wire - news in brief

Original article published in the Bündner Woche, August 28, 2024, p. Obere Strasse 22 7270 Davos Platz +41 81 410 60 80 info@academiaraetica.ch www.academiaraetica.ch Resea

Biodiversity is not a political programme: Only just 1.6 % of all documents searched at federal level make reference to the term.

Ahead of the vote on the biodiversity initiative, basic insights on the state of biodiversity and habitats in Switzerland are being discussed controversially.

HSLU study shows the potential of greenery and solar panels on building facades Innovations are needed in the construction sector to respond to the effects of global warming.

A work drafted by Alexander von Humboldt but no longer published is being edited at the University of Bern. It contains a pioneering study on global ocean currents, which is more relevant than ever in view of the dwindling Gulf Stream. What would it be like if Beethoven's tenth symphony could be completed?

Researchers at the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI have analysed which regions of the world could produce hydrogen most cost-effectively in order to build an economy based on this alternative energy carrier rather than fossil-fuel based alternatives.

Cities need to become more sustainable and use their water resources more efficiently. Managing water in local small-scale cycles is one possible solution.

Southern Europe is currently battling a heat wave. Jan Carmeliet explains how cities can tackle the summer heat.

To transition away from fossil fuels and towards renewables - which are intermittent by nature - we'll need to rework our entire system of power storage, transmission and distribution. Yet experts haven't yet found the right energy mix or power storage system, or how to balance supply and demand effectively.

Data collected by satellites, drones, radars and microscopes provide a goldmine of information to better understand our environment. And when these data are coupled with artificial intelligence (AI), they can unlock the secrets of phenomena taking place at all levels. In a rapidly changing world where environmental threats abound, obtaining a better understanding of natural and anthropogenic processes can help corroborate points of view, guide conservation and renewal efforts, and orient new research.

Despite a wet and grey June, summers in Switzerland are getting hotter than expected. The increased summer temperatures harbour risks that we are not well prepared for, says Dominik Schumacher.

Biodiversity is dwindling rapidly, while measures to protect it are lagging behind the targets. Only one thing can help: utilising scarce resources as efficiently as possible where they are most effective. The "Lanat-3" research project lays the foundation for this with the help of the latest data and AI-supported models.

The VSA Water Quality Platform and Eawag have analysed the effects to date of the measures taken under the "Action Plan for Risk Reduction and Sustainable Use of Pesticides" on water quality.

Public transport ticket included: HSLU study examines the effects of free outward and return journeys in tourism Anyone who books three or more overnight stays in Appenzell Innerrhoden receives a free public transport ticket for the outward and return journey.

Jessica Droujko's start-up, Riverkin, measures the water quality of freshwater ecosystems and helps quantify and respond to risks such as floods and pollution. Thanks to an ETH Pioneer Fellowship, her work is now picking up speed. Jessica Droujko is passionate about water - and rivers in particular.

The numerous spin-offs and patents generated at ETH Zurich are the driving force behind innovation in the Swiss economy.

Green hydrogen could transform our energy system and solve many supply and emissions challenges. Whether this happens will depend on how economically it can be produced and attractive it will be to consumers.

Dense settlement on one side, nature on the other. When space is short, we need to think hard about how to use it.

The Aquascope underwater camera has been installed in Lake Zug. It is the second permanent measuring station for plankton in Swiss water bodies.

By supporting a large-scale research project for carbon capture, utilization and storage, EPFL will shrink its carbon footprint while giving a boost to emerging technology.

The landslide in Brienz (GR) in 2023 kept Switzerland on tenterhooks for weeks. Researchers from ETH Zurich, WSL and SLF used a model to provide a highly accurate blind prediction of where the sliding mass would come to rest. ETH Professor Johan Gaume explains how the model works and where its limitations lie.

Carbon concrete panels developed by the ZHAW are being used in building construction for the first time.

Solar energy, which is both abundant and free, is poised to become the world's leading power source by 2050.

How much CO2 do Suurstoffi residents save by commuting from home and coworking? The working residents of Suurstoffi consume an average of around 742 kg of CO2 per year for their commute.

EPFL has teamed up with three organizations - the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag), the University of Lausanne (UNIL) and the Association for the Safeguard of Lake Geneva (ASL) - to develop Lémanscope, a citizen-science initiative to monitor the health of Lake Geneva.

Renewable energies are not the main driver of biodiversity loss. It is rather the other way round: renewables can limit climate change in order to preserve biodiversity.

Number, size, surroundings and water level: for the first time, there are quantitative scientific recommendations when it comes to the development of new ecological infrastructures for amphibian conservation.