In 2016, the Swiss plateau experienced its driest December since records began in 1864, according to Swiss Meteo. Across the area between Lake Geneva in the west and Lake Constance in the East, an average of only 2mm of precipitation was recorded. Across half of the plateau, not a single drop of moisture fell. From 1981 […]
50 percent of Swiss sleep with their pets, estimates vet
20 Minutes. Is it OK to sleep with your cat or dog? There appears to be no evidence that the practice presents any dangers to human health. According to vet Gabrielle Brunner, from Basel, the phenomenon is widespread in Switzerland. “I estimate that half of Swiss do it” she told 20 Minutes. From a sanitary perspective […]
Unseasonal high-pressure system keeping snow away from Switzerland
According to Swiss Meteo, an unseasonal high pressure system is currently passing over Switzerland. Not good news for those hoping for snow, the system is likely to affect the weather between now and 1 January 2017. The last three winters have brought strong anticyclones during Christmas. While this weather pattern is unusual compared to the […]
Swiss fact: Switzerland sends no urban waste to landfill
According to the Swiss Federal office for the environment, no Swiss urban waste ends up in landfill. Around 50% is recycled and the rest is used to produce energy. In 2013, Switzerland produced 5.7 tonnes of urban waste, around 700kgs per person. Half of this was recycled, while the other half was incinerated to produce […]
How gifts destroy billions of dollars of value
If you haven’t had a chance to go Christmas shopping don’t despair, gifts destroy value. For example, someone on a diet is unlikely to place much value on a box of chocolates. The difference between what was paid for the chocolates and what the recipient would have paid represents destroyed value. They could have been […]
Coop to launch insect meatballs and burgers
Switzerland’s federal government recently announced plans to authorise the commercialisation of insects and worms as domestic food products. The supermarket Coop has applied for authorisation under the new rules, and plans to launch a new range of insect-based products. High in protein, insects come with a low carbon footprint and resource requirement. The federal office […]
Swiss MPs want cyclists to systematically lose driving licenses for rule breaking
20 Minutes. Hans-Peter Portman, a parliamentarian from Zurich, wants cyclists who break the road rules to suffer the same penalties as drivers. Last week, he, along with 72 other members, signed a parliamentary motion to have the sanctions stiffened for errant cyclists. According to Blick, the most common transgressions are crossing white lines, running red lights, weaving […]
No increase in Swiss cigarette tax likely in 2017
20 Minutes. Switzerland’s parliament voted 117 to 60 to reject the Federal Council’s plan to increase the tax on a packet of cigarettes in 2017. The Council of States, Switzerland’s upper house, will give its verdict next. From 2005 to 2015, the price of a packet of the most widely sold cigarettes has risen from […]
The Swiss commune that inspired a Nobel-prize-winning theory on communal ownership
A traditional village in the Upper Valais helped give the world two of the most influential modern ideas in sociology and environmental activism. The region’s also worth visiting for its breath-taking 300˚ view of the Alps, visible from the top of an amazing high marshland, and for a super restaurant 2048 metres up above the […]
Regular passenger trains start running through world’s longest train tunnel
Tribune de Genève. The world’s longest train tunnel (57km) now has trains running through it. After spending CHF 12.2 billion over 17 years the tunnel is now open for business. Regular passenger trains running between Zurich and Bellinzona will now get there around 30 minutes faster, in a total journey time of 1 hour and 38 […]
