Cluster: Science

Swiss unhappy with lack of progress at whaling conference

This content was published on Jul 28, 2001 Swiss officials, who travelled to London with hopes of reversing the decline in whale numbers, blamed the stalemate on a “poor standard of debate” and the failure of the 43 members to reach a compromise on the way forward. Thomas Althaus, from the Federal Veterinary Office, said he deeply regretted the fact that no progress…

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Switzerland joins fight to save the whale

This content was published on Jul 24, 2001 Japan, Norway and Iceland are seeking the lifting of the 15-year ban on whaling, but the United States and most European Union countries want to retain it. Thomas Althaus from the Federal Veterinary Office and Martin Krebs from the Foreign ministry are leading the Swiss delegation in London. They are expected to voice concern about…

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Europe’s longest glacier comes step closer to becoming World Heritage Site

This content was published on Jul 6, 2001 An official at the World Heritage Committee in Paris confirmed that the recommendation to accept the “Jungfrau-Aletsch-Bietschhorn” bid was made at a meeting in Paris last week. Natarajan Ishwaran told swissinfo that it was now “very likely” that the Committee would follow the recommendation when it meets in Helsinki in December. The 470 square kilometre…

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Friends gather to “remember” missing environmentalist

This content was published on May 23, 2001 Speakers at Wednesday’s meeting made an effort to speak of Manser in the present tense. But it was clear that many had given up hope that he was still alive, a year after he disappeared in the rainforests of Borneo. His last known communication was a letter to a Swiss friend dated May 23, 2000.…

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Europe’s most important waterway returning to health

This content was published on May 18, 2001 The Rhine is western Europe’s most important waterway. It rises in the Alps, and passes through Switzerland, France, Germany and the Netherlands before flowing into the North sea. The river is 1,320 kilometres long, and, because it is navigable from Basel to Rotterdam, it serves as a highway for Europe’s freight. But the Rhine was…

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Swiss researchers say bottled water may be money down the drain

This content was published on May 3, 2001 The study, commissioned by the Swiss-based World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), said that in many cases the only difference is that bottled water comes in a fancy container, rather than out of a tap. “Bottled water may be no safer, or healthier, than tap water in many countries, while selling for up to 1,000…

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WWF criticises state of Switzerland’s rivers

This content was published on Apr 19, 2001 The index, which has just been published, analyses the condition of freshwater ecosystems all over Europe. “Switzerland is very good on legislation and national monitoring programmes but our rivers are in very bad shape, said Matthias Egloff, spokesman for WWF Switzerland. “As regards the ecological status of our wetlands and, in particular, running waters, we…

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Swiss urge Bush to honour Kyoto protocol

This content was published on Apr 9, 2001 In the letter, Leuenberger expressed concern at Bush’s decision, and urged the president to “reconsider your position and…continue cooperation within the framework of the Kyoto Protocol”. Leuenberger argues that climate change is now known to pose “a real risk for the well-being of our planet”. He adds that “mitigation efforts are needed” and “time is…

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Swiss countryside threatened by urbanisation

This content was published on Mar 29, 2001 Every second four square metres of Swiss land is lost to development, according to a new study by the Swiss Agency for the Environment, Forests and Landscape. The study, one of the most ambitious of its kind, assessed the impact of urbanisation on the Swiss countryside between 1972 and 1995. The findings show that an…

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International Day of the Forest stresses benefits of woodlands

This content was published on Mar 22, 2001 “Forests are very important for health,” says Dr. Felix Küchler of the Lausanne-based Swiss Foundation for Health Promotion. “Forests are places where it is quiet, where you can breathe clean air, where you have different plays of light, different relaxing sounds and where you can really recover from daily stress.” But while people may come…

Cluster: Science

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Cluster: Science

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Swiss unhappy with lack of progress at whaling conference

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Switzerland joins fight to save the whale

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Europe’s longest glacier comes step closer to becoming World Heritage Site

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Friends gather to “remember” missing environmentalist

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Europe’s most important waterway returning to health

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Swiss researchers say bottled water may be money down the drain

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WWF criticises state of Switzerland’s rivers

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Swiss urge Bush to honour Kyoto protocol

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Swiss countryside threatened by urbanisation

More

International Day of the Forest stresses benefits of woodlands

Popular Stories

Most Discussed