According to LITRA, the Swiss covered more distance by train than anyone else in the world in 2014. An average Swiss resident covered 2,288 km by train, more than twice the distance of an average Brit (1,056 km). Even the French with their world-class high-speed TGV train network were well behind the Swiss with only […]
Do you work for a good business or a bad one? Here’s what to look for.
What is good business? What is an ethical company? Some people struggle to answer this question. Others have well defined views and examples of what good business looks like. They can also describe bad businesses they think exploit human weakness or damage the environment. The School of Life, founded by Zurich-born Alain de Botton, a […]
Switzerland bans Volkswagen sales
On Friday the Swiss Federal Roads Office (OFROU) issued a ban on the sale of certain models of Volkswagen cars in Switzerland. The ban covers all unsold cars that might have devices that can fool emissions tests. According to OFROU calculations, as many 180,000 vehicles might be affected. The ban includes Volkswagen, Audi, Skoda and […]
First snow expected in Switzerland
Today is the September equinox, the day when the sun rises directly in the east and sets directly in the west. It also marks the start of autumn, however if you live above 1,500m it is likely to feel more like the beginning of winter. According to the weather forecaster Meteonews, snow is predicted above […]
Rare tornado on Lake Zurich, Switzerland
On Saturday a rare tornado was seen on Lake Zurich. Photographs and videos were taken by those who saw it and posted on Twitter. Tornados are rotating columns of air. They are caused when warm moist air meets cool dry air. When these two air masses meet, they create instability in the atmosphere – cold […]
Make the most of the last nice day
According to Meteo Suisse temperatures are set to drop by around 10 degrees across nearly all of Switzerland tomorrow. Today’s forecast high in Geneva is 33 degrees. Tomorrow the high is expected to reach only 22 degrees. Zurich is similar: 32 degrees today and 24 degrees tomorrow. By Saturday everywhere north of the Alps is […]
Geneva to fine homeowners without double glazing
GHI. According to an article in the newspaper GHI, all homeowners in Geneva that still have single glazing in their homes at the end of January 2016 will be fined. Double glazing incorporating non-insulated aluminium frames will also attract fines. Housing consumes half of Geneva’s energy and generates two thirds of its carbon emission. The […]
Could Switzerland be the best place when climatic catastrophe strikes?
The American climate change activist and director of climate science at Columbia University’s Earth Institute James Hansen describes Switzerland’s advantages when global droughts, rising sea levels and extreme weather conditions strike. The Atlantic newspaper asked James Hansen: “If climate change continues at this pace, is anywhere going to be safe?”. “Switzerland would be a good […]
Mind-blowing facts about Switzerland
Quora.com – where questions are asked and answered by a community of users. Dheera Venkatraman says: That the annual CO2 emissions per capita is around 5-6 metric tonnes. That’s astounding efficiency for a developed nation. Compare that to 18-19 for the United States and 9-10 for Germany, 8-10 for Japan in recent years. That the […]
Wasp nests growing faster than normal
Wasps love summer heat and this summer has been particularly favourable for them, keeping Swiss exterminators very busy. Wasps differ from bees in many ways. Bees eat nectar while wasps have a broader diet that includes meat, which means they are attracted to barbeques. In addition, wasps are more aggressive and can sting multiple times. […]
