in a variety of guises. Some of the product is turned into biogas and the steam surplus from this process which is not re-used by the distillery is routed to provide electricity.

The recycling of all components of the process mean that no waste products are discharged into the Caribbean Sea, helping to protect the fragile ecosystems and keep the water clean.

Don Q is not the only alcoholic firm aiming to help the eco-conscious enjoy a bevy without worrying about the effect that their drink may have had on the environment.

One firm taking it a step further is Organic Vodka, which as well as adopting eco-friendly manufacturing processes, has said that it will plant a tree for every bottle purchased. They have also extended their green practices to every aspect of their packaging, only using soy-based ink on corn fibre labels and 25% less glass in their bottles – without compromising on the size. The firm has also pioneered a unique way to fold their boxes which does away with the need for packing tape.

Other innovations in the guilt-free alcohol market include vegetable vodkas and organically certified tequila.

So next time you are fancy a tipple or two – feel free to indulge with a clear conscience – but unfortunately eco-friendly booze still produces the same distinctly unfriendly effects the morning after…

Despite sounding more like an alien invasion than an eco-friendly retreat, earthships are a concept that are growing in popularity for the environmentally-aware traveler that wants to enjoy creature comforts without leaving a hefty carbon stamp.

Many holiday homes and hotels are billed as eco-friendly and whilst that may be true, there are very few that will be as kind to the environment as an earthship.

By definition, an earthship must be constructed 100 per cent from sustainable materials and be self-sufficient in all ways, including heating, cooling, power and waste.

A holiday in an earthship is a radical experience and not for the faint-hearted. Electricity is gathered from the sun and the wind, whilst water is collected from snow and rain. Heating and coolants are sourced from either the sun or the earth, whilst food is grown both indoors and out.

The construction of earthships can be very inventive and whilst more conventional products such as rock, glass and wood are often utilised, less traditional building materials are often incorporated into the design, such as recycled car tyres which, when filled, form a solid and practically indestructible wall. Aluminium cans and bottles can also be used for internal designs as mini bricks, with the bottles allowing some light to filter through, providing a contemporary stained glass window effect.

Despite the determinedly green approach to the accommodation, earthships are comfortable abodes and provide all the luxuries that make a holiday memorable.

Earthships are springing up all over the planet, with some as far flung as New Mexico and even one lying on the south coast of England, in Brighton. For those hoping for slightly warmer climes but not too far, France has a fully operational earthship tucked away in a sleepy corner of Normandy.

A holiday in an earthship will mean discarding all polluting and toxic cosmetics and chemicals for the duration of your stay, but this doesn’t mean having to do without, as there are eco-friendly alternatives for all holidaymakers’ needs.

The earthship in the French village has a quiet and sleepy location, but in an example of how the modern world meets environmentally-balanced living, guests are also able to enjoy high-speed broadband access.

Earthships’ external appearances vary significantly, with some looking like overgrown greenhouses and others far more funky looking. Earthships are fully functional all year round and as well as being able to enjoy a green getaway in any season, whole communities have sprung up consisting entirely of the eco-friendly housing.

With the strikes that have threatened air travel this year, combined with the fact that many families are watching their budget, train travel has risen in popularity, replacing flying and rental cars in many holidays abroad. However, visitors to a Dutch railway station may be somewhat bemused to find an adult-sized slide next to the stairs.

Overvecht railway station lies on the Utrecht-Kampen line and has recently undergone a complete revamp. However, the designers thought they would add a somewhat unusual option for travellers in a rush – a slide to reach the tracks faster.

Officially called a ‘transfer accelerator’ it is far more eco-friendly than an energy-guzzling escalator and some would say far more fun. In the evening visitors are treated to classical music being played – making it a rather esoteric experience.

The designers have said they intend it to be used by adults and say that it gives people a more playful way to get to their platform, as well as offering a less risky way to make a dash for the tracks than hurtling down the steep stairwell.

The commuter slide is not the only project which has been unleashed as a way of lifting the local community.

On a slightly less dramatic scale, innovative artist and urban designer Candy Chang has left a supply of coloured chalks for Finnish folk – and tourists – to scribble on the street to contribute to a shared project. Every person is invited to complete two boxes, the first one being ‘When I was little I wanted to be…’ and the second box asking ‘Today I want to be…’, with the boxes in Swedish and English as well as Finnish. The project is designed to get all passers-by to reflect on their life as well as find out about other people’s journey.

The same firm that created the slide in the Dutch railway station have also created several other quirky and fun outdoor projects, including a fully-functioning public kitchen complete with seats, sink and cooking facilities. With the kitchen embedded into a wild green area it is overgrown with grass and herbs for users to help themselves to. Other popular projects include an old car squeezed full of astro-turf and labelled ‘Rent-a-Park’ and environmentally friendly street lighting to improve personal safety which features lines of poetry.

Across Europe there are many cheeky little additions popping up in urban areas to enrich the lives of locals as well as tourists many in the most unlikely of areas.

There can be nothing sweeter than the feeling of getting away on holiday, but very soon the experience of flying overseas could get a whole lot sweeter.

With air travel seen as the environmental bad guy, firms are working to find a more sustainable and environmentally friendly way of powering their planes.

One of the newest innovations which is about to go into production is the sugarcane fuel.

Two airline firms, Boeing and Embraer have embarked on a joint venture with ICONE, a think tank, and a number of other organisations including WWF, Amyris – the fuel manufacturer – as well as the InterAmerican Development Bank.

Sugarcane has already been proven to be a viable alternative to traditional jet fuel, but with far lower carbon emissions, but the study is needed to establish how it would be possible to commercially fuel jet planes without raping the landscapes or ripping apart eco-systems as demand swells.

However, whilst sugarcane is an alternative source of potential eco-friendly fuel which is the most advanced in its research, it is by far the only option being considered to help clean up the skies.

Engines measures in horsepower could soon be a thing of the past, with cow or camel-power soon to take over in engines.

Scientists have discovered that a group of animals, known as the ruminates, which include cows, camels, deer, bison and moose amongst others may hold the key to producing a clean, eco-fuel. Ruminates have a special way of digesting their food which involves regurgitation and re-absorption. This means that trees and plants which the animals have eaten must be broken down by the enzymes in the ruminates’ stomachs in order to extract the energy and nutrients.

To date, scientists have been unable to harness the hidden power in plants but believe that by cloning the enzymes that ruminates use, they will be able to break down the plant life to use the fuel held in its cells.

The news about the advance in a cleaner type of fuel coincides with this year’s Eco Rally. Held for five years running in the UK, the rally showcases cars which are not as damaging to the environment and as well as providing information on cars already in production which run on electricity or are particularly green, the event also provides those with a proto-type the opportunity to show off their invention. Some of the green cars on display used a range of alternative, sustainable fuels which included wine and cheese.

And who said alcohol and cars were not a good combination…