From 1 November 2017, Lausanne will slap big fines on those littering or soiling its public spaces. Spitting in or near a public a public space will come with a CHF 100 fine. Urinating and defecating will cost CHF 200. Dog owners will face fines for failing to clean up dog poo (CHF 150), allowing […]
Switzerland’s organic honey myth – and how bees are paying the price
In Switzerland and around the world, honey bees are dying. Why do we care? Not just because we love honey. Countless fruits and other plants we depend upon can’t thrive without pollination by bees. Two culprits are largely responsible for honey bee die-offs, say researchers and beekeepers. One villain is the Varroa mite. This parasite […]
Uneasy breathing – 9 million die from pollution
Take a deep breath, but not too deep. A recent report published in The Lancet estimates 9 million people died prematurely from pollution in 2015, accounting for 16% of all deaths globally, 15 times more than from all wars and other forms of violence. The rich-world is not spared. The biggest killer, air pollution, accounted […]
Majority of Swiss see a future beyond car ownership
A recent study finds that a majority of Swiss see a future beyond car ownership. This new post-car world, set out by a team of geographers, architects, urbanists, economists, engineers, and political and social scientists, asked the public to imagine living in a society that would choose to live car free, not out of environmental constraints […]
3 million francs of gold and silver found in Swiss sewers
Call it “dirty money” if you wish, because there’s about CHF 3 million in gold and silver found each year in Swiss sewage. But no one is going to get rich, according to a just-published report by the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag). Recovering the estimated CHF 1.5 million in gold, […]
How bees add 350 million francs to the Swiss economy
While they are buzzing around Switzerland gathering and spreading pollen, bees are also contributing CHF 350 million to the economy, according to a recent report by Swiss agriculture agency, Agroscope. Without these industrious bees, Switzerland’s (and the world’s) agriculture would wither. Though in Switzerland only 14 percent of cropland directly depends upon bee pollination, that […]
Swiss retailers called on to remove palm oil from their products
Two Swiss NGOs have started a petition calling for Swiss retailers to reduce or remove palm oil from their products. Present in many processed foods, cosmetics and detergents, the ingredient has a bad reputation. The NGOs Bread for All and the Swiss Catholic Lenten Fund want to see a reduction in palm oil consumption. They […]
Geneva wants more vegetarian meals in school canteens
20 Minutes. The administration of the city of Geneva wants schools to serve more vegetarian meals. Administrative councillor Esther Alder told 20 Minutes “We are receiving more and more requests, particularly from children’s parents.” While the city cannot impose rules on school canteens it hopes that all of its 47 school restaurants start to offer […]
8 people missing after Swiss landslide
According to Swiss broadcaster RTS, 14 people are unaccounted for following a landslide in the Val Bondasca region in the Swiss canton of Graubünden on Wednesday. Rocks and earth poured down the valley. A video of the landslide can be seen here. RTS shows the aftermath in another video. According to local police, six of […]
Balls or burgers – insect products coming to Swiss supermarkets soon
Would you eat balls made from insects? Last year the Swiss supermarket Coop applied for authorisation to sell insect based products. Then on 14 August 2017 it announced a limited number of its stores and its delivery service Coop@home would start selling the products from 21 August 2017, phasing the products in across other stores between […]
