Amongst the 26 countries the Solartaxi has travelled through so far, China is certainly one of the most impressive. As we reached Beijing, we felt sad that this adventure is almost over. However, Beijing, a city boiling hot to be ready for the olympic feast in a couple of weeks still had some magic to discover. We had a look at the sights of this year main event, and we tried to find out why Beijing wants to be the host of the first "Green Olympics", and how it wants to achieve it.And it came to the point where we would find out if three weeks of organisation would be enough to put the Solartaxi on top of the Great Wall...

Hiya folks, thanks for your great interest in the Solartaxi tour! Since I’ve got so many questions from you pioneers, I’ve decided to answer some of them in a special blog! Here you go:
pioneersushi: How did people in China respond to the Solartaxi? Any difference compared to other countries?China was great, officials treated us like heroes, and the people in the streets waved at us, thumbs up, smiling. While the latter is the same in every country, the welcome by official people varies from country to country. The lowest point was certainly Australia, where nobody really cared about the little Solartaxi. We were, on the other hand, warmly welcomed by locals on the way.Team member Jenny and me in... well, guess!
stephi: In the Uncut Series you told us that you’ve started learning Chinese… I had loads of fun learning the Chinese language. I learned some of the basic signs, and the 4 different tones of voice. I was, however, not really successful in those 4 weeks. I once went into a shop to buy some milk. I knew the words, but at the shop, they simply wouldn't understand me (must have been my Cantonese accent). So I asked for pen and paper and started drawing a cow. The girls in the shop cried out, ran away, and came back with a red bull...
Nicolai: I admire Louis for what he’s doing – he’s a real adventure guy! What kind of person is he?Well first of all he Swiss, if you know what that means. Secondly he decided to spend 18 months sitting in a small box, cruising on all the roads of this worlds, the good ones, the bad ones, and the really bad ones. So in the end you have to come to the conclusion that he is totally nuts. I really like him.
Diego: You’ve traveled so many countries with the Solartaxi – where do you get the best food? And where did you meet the best chicks? ;)Food is great around the world, it just a matter of who's preparing it... in India for example, I had some of the best food of my life, but also the worst (oh yes). China was certainly an adventure, but also an entirely positive surprise. We had divine meals over there, maybe sometimes a bit too much. Try the fresh noodles when you are there. and the duck's tongues.About meeting "chicks": Who we met when is our thing, but it's not a secret that you will find beautiful people all around the globe. The most fashionable girls however where, once again, in China. More details only in private conversations.

Crashing into the wall in Perth: 20 000 kilometers are done!
Green style: Did you ever have a traffic accident with the Solartaxi?I didn't, but Louis had two accidents, one in Syria, and one in India. Luckily, the Solartaxi was relatively unharmed, but as you can imagine, having an accident in a country far away where you don' t speak the language is never funny. I knock on wood that it won't happen again.
anbladey: Your videos are simply great!!! Isn’t it hard to produce them on the way?? How do you cut all this stuff?Well, it can be quite exhausting. Editing takes a long time, and filming somehow never ends. We have very few breaks, and often the breaks are more interesting to film that the driving around, so I never really switch off. The editing takes place at night in the hotel room, and sometimes while driving. In the end, it's exciting, and I learn a lot.Any questions left? Ask Erik and get answers!

As we travelled further through China, the surprises didn t stop. We talked to Sven Tetzlaff, an expert on the field of renewable energies in China, and with Li Junfeng, who is something similar to a minister of renewable energies in China.

China - what is China? What can we expect from a country that is said to build a new coalplant each week? Our first impressions of the country are suprising. We are welcomed by a country that is working on solutions to global warming, and that realises that it has to happen quickly. The solartaxi is fully acknowledged as one of the solutions, and was greatly welcomed.

Over bumpy roads, the Solartaxi has arrived in China. Another part of the world and another adventure to go on. Of course you’ll get all the amazing images through my regular video blogs coming soon. So stay tuned!

But… after my impressions from almost six months travelling with the Solartaxi, I’d say that the tour is so much more than just the spectacular action on the road. This is why I have decided to share our personal thoughts and concerns with you in a new video series from behind the scenes: Unvarnished, uncensored, simply “uncut”. Exclusive on clubofpioneers.com! Watch Louis in our first episode with his first impressions of China!

Its all about covers, uncovering and cover-ups this week!The Guardian published a list of ten green gadgets. Our best is a toy car powered through a mini solar panel that creates enough electricity to create a small light show and turn tap water into hydrogen. Other items include the fabulous sounding solar technology freeloader (a battery charger) and the new bamboo encased laptops from ASUS.
See the whole list.
Straight out of Russia, Wired reports on a wooden mobile phone case. But look again, its not just the case but each part is wrapped in a wooded container, battery and SIM card included. It's made from Russian apple-tree wood.

