Switzerland’s Federal Office for Agriculture (FOAG) plans to look at the regulations on 15 pesticides containing the chemical chlorothalonil, an ingredient used since the 70s to protect fruit and cereal crops from disease. Environmental groups will be given a chance to comment on the review, said FOAG. Tests in parts of Switzerland have revealed high […]
Fire restrictions continue in Switzerland
An official request has been issued to avoid open fires due to the risk of forest fires across Switzerland, according to 20 Minutes. Hot dry weather has increased the risk. The cantons of Vaud, Neuchâtel and Fribourg have all restricted outdoor fires to places that are properly equipped and have asked people to not light […]
Heat twists Swiss rail tracks
Extreme temperatures this week caused disruptions on Swiss Rail’s network. The heat caused disruptions in Zurich Oberland, Aargau and Geneva, according to 20 Minutes. The stretch of track between Meyrin and La Plaine, in Geneva was closed between midday and around 3pm and some high-speed trains bound for France were cancelled on Wednesday. Similar interruptions […]
Vevey – fête des vignerons stopped due to lightning
The once-in-25-year show in Vevey was halted on Thursday evening due to a risk of lightning, according RTS. The warning came from Meteo Swiss and a spokesperson said that the risk of lightening forced them to evacuate the stadium for safety reasons. Rain and wind were soon followed by lightning, which can be seen in […]
Temperature records broken in Switzerland
Sion had the highest recorded temperature in Switzerland this year, beating its highest temperature since records began in 1958, according to Meteo Swiss. On Thursday, the heat in the Alpine town reached 38 degrees. The previous record was set on 7 July 2015 (37.8). Records were broken in Neuchâtel (37.8), Scuol (33.8), Basel (37), Aarau […]
Temperatures could reach 38 degrees in Switzerland this week
According to the weather forecaster Meteo Swiss, the temperature could reach 38 degrees in Sion on Thursday. High temperatures are also expected in Basel (37), Geneva (37), Zurich (36) and Lausanne (36) on Thursday. The weather service has classified the rest of the weak as a heatwave and issued a degree 3 warning, described as […]
Over 5 million kilograms of plastic released into the environment annually in Switzerland
A recent report from Switzerland’s Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) puts annual plastic pollution at 5.12 million kilograms in Switzerland, a figure that excludes plastic pollution from vehicle tires – road abrasion creates tire fragments, which are significant source of environmental plastic pollution. Plastic pollution represents around 0.7% of the 710 million kilograms of […]
Swiss federal government aims to halve its greenhouse gas emissions by 2030
Switzerland’s federal government is aiming to cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2030 by making a series of changes to the way it operates. It plans to reduce air travel emissions by making greater use of trains rather than planes for short to medium distance travel in Europe, and it plans to fly […]
The rising carbon footprint of Switzerland’s new cars
In 2018, the average fuel consumption of newly registered cars in Switzerland rose by 3.6% compared to the year before. An average new car in 2018 consumes 6.08 litres per 100 km compared to the year before when it was 5.87 litres per 100 km. Average emissions for the same average new car in 2018 […]
Animals mistreated on 13% of Swiss farms
Switzerland’s Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office (FSVO) recently published the results of its farm inspections in 2018. 35% of the 10,647 inspections were done without warning, a percentage above the 10% minimum. 87% of farms were found to be operating on or above minimum Swiss animal welfare standards, while 13% were below the minimum. […]
