The ozone hole above the Antarctic has a greater impact on the climate than expected. Researchers say it has even changed precipitation patterns in the South Pacific.
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Los efectos del agujero de ozono en el clima… y en la piel
The ozone hole over Antarctica has not made headlines for some time. According to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the recovery of the damaged layer is back on track since chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) are practically no longer produced or consumed.
However, this does not mean that ozone research has lost importance, as past reports by the Oeschger Center for Climate Research at the University of Bern confirm.
The researcher Prof. Dr. Stefan Brönnimann found that past thinning of the ozone layer has not only led to more UVB rays from the sun reaching the earth’s surface, greatly increasing the risk of skin cancer in humans.
It has also changed precipitation patterns in the South Pacific. In French Polynesia, for example, rain levels rose by 50 percent between October and December between the 1960s and 1990s. According to Brönniman’s findingsExternal link this may have a direct correlation with the growing ozone hole during this period.
Swiss justice minister hopes EU reform will reduce irregular migration
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The European Union’s (EU) New Pact on Migration and Asylum aims to curb irregular migration within Schengen, Justice Minister Beat Jans said on Tuesday.
Swiss electricity supply outlook positive despite uncertainties
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Thanks to well-filled gas stores in Europe and increased availability of French nuclear power, the Swiss Federal Electricity Commission is optimistic.
Finance minister wants Swiss banks to hold more equity
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Finance Minister Karin Keller-Sutter has repeated calls for banks and their holdings in subsidiaries abroad to hold more equity.
Telecoms sector kept Swiss competitions regulator busy in 2023
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Last year, the Swiss Competition Commission (COMCO) conducted 27 investigations and initiated 17 preliminary investigations.
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Although Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) achieved higher revenue at the start of the year, it suffered a dip in profits.
40,000 signatures against animal testing in Switzerland
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Switzerland should do away with “restrictive” animal testing and should become a model for innovative, effective, and pain-free scientific research.
More than 45,000 signatures in favour of federal funding for UNRWA
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The Foreign Affairs Committee of the House of Representatives (FAC) is expected to decide on the funding of the UNRWA at the beginning of the week.
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At the end of January 2024, 6,881 men and women were behind bars in Switzerland. Almost 95% of all places were occupied, the highest number since 2014.
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Air quality still impacted by pollutants
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Compared with other countries in Europe with similar population density, pollutant emissions in Switzerland are relatively low. Air quality has been improving steadily since the 1980s. The emissions of most pollutants like sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxide have fallen over the past years. As the Federal Office for the Environment points out, currently nine of…
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Four-fifths of Swiss now consider climate change a significant hazard, whereas in 1994 – when the previous Swiss Environment Survey was conducted – just over half did. Nevertheless considerable gaps remain in the public’s “green knowledge”, revealed the study, published on Wednesday. Seventy-nine per cent of the more than 3,300 Swiss interviewed between November 2006…
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