Cluster: Science

Water levels near all-time lows

This content was published on Nov 23, 2011 It’s not just the autumn, the beginning of the year was also historically dry, leading to a dramatic roll-on effect. Figures compiled by the national weather service MeteoSwiss show precipitation levels in western Switzerland and the Rhone valley for 2011 so far (January 1 to November 19) are the lowest since records began in 1864.…

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Swiss seek climate deal progress in Durban

This content was published on Nov 16, 2011 Outlining its stance for the summit, which starts in Durban on November 28, the environment ministry said it was seeking a comprehensive climate agreement to come into effect from 2020. The international community will be making a “renewed effort” to agree on measures to cap a two degree Celsius rise in temperatures and “how to…

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Swiss seek turnaround on wolf hunting

This content was published on Nov 16, 2011 The cabinet made the decision on Wednesday. It follows parliament’s adoption in 2010 of a motion for the section of the treaty addressing the wolf’s protection to be watered down, due to the large number of sheep killed by wolves in the country over the past few years. The convention is a binding international legal…

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Micro mines “pollute more” than commodity giants

This content was published on Nov 13, 2011 The global gold rush is fuelling the problem by encouraging more micro-mining projects in developing countries. As a result, some 3.5 million people face death or disability from mercury poisoning, says Green Cross Switzerland. More than 35 million people are at risk of dying from direct exposure to the ten worst toxins or having their…

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Axpo says no to Mayak nuclear fuel

This content was published on Nov 12, 2011 In a statement published on its website on Saturday, Axpo said its failure to gain access to the complex during a recent visit was the reason for its decision, since this meant the power company could not monitor operations there. The Russian authorities denied the Axpo delegation access to the plant, defending the decision by…

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Renewable energy – at what cost?

This content was published on Nov 8, 2011 Bigger dams threaten protected zones and giant windmills cause visual and noise pollution for example. So is it necessary to make sacrifices for renewables or are there other solutions? Tell us what you think.

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Windy, rainy and warm weather hits Switzerland

This content was published on Nov 5, 2011 A Foehn wind is a dry southerly wind which occurs on the down-side slope of a mountain. Quinten in canton St Gallen in the north east of the country recorded 25 degrees celsius on Saturday, while cantons Glarus and Uri recorded temperatures of 24 and 23 degrees respectively, according to the weather service Meteo Swiss.…

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More wood to be harvested

This content was published on Oct 31, 2011 It said the growth rate of Swiss forests is greater each year than the amount of wood that is felled. The federal authorities have launched the campaign in expectation of a rising demand for wood as a renewable source of energy and for the construction industry. The environment office said in order to avoid conflict…

WWF criticises waste of Swiss resources

This content was published on Oct 24, 2011 In a statement released on Monday, WWF said each Swiss used double the global average of energy, food, wood and other resources. Compared with a country such as Bangladesh, the difference is “eight times greater”, WWF said, adding that “if everyone lived like the Swiss, we’d need 2.8 planets”. The conservation group said it was…

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Tarantulas seized at Zurich Airport

This content was published on Oct 19, 2011 The arachnids in question are Mexican redknee tarantulas – a protected species, according to a statement released by the Zurich customs investigation office on Wednesday. Customs workers had found the individually-wrapped tarantulas packed in six cartons in August; ten of the large furry spiders had apparently died during the journey. Zurich Zoo is taking care…

Cluster: Science

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