Researchers at the University of Neuchâtel measured the concentrations of five neonicotinoid insecticides in 702 soil and plant samples from 169 cultivated fields and 62 Ecological Focus Areas (EFA) across Switzerland’s lowland areas – EFA are areas set aside to improve the environment or climate. Organic farms, EFAs and organic seeds are supposed to be […]
Swiss canton blocks 5G mobile rollout
The rollout of fifth generation (5G) mobile technology is causing a stir across Switzerland. Groups, such as the Association Romande Alerte and the Gigaherz Club, are protesting at the rollout of the new technology, claiming that it poses potential health risks. In addition, they argue that it isn’t needed because current networks are sufficient. Elected officials […]
Swiss test finds toxic substances in e-cigarettes
Testing commissioned by Blue Cross, a Swiss organisation focused on helping those with addictions, found toxic substances in the Iqos electronic cigarette produced by Philip Morris, according to the newspaper 20 Minutes. Toxic isocyanates were released when the polymer filter in the device was heated to 100 degrees, a temperature significantly lower than the maximum […]
Question of the week: is the politics of income equality undermining the fight against climate change?
In Switzerland, emissions taxes, such as the one on home heating fuel, do two things. They make it more expensive to pollute and they redistribute income – every resident in Switzerland gets an equal share of the tax collected in the form of a deduction from their health insurance premiums. The redistributive element of this […]
More than 80 centimetres of new snow in some parts of Switzerland
Earlier this week it felt like spring in Switzerland. However, by Wednesday it had turned very wintery in parts of the country and snow continued to fall throughout Thursday, particularly in the Alps. More than 80 centimetres fell in Switzerland’s central Alpine region, an area including the Simplon pass and centered on the Alpine resort […]
60% of Swiss in favour of framework agreement with the EU, according to latest survey
In a recently published survey done by gfs.bern, 60% were in favour the institutional agreement between Switzerland and the EU. The most popular reason for supporting the agreement is the economic certainty voters think it would bring. However, support for the agreement was fairly luke warm. Only 17% were strongly in favour of it compared […]
Question of the week: is retirement a key driver of climate change?
To make the numbers work, pay-as-you-go state pensions require a high ratio of workers, who pay into the system, to retirees, who get money out. This leads some governments with growing populations of pensioners to push for higher birth rates. However, according to a climate report by Lund University having one less child is the […]
The one in ten Swiss who live abroad
With all of the hot politics surrounding immigration it is easy to lose sight of those moving abroad. Among Swiss citizens, one in ten lives abroad. In 2018, 10.7% of the Swiss population was living in another country. Of the 760,200 Swiss living outside Switzerland, more than 62% were living in Europe. France (197,400) had […]
Income inequality declines in Switzerland
In 2016, before the effects of taxes and welfare, the highest earning 20% of Swiss households made on average 40.8 times what an average household in the bottom 20 percent made, an inequality measure known as the S80/S20. However, after taxes and welfare, including low income support, health insurance subsidies, pensions and disability benefits, the […]
Over 40% of 14 and 15 year old smokers in Switzerland buy their own cigarettes
A recently published study shows that 41.4% of 14 and 15 year old smokers in Switzerland have already bought their own cigarettes from a shop, supermarket, kiosque, bar, restaurant or vending machine. The rate was higher in French- and Italian-speaking Switzerland (45.0%) than in German-speaking Switzerland (39.4%), and higher for boys (45.2%) than for girls […]
