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Future of nuclear plant on shaky ground

This content was published on Mar 7, 2012 The court accepted a complaint by local opponents of the plant against the indefinite extension of its licence by the environment ministry, granted at the end of 2009. The 1972 plant, one of five in Switzerland, is run by BKW Energy and supplies five per cent of the country’s energy needs. Last September it was…

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Switzerland, a nuclear old people’s home

This content was published on Mar 3, 2012 This record isn’t exactly something many Swiss are celebrating. Opponents of nuclear power are calling for Beznau to be shut down as well, but the government is against decommissioning plants early. For Geri Müller, a member of the Green Party in canton Aargau, home of Beznau, the fact that the power station has been in…

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Swiss cleantech innovation found wanting

This content was published on Feb 27, 2012 Commissioned by environmental organisation WWF, the “Cleantech Global Innovation Index” ranked 38 countries on indicators related to the creation and commercialisation of cleantech start-ups and the relative potential of countries to advance in the field over the next ten years. Switzerland ranked 15th with the survey finding the country is an average performer in all…

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Going batty for nature protection

This content was published on Feb 17, 2012 A small bat, just five centimetres in length, with ears almost as long again, has been chosen as the 2012 animal of the year. The brown long-eared bat, nicknamed in German “fliegende Hase”, or “flying hare”, lives in natural woodlands and is one of some 30 bat species in Switzerland. Animals of the year have…

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Bats

This content was published on Feb 16, 2012 Bats have existed for 60 million years, and are found everywhere in the world. World wide there is a total of about 1,200 species of bat. (Photos: Feldermausschutz.ch)

Nutrient overload causes fish species loss

This content was published on Feb 16, 2012 Only in the deep alpine lakes least exposed to high nutrients – such as Lakes Thun, Brienz and Lucerne – have the original diversity of species been able to survive. But they have become less genetically distinctive. These findings, in a study by the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag) and Bern…

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Leuthard visit strengthens relations with China

This content was published on Feb 13, 2012 Leuthard, who is the minister for the environment and transport, said she had been received in China with “open arms” and met with several high-level Chinese officials. The two countries agreed to develop protocols to guide their collaboration on transport and environmental issues. Leuthard said there were opportunities for Swiss technology to contribute to the…

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Why Swiss forests no longer need rescuing

This content was published on Feb 13, 2012

Climate solutions

Oceans could run out of oxygen

This content was published on Feb 11, 2012 This was the conclusion of recent analysis of marine oxygen conditions over the past 20,000 years, co-authored by the Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETHZ). Oceans are already oxygen-starved in places: every summer some areas of the northeastern Pacific see huge numbers of dead fish, shrimp or molluscs washed up on beaches. This is caused…

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Freezing temperatures bring pleasure and misery

This content was published on Feb 10, 2012 The layer of ice in the harbour at Rapperswil on Lake Zurich is now 15 centimetres thick, and people will be able to walk out over it on Saturday for the first time in 24 years, although at their own risk. But not everyone is so happy. About 20 boats have sunk on Lake Geneva…

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Science

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Future of nuclear plant on shaky ground

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Switzerland, a nuclear old people’s home

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Swiss cleantech innovation found wanting

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Going batty for nature protection

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Bats

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Nutrient overload causes fish species loss

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Leuthard visit strengthens relations with China

More

Why Swiss forests no longer need rescuing

More

Oceans could run out of oxygen

More

Freezing temperatures bring pleasure and misery

Popular Stories

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