In 2018, 68.5% of the nation’s residents aged 15 or older was working, 1.5% more than in 2010. This rise was largely driven by an increase in the percentage of women in the workforce. In 2010, 60.0% were working. By 2018, 62.9% were, a rise of 2.9%. On the other hand, the overall percentage of […]
Basel terrorist plot uncovered
According to various media reports, fuel tanks at a port in Basel were at the heart of an attack planned for this January by the so called Islamic State, reported the newspaper 20 Minutes. Files describing the plan, designed to trigger “economic disaster”, were discovered on a hard disk left behind by IS members during […]
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 […]
Switzerland to vote against animal experimentation
A vote aiming to make experimentation on animals and humans illegal has passed the first official hurdle. Late last week, the administration gave the initiative a green light after validating 123,640 signatures, a number exceeding the 100,000 minimum. Launched by a group in the canton of St. Gallen in 2017, the initiative aims to make […]
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 […]
Swiss government pushes to get refugees and asylum seekers working
Every year around 11,000 people apply for asylum in Switzerland. The first challenge many face is learning the local language. The next is finding a job or getting an education. Poor language proficiency and cantonal labour market restrictions are the main reasons why refugees don’t work, according to various studies. The employment rate among refugees […]
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 […]
