Cluster: Science

National parks back on parliamentary agenda

This content was published on May 31, 2005 Switzerland currently has only one national park, despite being a pioneer of the idea more than 90 years ago. In 1914, Switzerland led the way in creating the first national park in the alpine region and in central Europe. It is situated near the village of Zernez, in the southeastern corner of the country. But…

Climate solutions

Swiss call for better management of forests

This content was published on May 21, 2005 The comments were made during the fifth UN Forum on Forests (UNFF) meeting, currently taking place in New York. The UN’s Millennium Goals were unanimously approved by 191 nations, including Switzerland, in 2000. One of their aims is to reduce poverty and hunger by half over the next ten years and to ensure environmental sustainability.…

Climate solutions

Competition launched for alpine protection

This content was published on Apr 14, 2005 The six best projects will be rewarded with prizes of €25,000 (SFr38,800). Cipra announced the international “Future in the Alps” competition on Thursday at simultaneous news conferences in the Swiss capital, as well as Munich, Innsbruck, Milan, Grenoble and Ljubljana. “The aim… is to reward and financially support any practical project, initiative or activity in…

Climate solutions

Legacy of rainforest “Robin Hood” lives on

This content was published on Mar 11, 2005 But Manser’s efforts to save the rainforest have not been forgotten and continue to influence attitudes towards tropical wood. “It’s five years since Bruno vanished without a trace, so it’s not just a legal step, but also a symbolic one,” said Lukas Straumann, director of the Bruno Manser Fund, set up by the environmentalist to…

Climate solutions

More nature parks but no government funds

This content was published on Feb 23, 2005 It gave in to pressure by parliament but ruled out granting federal funds for the parks. “Nature parks are perfect examples for a policy of sustainability,” said the environment minister, Moritz Leuenberger, presenting the cabinet proposals on Wednesday. He said such parks would allow the promotion of ecologically friendly tourism, ensure the survival of local…

Climate solutions

Swiss call for stronger defence of environment

This content was published on Feb 21, 2005 The head of the Swiss environment agency, Philippe Roch, will also call for improved protection of the world’s drinking-water reserves. A healthy environment will be the focus of the UNEP meeting at its headquarters in the Kenyan capital. Officials will be looking at how to bolster global, regional and national environments, with the aim of…

Climate solutions

More greenhouse-gas cuts on the cards

This content was published on Feb 16, 2005 Talks have yet to get off the ground, and officially, Kyoto’s heir is not even on the agenda at the next round of climate discussions. Finding a successor promises to be a drawn-out process as the Kyoto Protocol itself was the result of a compromise. The agreement put the onus of greenhouse-gas reduction on industrialised…

Climate solutions

Alpine ice melts as winter seasons heat up

This content was published on Jan 24, 2005 Experts also noted an increasing number of warm winter spells in the Alps over the past three decades. Seventy-five of the 110 glaciers in the Swiss Alps shrunk, while eight grew slightly over the 2003-2004 period, the Swiss Academy of Sciences said on Monday. Another seven remained virtually unchanged, while readings from 20 glaciers are…

Climate solutions

Disaster summit aims to tame nature’s fury

This content was published on Jan 17, 2005 The devastating Indian Ocean tsunami is top of the meeting’s agenda, as officials from 70 nations work to prevent similar catastrophes from happening again. The World Conference on Disaster Reduction, which runs until Saturday, is taking place in the Japanese city of Kobe, which was rocked by a killer earthquake in January 1995. “What we…

Climate solutions

Swiss generosity reaches a new level

This content was published on Jan 5, 2005 Half the money was donated during a day of national mourning and fundraising on Wednesday. On Wednesday alone, SFr62 million was raised by Swiss Solidarity – the fundraising arm of the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation, swissinfo’s parent company. “It’s a huge show of solidarity. We never reckoned on achieving a sum like this,” said Roland Jeanneret,…

Cluster: Science

Popular Stories

Most Discussed