There is a 2 mile long diesel oil slick off the coast of Vancouver due to an overturned barge, but oil was not the only thing dumped into the ocean - a fuel truck and logging equipment went overboard too, making this a particularly toxic spill. It gets worse - The slick is close to Robson Bight, a protected area where killer whale pods come to rub on the shallow gravel of the beach.
More
Hundreds people have stripped of in public once again for photographer Spencer Turnik, except this time its in the name of the planet. Greenpeace had joined forces with the attention seeking Turnik, and persuaded hundreds of exhibitionists to lie on a glacier in Switzerland. The reaction has been, as expected, huge.

Bild: Greenpeace/Wuertenberg China is doing whatever it takes to clear the skies for Olympic time. Not only are there attempts to control the weather by firing missiles at the sky , this week Beijing took 1 million cars off the roads to see if it reduced pollution., Violators caught driving in the city were to be fined $13 and ordered to return home,
The results were negative, and the hopes now are for strong winds. A giant fan perhaps?
More
And to end off MR “Al Gore2” Kerry has publicly endorsed the 11th hour, by inviting Leonardo di Caprio to write a letter. Here it is....Our climate crisis demands action, and to get action we need awareness and activism -- so I'm really happy to see great work being done by people like Leonardo DiCaprio to help catalyze the grassroots movement. I'm pleased to give him the chance to tell you about this important new film--John KerryHello ,I'd like to thank John Kerry for giving me this opportunity to tell you about something that's very important to me. I'm writing to tell you about my new environmental film, The 11th Hour. The film documents the environmental crises we face and the solutions we must begin to implement.Please click here to take a look at the trailer.With the help of over fifty of the world's most prominent thinkers and activists, including reformer Mikhail Gorbachev, physicist Stephen Hawking, and Nobel Prize winner Wangari Maathai, The 11th Hour documents the grave problems facing the planet's life systems. Global warming, deforestation, mass species extinction, and depletion of the oceans' habitats are all addressed.However, the most powerful element of The 11th Hour is not a portrait of a planet in crisis, but an offering of hope and solutions. The film ends with a call for restorative action through reshaping human activity.The 11th Hour opened on August 17th in New York and Los Angeles . On the 24th it opens in other cities, and in the following weeks across the country. It would be great if you could go see it and bring a friend.
You can go to our website to get more information on the movie and when it will play near you.We need the message of this movie to hit as far and wide as possible.The hope is us. Let's begin.
Thank you,
Leonardo DiCaprio

On August 3rd the Beijing government announced a new “green performance system,” where the careers of Government and party officials will be determined by their performance in meeting environment protection and energy efficiency targets. In the past, officials were judged mainly on their ability to promote economic growth and there was little incentive to protect the environment or act against polluters.
In addition to the “new green performance system”, a new green credit policy has been developed by the State Environment Protection Authority together with the People's Bank of China. The nation's environmental watchdog has listed 30 polluters, and the list forwarded to leading financial institutions. Blacklisted companies will, in theory, find it harder to get loans.

In the past, environmental policies introduced by the government have been under-funded and under-resourced. Greenpeace spokesperson Kevin May notes that “the worry is about implementation.” Huang Shengchu, head of the China Coal Information Institute, said it was difficult for local officials to cut energy use without greater investment and many would fail environmental targets.
It is speculative as to exactly why Beijing is implementing these new environmental protection policies, but they do represent a positive step as far as awareness and policy are concerned. It remains to be seen whether these will be accompanied with practical outcomes, and whether they will be integrated with other development goals.*******Club of Pioneers contacted Sze Ping Lo, the Campaign Director of Greenpeace China, to find out more about what Greenpeace thinks about China's new green performance laws and the new green credit policy.What does Greenpeace think about these two new initiatives?
Greenpeace thinks that the government is going in the right direction by these two new initiatives. The green performance policy holds local officials accountable for energy conservation and environmental protection. And the green credit policy that stops the money flow to blacklisted companies. But implementation is the key to their success.What would Greenpeace like to see happen in China in terms of environmental protection?
Greenpeace thinks what the central government is doing is impressive, but is far from enough. We expect to see a mentality change for a broader population in China, not limited to SEPA or high level officials from the central government. We would like to hear about concrete environmental protection initiatives echoed from the local levels, we would like to see
public concern of environmental degradation being heard and taken into account; we would also like to contribute to the awakening of the environmental awareness.
Links to the story:The Age
Peoples Daily
Fotos: Anna Benjamin