Tag Archives: environment

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. © Tpibernik | Dreamstime.com 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 rollout of the technology. Switzerland’s federal government in Bern calls the shots when it comes to the overall plan on 5G rollout. The...

Non-smokers will soon be able to breathe easily while waiting for Swiss trains, according to the newspaper Le Matin. © Gordon Bell _ Dreamstime.com 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 last quick puffs before they enter train stations. E-cigarettes are included in the new ban that follows smoke free platform tests at a number of Swiss...

This week, Greenpeace activists protested against single-use plastic in front of Nestlé’s headquarters in Vevey, according to the newspaper Le Matin. [embedded content] 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 your monster #nestle pic.twitter.com/Obt6hpJPeX — Elsy (@elsy_n) April 19, 2019 Others carried large bags of...

This week, Swisscom became the first Swiss mobile phone company to switch on its 5G network, according to a press release. © Mykhailo Polenok | Dreamstime.com 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 locations across the country, including most of Switzerland’s cities. The announcement comes a week after the parliament of the...

© Sabine Katzenberger | Dreamstime.com Comparing 2018 to 2012, thefts in Switzerland fell by nearly half, according to the Federal Statistical Office. In 2012, there were a record 219,000 thefts recorded in Switzerland. By 2018, the figure had fallen to 112,000, a drop of 49%. Over the same period, all categories of theft with the exception of fraud were down. Car theft (-13%), bike theft (-20%), break-ins (-51%) and...

Comparing 2018 to 2012, thefts in Switzerland fell by nearly half, according to the Federal Statistical Office. © Sabine Katzenberger | Dreamstime.com In 2012, there were a record 219,000 thefts recorded in Switzerland. By 2018, the figure had fallen to 112,000, a drop of 49%. Over the same period, all categories of theft with the exception of fraud were down. Car theft (-13%), bike theft (-20%), break-ins (-51%) and vandalism (-21%) were all down. Only fraud rose (+90%). In addition, the...

Switzerland’s Federal Office of Civil Aviation (FOCA) has decided to further regulate drones by forcing owners to register them, according to the newspaper NZZ am Sonntag. © Williammacgregor | Dreamstime.com The new requirement, which will probably start in 2020, was suggested in 2017. Drone registration would be done online by the owner. How the police would access the database is still being considered. Currently, those flying drones weighing more than 30 kg require authorization. There are...

Only female hens can lay eggs. Many of the hens used to produce eggs come from hatcheries that sort and dispose of the male chicks. © Emiralikokal | Dreamstime.com One way some dispose of these unwanted chicks is by grinding them alive, a gruesome process known as maceration – this video shows how it’s done [WARNING: graphic footage]. Defenders of animal rights in Switzerland want this practice ended. A parliamentary commission recently voted 13 to 7 in favour of a motion to change the law to...

Between 1999 and 2017 the amount of organic food produced on Swiss farms more than doubled. © Stefano Ember | Dreamstime.com In 1999, 5.3% of Switzerland’s farm output was organic. By 2017 this figure had risen to 11.7%. In 1999, Swiss farms produced CHF 562 million worth of organic food. In 2017, they produced CHF 1.2 billion. Consumers are spending more and more on organic produce. From 1998 to 2017, the average percentage of total food expenditure on organic food rose from 4% to 9%. Based...

Third quarter Swiss GDP figures released yesterday show Switzerland’s economy shrank compared to the quarter before. © Tobias Arhelger | Dreamstime.com GDP for the quarter to September was down by 0.2% compared to the quarter before, ending an 18-month run of quarterly growth. The fall in Swiss GDP follows a quarterly slowdown across the rest of Europe, in Germany in particular. A fall in the output of Germany’s automotive sector has had a knock on effect in Switzerland. Swiss manufacturing...