Richard Branson's eco-vision

British billionaire Richard Branson is putting his money where his mouth is, in his quest to cut down the world's carbon footprint and is planning a 20-villa eco-resort on one of his privately-owned Caribbean islands, curiously called, Mosquito Island. (I do wonder how it got its name.) He touts it will be the most environmentally-friendly resort on the globe on completion.

It will be powered entirely by wind turbines and solar panels, with the eco-resort's buildings capturing the trade winds, eliminating the need for air conditioners. The guests' food would come from an organic orchard, and beach buggies would be powered by biofuels.

He believes it is inexcusable for the Caribbean to continue to use dirty fuels when it has natural energy resources available, namely wind and solar, and hopes that the region, through his efforts, can lead the world in renewable alternatives to oil and gas.

But don't call around just yet to find out when you can book a villa, since apart from quite possibly carrying a hefty price tag, it's not a done deal yet. The British Virgin Islands planning department is still reviewing designs, though the government's response has been positive.

According to Dylan Penn, the planner coordinating the government's review of the project, "they are trying to go green and be environmentally friendly with every aspect of the project...which is good for the BVI because we're such a small set of islands."

Branson believes soaring oil prices may spur governments worldwide to develop their own eco-projects. With that in mind, he has created a planned-for consulting group, Virgin Green Owls, which is expected to start advising governments and corporations in carbon neutral projects this August.