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5 days ago
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Whether it's cycling to work in the rain or sorting through piles of recycling, doing your bit for the planet isn't always much fun.
But now, it's about to become much more enjoyable - especially if you're a fan of a pint or two.
London's first-ever carbon-negative pub, the 55k Tonnes, will open its doors on Monday to offer guilt-free pints to eco-friendly punters.
Pub goers will be able to sip their drinks as they pedal on energy-generating power bikes and walk on tiles which produce electricity with each step.
And with a pint of carbon-negative beer costing only £5.50 during the congestion-friendly happy hour, you can even save a few quid while you save the planet.
Helping the environment is about to get much more enjoyable as London's first carbon-negative pub opens its doors. The pub will feature power-generating bikes and floor tiles as well as a traffic-friendly happy hour
The 55k Tonnes is being opened for a limited time by Uber to celebrate the company avoiding an estimated 55,000 tonnes of pollution since launching Uber Green for London in 2021.
Between October 7 and October 9, the company will convert Westminster pub 'The Speaker' into London's first carbon-negative boozer.
Andrew Brem, general manager at Uber UK, says: 'In the UK pubs are where we exchange ideas and opinions, and what better way to promote a dialogue on electrification in the UK than with a carbon-negative pub.
'The opening of The 55k Tonnes in Westminster showcases Uber’s commitment to sustainability in London and beyond.'
The pub will feature energy-generating technologies designed to help keep the lights on without producing pollution.
Punters will be able to purchase pints of Swell lager (pictured) from Gipsy Hill Brewery, the world's first carbon-negative beer, for £5.50
Rather than pulling up a bar stool, drinkers will be able to sit on power bikes which generate electricity when pedalled.
The band Coldplay used a similar system during their 2022 tour by installing rows of stationary bikes which helped power aspects of the show.
Pedalling a bike at a reasonable pace can produce between 100 and 200 Watts of power - just about enough to keep a lightbulb on.
An Uber UK spokesperson told MailOnline that while the company wasn't able to change the pub over to bike power, people will be able to use the bikes to charge their phones and laptops.
The 55k Tonnes will also showcase innovative technologies which convert footsteps into renewable power.
The floor of the pub will be fitted with tiles created by Pavegen (pictured) which create between two to four joules of power with each step. Pictured: Pavegen tiles installed at Telford Central railway station
Uber will install tiles created by the company Pavegen which use the pressure from passing feet to spin three small electromagnetic generators.
Pavegen says that each step produces about two to four joules of energy which can be stored in batteries.
However, given that a light bulb uses around 100 joules of energy every second, the pub will need some seriously busy footfall to keep the lights on.
Of course, no pub would be complete without beer and visitors to the 55k Tonnes will be able to enjoy Swell lager from Gipsy Hill Brewery in London - which claims to be the world's first carbon-negative beer.
The 55k Tonnes will be opened by Uber for three days to celebrate the company saving an estimated 55,000 tones of pollution since launching Uber Green in London
Starting from 5:50 the pub will host a 'unique happy hour' designed to prevent punters from travelling at rush hour. With beers just £5.50, this will be among the cheaper pints in London
This beer is brewed using barley grown through regenerative farming and hops that have been recaptured and reused meaning that the farming process puts more CO2 into the ground than it produces.
Pints of Swell lager will be one of London's cheapest beers at £5.50 - well below the London average of £6.30.
To make the deal even sweeter, Uber says it will offer a 'unique happy hour' starting at 5:50pm to encourage the after-work crowd to avoid travelling during rush hour.
During this time this time, a selection of other drinks will be reduced to just £5.50.
Uber says customers will also get a 55 per cent discount code for their next Uber Green with their pint so they can 'get home safely and sustainably'.
