As glaciers quickly retreat, the innovative Swiss have created another reason to attract tourists. Instead of showing off evidence of climate change, as some countries have done, the Swiss are promoting their ecofriendly lifestyles and boasting their fight against global warming.

The mountainous town of St. Moritz offers a "clean energy tour" that pulls the zip-off pant and hiking boot-clad tourists up a cable car powered by a concoction of sun and wind, shows off alternatively-heated hotels and even local biogas plants and herb gardens.

Maybe they're on to something. Towns all over the world could organize similar types of tours and give a bit of the earnings to the green attractions – be it hotels, rooftop gardens or biogas plants – as incentives for local businesses to take action.