A survey in Switzerland found that 73% of the population does not plan to buy an electric car. Governments around the world are pushing for the electrification of road transport and many car manufacturers have made public commitments to stop making fossil fuel powered cars in the near future. However, these plans rest on the […]
Project to save lake Zug from pollution abandoned
Lake Zug and a number of other Swiss lakes are polluted with animal manure. The problem stems partly from Switzerland’s oversized livestock sector fed on imported feed. Scientists can gauge of the scale of the problem by measuring the phosphorus content of lake water. In Lake Zug there is currently 80 milligrams of phosphorus per […]
Europe’s first hyperloop opens in Switzerland
Engineers at EPFL’s DESL lab, working in association with EPFL spin-off Swisspod, have built a Hyperloop test track on the Lausanne campus in Switzerland. They will use the loop – a large vacuum tube for ultra-high-speed travel – to test a linear induction motor, an electric motor that can produce a levitation effect. Hyperloops, viewed […]
Infectious diseases down sharply in Switzerland with one exception
Most common infectious diseases fell sharply in Switzerland in 2020, according to recently published data from the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH). However, one rose. Measures put in place to slow the spread of Covid-19 appear to have cut the spread of most common infectious diseases in Switzerland in 2020. The FOPH examined the […]
Robot mowers harmful to hedgehogs, according to study
Quiet, slow moving robot mowers might look quite harmless. However, research suggests many are not, reports RTS. Research presented by Swiss Animal Protection, reveals robot mowers present a high risk for hedgehogs. According to tests, 11 out of the 18 robot mowers tested present a high risk injury of death to hedgehogs, particularly young ones. […]
Swiss flood damage could cost half a billion francs
Switzerland’s four largest buildings insurers estimate the costs of recent weather events could reach half a billion francs across Switzerland, reported RTS. According to Grégoire Deiss, who works for the cantonal buildings insurer ECAB in Fribourg, the cost of recent storms and flooding could be around CHF 500 million across all of Switzerland, a figure […]
Switzerland to shift from cold heavy rain to warm sun
Switzerland has not had as much rain as it has received over the last few weeks for 70 years, according to analysis by RTS. Between 21 June and 13 July 2021, more rain has fallen on Switzerland than during the same period for 70 years. In Geneva there has been more rain during early summer […]
Flood warnings reach maximum in central Switzerland
On 15 July 2021, Switzerland’s flood warnings reached the maximum level of 5 in some parts of central Switzerland. Continuous and intense rain on the northern slopes of the Alps and adjacent areas as well as northwestern Switzerland has led to a critical flood situation, warned the Federal government on its natural hazards portal. Intense […]
Swiss CO2 taxes to rise in 2022
Switzerland has a mechanism that automatically increases taxes on fossil fuels if emission reduction targets are not met. And the small reduction in emissions in 2020 is not enough to avoid triggering a CO2 tax rise in 2022. Data published this week by the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) confirms the slow progress in […]
Swiss government to look at delaying nuclear phaseout
Switzerland’s government has recently begun discussing extending the scheduled closure of the nation’s nuclear power stations, according to RTS. On 26 May 2021, Switzerland’s Federal Council rejected the institutional framework agreement, a deal put together by the EU that would have replaced Switzerland’s existing patchwork of agreements with the bloc. It appears that some in […]
