Cluster: Science

Bird species in Switzerland on verge of disappearance

This content was published on Nov 29, 2001 In a recent study, the institute says 80 of Switzerland’s 195 bird species are becoming endangered because they are lacking proper habitats to live and breed. This is true particularly in the wetlands and agricultural parts of the country. “In the wetlands, the loss of habitat is the reason behind the decline of some bird…

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Swiss lead in cleaning lakes

This content was published on Nov 12, 2001 Scientists warn that pollution and overuse of lakes puts the health of one billion people at risk, globally. The conservation of lakes is the topic of an international conference in Shiga, Japan, which lasts until Friday. Decision-makers around the world have largely ignored lakes while focusing on rivers and oceans, even though lakes hold nearly…

Nature protection gives region new lease on life

This content was published on Oct 15, 2001 High above the main valley in the Entlebuch stands the Church of the Holy Cross. Pilgrims flock here to see a silver crucifix believed to contain a piece of the cross brought to Switzerland after the Crusades. The dark spruce forest lying next to the church is becoming a place of pilgrimage in its own…

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Gondo: the scars remain

This content was published on Oct 13, 2001 On Sunday, the people of Gondo gathered together for a memorial service led by the local priest, Josef Sarbach. “With this ceremony we want of course to honour those who died, but also to think of those who were left behind,” Sarbach said during the service. Gondo is being rebuilt, albeit slowly, and the groaning…

World Mountain Symposium underway in Switzerland

This content was published on Oct 2, 2001 The five-day conference organised in cooperation with the University of Bern is focus on the sustainable development of mountainous regions. Key issues under discussion are subsidies, decentralisation and sustainability. “Switzerland’s competence in this field is internationally recognised,” said Walter Fust, head of the Swiss Development Agency which is participating in the debates. “This does not…

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Village pioneers defences against global warming

This content was published on Sep 7, 2001 Pontresina in southeast Switzerland is Europe’s first mountain resort to take action against the threat posed by climate change. It is spending SFr7 million to build a huge dam behind the village to protect it from rock and mudslides. The extent of the danger was revealed by a 12-year study, which showed that parts of…

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Forests fail test as carbon sinks

This content was published on Aug 15, 2001 The results of the four-year study, conducted by the Federal Research Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research, show that trees reach “saturation point” in terms of the quantity of CO2 they can absorb. Jürg Bucher, head of the institute’s department of forest protection, said the study showed that even if more forests were planted,…

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Unesco may honour Jungfrau-Aletsch region

This content was published on Aug 10, 2001 The high-alpine district, with its landscape of snow, ice and rock, offers surprising biodiversity. The Aletsch Glacier, jewel in the crown of Switzerland’s bid, contains nearly 30 billion tonnes of ice and, at 23 kilometres, is the longest glacier in the Alps. The pine forest flanking the glacier, protected since 1933, represents another extreme. The…

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Right wingers stage National Day protest

This content was published on Aug 2, 2001 However, the President’s speech was not disrupted with observers saying the police had the situation under control. There were also fears of disruption at the Rütli meadow, Switzerland’s historical birthplace. Last year more than 100 right-wing extremists attempted to disrupt the festivities, heckling the finance minister, Kaspar Villiger, during his speech. But despite the appearance…

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Secrets of space laboratory revealed in Lucerne

This content was published on Jul 30, 2001 The environment satellite or Envisat weighs 8.2 kilograms and is the size of an articulated lorry. It has 10 instruments on board – more than any other satellite to date – and will monitor global change 24 hours a day, 365 days a year for at least the next five years. The European Space Agency…

Cluster: Science

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Cluster: Science

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Bird species in Switzerland on verge of disappearance

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Swiss lead in cleaning lakes

More

Nature protection gives region new lease on life

More

Gondo: the scars remain

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World Mountain Symposium underway in Switzerland

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Village pioneers defences against global warming

More

Forests fail test as carbon sinks

More

Unesco may honour Jungfrau-Aletsch region

More

Right wingers stage National Day protest

More

Secrets of space laboratory revealed in Lucerne

Popular Stories

Most Discussed