Swiss parliamentarian Isabelle Pasquier-Eichenberger from the Green Party has asked the Federal Council to ban the import of vehicles weighing 2 tonnes or more from 2022. Heavy SUVs are becoming more and more popular in Switzerland. In 2019, around 130,000 were sold compared to 50,000 in 2010. They now make up 40% of new car […]
Swiss to vote on trade deal with Indonesia
On 7 March 2021, Swiss voters will vote on whether to accept a new trade deal with Indonesia. The deal agreed by the Swiss and Indonesian governments aims to improve trade with South East Asia’s largest economy by cutting tariffs in both directions. However, the deal has opponents who have successfully called a referendum against […]
Swiss lakes at risk to climate change
Climate change could leave some Swiss lakes with higher amounts of algae and toxic cyanobacteria, according to a recent study by the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag). A simulation done by scientists at Eawag shows that as climate change alters water temperature, ice cover and mixing of many Swiss lakes could […]
Last weekend’s coldest Swiss temperature disqualified
Last weekend, at 4am on Saturday a thermometer at Switzerland’s Glattalp weather station 1,900m above sea level plunged to -44 degrees Celsius, the coldest temperature ever recorded in Switzerland. However, the record was disqualified because the thermometer was not in the open air at 2 metres from the ground. Instead it was buried under snow. […]
Using Swiss tax money to promote meat should stop, argue environmentalists
Every year, Swiss tax payers contribute CHF 5.4 million to the promotion and marketing of Swiss meat. The money is paid to Proviande, a meat industry association, and it is used to promote and market meat produced in Switzerland. For environmentalists, using public funds to promote and advertise an environmentally damaging product makes no sense. […]
The cause of the apocalyptic skies covering Switzerland
On 6 February 2021, across parts of Switzerland, people awoke to a strange yellowish light and brown skies. The strange light and brown sky is caused by sand from the Sahara desert. It is a well known meteorological phenomenon that occurs around three times a year in Switzerland, according to SRF Meteo. Areas currently most […]
Residents asked to limit movement after Swiss avalanche risk reaches highest level
On 28 January 2021, the avalanche risk reached level 5, the highest rating, in parts of the Switzerland. The authorities in the canton of Valais have advised residents to limit their movement. WSL, the research institute that monitors avalanche risk in Switzerland, warned on 28 January 2021 that some parts of the Swiss Alps were […]
It’s Swiss siren testing season
Every year, Switzerland tests its apocalyptic-sounding sirens on the first Wednesday of February. This year it will be done on 3 February 2021, starting at 13:30. Sirens will be sounded for three minutes. The tests finish at 14:00 for general sirens, and 15:00 for flood sirens. If an alarm sounds outside of these times it […]
Avalanches: 7 ski deaths in three days in Switzerland
At around 10:20am on Monday 18 January 2021, ten people were caught in an avalanche below Les Attelas in Verbier – pictured below. All ten, who were wearing avalanche detectors, were found, however, a 38 year old British citizen and resident of Verbier died and another was rushed to hospital in a helicopter, according to […]
Swiss petrol and diesel tax to rise on 1 January 2021
On 1 January 2021, Swiss pump prices are set to rise by 3.7 cents per litre. From 1 January 2021, the total taxes on a litre of petrol and diesel in Switzerland will be 77 and 80 cents respectively. At a price of CHF 1.50 litre, taxes will make up over half the price of […]
