Some travelers on Swiss trains could be in for a shock. The price of a GA travel card, an annual pass that allows unlimited travel of the Swiss Rail network, might rise 10% in 2021, according to the newspaper Le Matin. Compared to the price of other passes and tickets, the AG pass is relatively […]
Two thirds of Swiss food waste avoidable
A report by Switzerland’s Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) estimates that 2.6 million tonnes of fresh food is wasted in Switzerland every year. Two thirds of this is avoidable, meaning that the food is still edible by the time it is discarded. Food losses occur throughout the chain from food production to purchase. Around […]
Geneva blocks the erection of 5G mobile antennas
Last week, Antonio Hodgers, the head of Geneva’s executive, announced a ban on the erection of further 5G mobile antennas in the canton, according to an interview on RTS. Motivated by uncertainty on the potential health effects of the new technology, the temporary freeze is the most the cantonal government can do to stop the […]
Smoking ban on Swiss train platforms coming soon
Non-smokers will soon be able to breathe easily while waiting for Swiss trains, according to the newspaper Le Matin. In 2005, it was still possible to smoke on Swiss trains in special smoking carriages. From 1 June 2019, it won’t even be possible to smoke on train platforms. Smokers will soon have to take their […]
Greenpeace attacks Nestlé’s office in Vevey over plastic waste
This week, Greenpeace activists protested against single-use plastic in front of Nestlé’s headquarters in Vevey, according to the newspaper Le Matin. One group of protesters, carrying a plastic monster made from plastic waste that has been touring Europe after arriving in Rotterdam from the Philippines, demanded that Nestlé take back its plastic monster. Take back […]
Swisscom switches on its 5G mobile network
This week, Swisscom became the first Swiss mobile phone company to switch on its 5G network, according to a press release. Swisscom spokesperson, Esther Hüsler, said that at midnight on Wednesday Swisscom flipped the switch to become the first Swiss operator to put its 5G network into service. It’s 5G network went live across 102 […]
Campaign launched for permanent winter time in Switzerland
Yvette Estermann, a member of the Swiss People’s Party (UDC/SVP), is leading a campaign to collect 100,000 signatures for a referendum aimed at switching Switzerland to permanent winter time, also known as normal time, according to the newspaper Le Matin. When Swiss clocks are set to winter time the sun is at its highest point […]
60% of insects in Switzerland threatened with extinction
The Swiss Academy of Sciences estimates that around 60% of the 1,143 insects studied in Switzerland are threatened with extinction. Another long term study in Germany shows that insect biomass, or combined weight, has declined by 76% over the last 30 years. According to the Swiss Academy of Sciences, the main drivers of insect loss […]
Question of the week: if aging populations are good for the environment why don’t we promote them?
Ageing demography leads to population decline and reduced consumption, which eases the impact of humans on the environment. However, most analysis on the subject presents this as a problem, something to be actively reversed. If we really care about climate change and long term human survival, wouldn’t learning to embrace and adapt to ageing societies […]
Climate change negatively affecting Lake Geneva
Since 2012, the depths of Lake Geneva have not been properly replenished with oxygen because of a lack of cold weather. Normally, cold winter weather cools surface water. This denser cold water then falls creating a mixing action, which oxygenates the water. The colder the surface the more vigorous the mixing. According to the Commission […]
