There is little we can predict, particularly where complex systems are involved. However, in the face of impossible uncertainty, some of us claim, often quite vigorously, to know the future – if we do this then this will happen. The world seems to put a premium on answers. Some, like politicians, business leaders, consultants and […]
Archives for 2019
FILM: AT ETERNITY’S GATE – Vincent Van Gogh’s last tragic years
4 May 2019. By Neptune AT ETERNITY’S GATE ***1/2 (vo English and French) A contemporary artist’s take on the iconic master of the late 19th century, this film by Julian Schnabel is a difficult but effective portrayal of Vincent Van Gogh’s last tragic years. It takes a painter like Schnabel to fully understand the artist’s […]
Two thirds of Swiss food waste avoidable
A report by Switzerland’s Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) estimates that 2.6 million tonnes of fresh food is wasted in Switzerland every year. Two thirds of this is avoidable, meaning that the food is still edible by the time it is discarded. Food losses occur throughout the chain from food production to purchase. Around […]
Switzerland makes some progress on child obesity
Last year, the percentage of children aged 8 to 12 in Switzerland that were obese or overweight fell to 19.3% during the 2017/2018 school year, the lowest it has been in over ten years, according to Promotion Santé Suisse. The number of overweight or obese school children in Switzerland rises with age. During the 2017/2018 […]
The number of disruptive kids rising in Swiss schools
The number of children between the ages of 4 and 8 disrupting classes and making life difficult for teachers in Switzerland is rising, according to a survey run by the newspaper SonntagsZeitung and reported in 20 Minutes. These difficult children were identified as the main source of stress for school staff. Younger children seem to […]
Geneva blocks the erection of 5G mobile antennas
Last week, Antonio Hodgers, the head of Geneva’s executive, announced a ban on the erection of further 5G mobile antennas in the canton, according to an interview on RTS. Motivated by uncertainty on the potential health effects of the new technology, the temporary freeze is the most the cantonal government can do to stop the […]
Smoking ban on Swiss train platforms coming soon
Non-smokers will soon be able to breathe easily while waiting for Swiss trains, according to the newspaper Le Matin. In 2005, it was still possible to smoke on Swiss trains in special smoking carriages. From 1 June 2019, it won’t even be possible to smoke on train platforms. Smokers will soon have to take their […]
Swiss to vote on presumed organ donor consent
Recently, a new initiative on organ donation reached the first milestone of collecting more than 100,000 valid signatures. The aim of the initiative is to introduce, by referendum, laws that would presume donor consent. The changes would allow surgeons to take organs from anyone declared dead without requiring the dead person’s prior consent. Instead they […]
Vaud’s vineyard touring and wine tasting season is fast approaching
The wine tasting season is approaching in Vaud, the Swiss canton stretching around the shores of Lake Geneva. With its six distinctive wine growing regions and eight appellations, Vaud is Switzerland’s second largest wine producing region. Little known outside of Switzerland, Vaud’s wines, produced from Chasselas, Pinot Noir and Gamay, are so popular with the […]
Question of the week: why are people doing horrible things sometimes described as animals?
Is animal behaviour on the whole as bad as despicable human behaviour? And if it isn’t why do we use this expression? What do you think? For more stories like this on Switzerland follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
