Tuesday night brought a chill to Switzerland. The temperature in the town of Brévine in the Jura plunged to -20 degrees. In Glattalp, another of Switzerland’s famed cold spots, the temperature went as low as -36.5 degrees. Neither Brévine (1043m) or Glattalp (1896m) are particularly high, however they both have micro climates dictated by geography […]
Flying more than 10% of Switzerland’s greenhouse gas
More than 10% of greenhouse gas emitted by Switzerland comes from flying, according to data from the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN). Overall, Switzerland’s greenhouse gas emissions were nearly 10% lower in 2016 than they were in 1990. However, the trend in flight emissions was the opposite, rising by 68% since 1990. The 10.7% […]
Over half of Swiss ready to rethink lifestyle to save the planet, according to survey
Over half (54%) of those surveyed felt climate change was serious enough for them to rethink their way of life, according to a survey by GFS Zurich. Across Switzerland, 62% of women and 46% of men thought this. The percentage was higher in German-speaking Switzerland (65%) than in French-speaking Switzerland (29%). Only a minority thought […]
Climate change contributes to surprise fall in Swiss GDP
Third quarter Swiss GDP figures released yesterday show Switzerland’s economy shrank compared to the quarter before. GDP for the quarter to September was down by 0.2% compared to the quarter before, ending an 18-month run of quarterly growth. The fall in Swiss GDP follows a quarterly slowdown across the rest of Europe, in Germany in […]
Geneva decides to ban the most polluting vehicles
On Friday, Geneva’s parliament voted in favour of a plan to progressively ban the most polluting vehicles from the city centre when air pollution reaches certain levels. While the legal details need to be worked out, the plan, which was put together by the canton’s executive, could be modeled on the French system. The French […]
New nuclear reactors might be planned near Geneva
The French power company EDF has been looking at buying land near a nuclear power plant in the nearby department of Ain, according to the newspaper Le Temps. It is understood that a third generation Evolutionary Power Reactor (EPR) could be built there. An EPR is a type of pressurized water reactor developed by EDF […]
Switzerland launches new campaign against antibiotic abuse
Overuse of antibiotics, particularly in agriculture, is a key driver of antibiotic resistant bugs. Antibiotic resistant super bugs claim an estimated 25,000 lives across the EU every year. In Switzerland 270 people died from antibiotic resistant bugs in 2015. The main causes of antibiotic resistance are: over-prescribing, patients not taking antibiotics as prescribed, poor hygiene […]
Swiss ski season starts early
Recent heavy snow has allowed several Swiss winter resorts to open early. Some high-altitude resorts have received as much as two metres of snow. Some of the resorts that have opened are only running lifts at the weekends. Last weekend, Verbier opened the area of the resort known as Lac des Vaux. Snow up to […]
Electric cars in Switzerland must soon make fake noise
Starting mid next year, electric and hybrid cars in Switzerland must emit noise to improve pedestrian safety, in particular the safety of those with impaired sight. The news was reported in the newspaper NZZ am Sonntag and confirmed by the Federal Roads Office (FEDRO). Electric and hybrid cars will need to be fitted with external […]
More than one million people exposed to traffic noise pollution in Switzerland
A recent report by Switzerland’s Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) estimates that more than one million people in Switzerland are exposed to traffic noise above the legal limit. The data, from 2015, was generated by software, traffic noise data and building maps. During the day, 1.1 million people are bothered by noise, a figure […]
