Cluster: Science

Swiss welcome historic accord on ozone

This content was published on Sep 22, 2007 Thomas Kolly of the Federal Environment Office said the move, made at an international ozone protection conference in Montreal, sent out a good signal for the climate process as a whole. Delegates from 191 countries agreed to eliminate ozone-depleting substances faster than originally planned. “A deal which UNEP (United Nations Environment Program) believes is historic…

Climate solutions

Prehistoric find located beneath the waves

This content was published on Sep 10, 2007 Since it was made of wood scientists used dendrochronology – the technique of dating by tree rings – to give a precise figure of 3863 BC. The find in Lake Biel, northwest of the Swiss capital, Bern, was described as “sensational” by Albert Hafner, who is in charge of underwater archaeology in the region. Divers…

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Moorland protection “not good enough”

This content was published on Sep 7, 2007 Environmental organisations said on Friday that while most moorland had been listed, this “protection on paper” was unsatisfactory. The Rothenthurm Initiative was passed on December 6, 1987 – against the government’s recommendation – by 57.8 per cent of the Swiss public. Only two cantons, Valais and Schwyz, the very canton in which the commune of…

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Experts seek to preserve Europe’s water tower

This content was published on Aug 25, 2007 Christoph Plattner, chief scientific officer at the Mountain Water Network, tells swissinfo why the Swiss do not always appreciate this important natural resource that could be managed better. Plattner was taking part in the Mountain Water Network’s third annual meeting, held in Visp, canton Valais, on Friday. The network was originally set up in 2003…

Climate solutions

Volunteers strip off to fight climate change

This content was published on Aug 18, 2007 The photo shoot by New York artist Spencer Tunick, famous for his pictures of nude gatherings in public settings worldwide, was designed to draw attention to the effects of global warming on Switzerland’s shrinking glaciers. “The melting of the glaciers is an indisputable sign of global climate change,” said environmental group Greenpeace, which co-organised the…

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Melting glacier could draw tourists

This content was published on Aug 18, 2007 Rising temperatures are melting the ice and a lake is forming at the foot of the glacier, right next to the road over the Furka pass. Experts expect it to grow rapidly. The lake is just one more example of how Swiss glaciers are gradually melting away due to the effects of global warming. “This…

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Smog casts cloud over Olympic preparations

This content was published on Aug 17, 2007 But factors including air pollution have raised concerns among the Swiss 12 months ahead of the opening ceremony. The head of the Swiss Olympic delegation, Werner Augsburger, was one of four Swiss representatives who took part in a series of meetings last week to prepare and discuss technical and logistical issues ahead of the Games.…

Climate solutions

Experts address world’s water needs

This content was published on Aug 17, 2007 Among the issues being discussed during World Water Week are climate change, access to safe drinking water, management of resources and sanitation. One of the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) is to halve the number of people without access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation by 2015. But according to a report published by…

Climate solutions

Iceman keeps his cool despite global warming

This content was published on Aug 3, 2007 swissinfo caught up with him at the Swiss Camp on Greenland’s west coast, where he measures variations in the island’s ice cap with his research team from Colorado’s Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES). “Koni”, as Steffen is known, is a true lover of nature, especially the cold and the snow. Since 1975,…

Climate solutions

Swiss biodiversity faces climate challenge

This content was published on Jul 26, 2007 They also say that climate change is the biggest threat to the variety of life forms on the planet. A recent report commissioned by the Swiss government took a closer look at climate change scenarios between now and 2050. It concluded that one result of warmer temperatures would be the vegetation belt moving higher to…

Cluster: Science

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Cluster: Science

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Swiss welcome historic accord on ozone

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Prehistoric find located beneath the waves

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Moorland protection “not good enough”

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Experts seek to preserve Europe’s water tower

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Volunteers strip off to fight climate change

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Melting glacier could draw tourists

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Smog casts cloud over Olympic preparations

More

Experts address world’s water needs

More

Iceman keeps his cool despite global warming

More

Swiss biodiversity faces climate challenge

Popular Stories

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