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Earth Sciences - Environment - 06.02.2025

For the first time, an international team of researchers has shown that countless tiny ice quakes take place in one of Greenland's mightiest ice streams. This finding will allow the flowing of the ice stream and associated changes in sea level to be estimated more accurately. The great ice streams of the Antarctic and Greenland are like frozen rivers, carrying ice from the massive inland ice sheets to the sea - and a change in their dynamics will contribute significantly to sea-level rise.
Environment - Earth Sciences - 30.01.2025

An international research team has concluded that the Sikkim flood disaster in the Himalayas in October 2023 was caused by some 14.7 million cubic meters of frozen moraine material collapsing into South Lhonak Lake, triggering a 20-meter flood wave. The event is a striking example of the increasing dangers of climate change in high mountain regions.
Environment - 29.01.2025

Consumers in Switzerland are prepared to spend much more money on cow's milk products if they have been produced in an animal-friendly way, and this factor is even more important to them than climate sustainability, as shown by a new study by the University of Basel. Consumers in Switzerland value the well-being of cows in Switzerland.
Environment - 23.01.2025

Twenty volunteers spent six months learning about the scientific method through a citizen-science initiative led by EPFL. The initiative was part of a study to determine how the microplastic particles released by tire wear are affecting lakes and rivers in Vaud Canton. The particles of plastic released as our tires rub against the pavement may be just a few millimeters big, but they're a huge source of pollution.
Life Sciences - Environment - 21.01.2025

Scientists from EPFL work on sustainable approaches to soil remediation, like the use of naturally occurring microorganisms that can "eat" pollutants found in soil and the water table.
Environment - Materials Science - 19.01.2025

Mining the Atmosphere, a new Empa research initiative, aims at capturing excess CO2 from the atmosphere and storing it in building materials such as concrete.
Life Sciences - Environment - 17.01.2025

A team from the University of Geneva shows how to produce two-headed and donut Hydras simply by applying pressure to their bodies. The Hydra is a small aquatic species found in freshwater ponds and lakes. This animal fascinates scientists because of its ability to regenerate its head or foot when they are cut off.
Environment - Transport - 16.01.2025

Flight ticket prices could rise by 50 percent if aviation is made climate-neutral. This is an estimate from a new study by researchers at ETH Zurich. It is based in particular on the use of synthetic fuels. Sustainably produced synthetic fuels burn more cleanly and thus generate less condensation and other climate-warming effects.
Earth Sciences - Environment - 15.01.2025

A study by the University of Bern and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in the USA concludes that ocean circulation in the North Atlantic, which includes the Gulf Stream, has not weakened over the past 60 years. These results contradict previous assumptions. We owe the mild climate in Europe to the ocean circulation in the North Atlantic, which not only transports heat northwards from the equator, but also distributes oxygen and nutrients in the ocean.
Innovation - Environment - 14.01.2025

Chemistry - Environment - 13.01.2025

Scientists led by EPFL, the University of Copenhagen, and Shanghai University have developed a copper catalyst that can efficiently convert carbon dioxide into acetaldehyde, a key chemical used in manufacturing. The breakthrough offers a green alternative to fossil-fuel-based processes. Acetaldehyde is a vital chemical used in making everything from perfumes to plastics.
Environment - Materials Science - 10.01.2025

Researchers at ETH Zurich have developed a climate-friendly covering for walls and ceilings that temporarily stores moisture, creating a comfortable environment in heavily used indoor spaces. The covering components are made of mineral waste materials and are produced by means of 3D printing. Whether it's the meeting room of an office building, the exhibition room of a museum or the waiting area of a government office, many people gather in such places, and quickly the air becomes thick.
Environment - 09.01.2025

When temperatures drop, the trunk and woody roots of trees stop growing. That was what everyone assumed, but research by scientists, led by the University of Antwerp involving WSL, now shows that there is indeed winter activity in wood underground. The underground world of trees is largely unexplored because it is mostly invisible and hard to access without damaging the tree.
Environment - Earth Sciences - 09.01.2025

On the Pic du Midi in the Pyrenees, researchers have analysed particulate matter, clouds and rainwater for traces of arsenic. Using newly developed measurement methods, they have elucidated the transport pathways of the environmental toxin in the atmosphere. Arsenic is a trace element that lies just below phosphorus - which is essential for all living organisms - in the periodic table.
Environment - Life Sciences - 08.01.2025

Two EPFL-led articles published in 'Nature' and 'Nature Microbiology' shed light on the uniqueness, complexity and climate-related vulnerability of the world's glacier-fed-stream microbiome. The streams draining the glaciers on our planet's mountaintops harbor a wealth of unique microorganisms, yet little was known about these complex ecosystems until recently.
Environment - Earth Sciences - 19.12.2024

The search for the world's oldest ice in Antarctica is entering a decisive phase. In this major European project, researchers in Antarctica are attempting to extract drill cores containing climate information from the past 1.5 million years. The University of Bern is playing an important role in this.
Environment - Innovation - 16.12.2024

A team from the universities of Basel and Geneva has assessed which policy measures provide the best incentives for green technologies. How can we ensure that as many Swiss households as possible install solar panels, their own battery to store solar energy, a heat pump or adopt an electric car? Scientists from the universities of Basel and Geneva have been looking into this question.
Environment - Materials Science - 16.12.2024
Please wait before burning
Sustainable, renewable and good for the climate: Wood is the material of the future. But how much of it do we actually have and how do we make best use of it? Researchers from Empa and WSL have now analyzed the material flows of wood in Switzerland in detail - and discovered untapped opportunities. Switzerland has set itself a goal that is as ambitious as it is necessary: net zero by 2050.
Environment - Innovation - 16.12.2024

A team from the universities of Basel and Geneva has assessed which policy measures provide the best incentives for green technologies. How can we ensure that as many Swiss households as possible install solar panels, their own battery to store solar energy, a heat pump or adopt an electric car? Scientists from the universities of Basel and Geneva have been looking into this question.
Environment - Architecture - 12.12.2024

To achieve net zero, we need to reduce our CO2 emissions quickly and efficiently. An EU project involving Empa has selected Zurich as one of three pilot cities in Europe to accurately measure and model their carbon dioxide emissions. The findings will help cities to achieve their climate targets. Cities are the largest source of greenhouse gases in the world.