Since 1990, the cost of travel by car has risen 24%, while travel by public transport has leapt by more than 100%, reported SRF. Since 1990, fuel prices and car prices have fallen, while the cost of tickets to ride public transport have consistently risen. According to Stefan Meierhans, Switzerland’s chief price watchdog, the rising […]
Switzerland falls short of electric mobility objectives
This week, Switzerland’s federal government met with leaders in the electric mobility sector to discuss progress and set targets for 2030, reported RTS. It appears targets set for 2025 are unlikely to be reached. The last time targets were set they were aimed at 50% of new vehicle registrations being electric by 2025. However, with […]
Male chicks to be identified before birth
Male chicks are not wanted by egg producers because they cannot produce eggs. Until fairly recently, they were identified at birth and shredded. On 1 January 2020, shredding live chickens was banned in Switzerland. Since then, suffocating the unwanted chicks with CO2 has been a popular alternative. This week, egg industry association Gallosuisse announced that […]
Sales ban on certain plants starts in Switzerland
In March 2024, Switzerland’s Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) announced a sales ban on a list of 32 exotic invasive plants. From 1 September 2024, it will be illegal to sell these plants in Switzerland. Like all living things, plants have evolved to survive in specific environments. As humans have moved they have taken […]
New temperature record broken in Switzerland
Last Sunday, a new temperature record was broken in Bisaca in the canton of Ticino. At 3:20 pm on 11 August 2024 the temperature reached an annual high of 36.3 degrees Celsius, the highest temperature ever recorded in the town, reported RTS. Temperatures reached uncomfortable levels in other parts of Switzerland too, hitting 35 degrees […]
Swiss attorney general fines miner Glencore
This week, Switzerland’s Office of the Attorney General (OAG) announced it had fined and closed its criminal investigation against the mining company Glencore International AG. After a four year investigation, OAG closed its criminal investigation against the Swiss-based company and imposed a CHF 2 million fine for failing to take all necessary and reasonable organisational […]
How to avoid death and injury from lightning
Switzerland is no stranger to violent storms, which sometime come out of nowhere when hiking in the mountains. According to experts, most people struck by lightning survive. But the risks of suffering long term damage are high, reported SRF. The electricity discharged by lightning can be as high as 100,000 amperes, according to Christian Franck, […]
Swiss car battery recycler set for launch
A popular criticism of electric cars is the toxic battery waste they create. In response to this criticism and for the benefit of the environment a new factory in the Swiss town of Biberist in the canton of Solothurn is aiming to recycle 97% of the components of a range of car batteries, reported SRF. […]
Storms close many Swiss hiking trails
Around 600 hiking trails covering 1,300 km of path have been closed across Switzerland after storm damage, reported the organisation Suisse Rando. Due to the weather conditions, there are currently many Swiss hiking trails that have been damaged and have been closed or diverted, said the organisation. The most affected regions include Goms, Binntal, Saas […]
Anti-noise vehicle radar test completed in Geneva
Vehicle noise is a problem in Switzerland. The authorities receive a numerous and growing number complaints, particularly in cities. Switzerland’s Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) placed noise detection radars in Geneva to quantify the problem. This week, they released the results, reported RTS. Radars erected in a number of places in Geneva flashed between […]
