wire - news in brief

Avalanche bulletin and snow situation To enhance biodiversity across aquatic and terrestrial systems, natural areas of high ecological value need to be interconnected. However, the necessary collaboration between different stakeholders is often lacking, particularly in urban areas. This is shown by a new study as part of the Blue-Green Biodiversity research initiative.

To enhance biodiversity across aquatic and terrestrial systems, natural areas of high ecological value need to be interconnected. However, the necessary collaboration between different stakeholders is often lacking, particularly in urban areas. This is shown by a new study as part of the 'Blue-Green Biodiversity' Research Initiative.

Traditional shingle production has inspired researchers at Empa and ETH Zurich to develop new types of wood-based panels made from split wooden sticks. Thanks to an AI-optimized process, these panels should be suitable for load-bearing components in the future - even if produced from lower-quality wood and tree trunks.

To contain the spread of the invasive quagga mussel in Swiss lakes, researchers recommend swift action based on comprehensive prevention, early detection and containment.

An international team, including researchers from UNIGE, has revealed that the Arabian Peninsula's desert was once home to a vast lake and rivers that shaped its landscape. The Empty Quarter (Rub' al-Khali), the vast desert of the Arabian Peninsula, was not always an arid landscape.

The Italian-Swiss research project WINCA4TI has begun. Until June 2027 it will analyze the interconnections between water, nature, climate and agriculture in the river basin.

It takes ten times more electricity for ChatGPT to respond to a prompt than for Google to carry out a standard search.

In addition to being the basis of life, water contains a wealth of valuable information about and for humankind.

In addition to being the basis of life, water contains a wealth of valuable information about and for humankind.

40th anniversary of the Vienna Convention for the protection of the ozone layer The Earth's protective ozone layer is recovering - a success story that started 40 years ago with the Vienna Convention. Global atmospheric measurements are crucial for the regulation and monitoring of ozone-depleting substances.

From bridges and tunnels to railways, Switzerland has always invested heavily in the upkeep of its infrastructure.

Avalanche bulletin and snow situation Over the past decade, extreme events such as heat, drought, storms and pests have taken a heavy toll on Swiss forests.

In order to guarantee the security of supply of our future energy system, we need not only an expansion of renewable energies, but also sophisticated control mechanisms that efficiently manage production, distribution and consumption.

Storage hydropower plants play a central role in balancing fluctuations in the electricity grid while remaining carbon neutral. To better reconcile electricity production with the protection of biodiversity in the long term, it is crucial that hydropower management considers not only the ecological consequences of individual hydropeaking events, but also their cumulative effects.

The book "A Comprehensive Guide to Greenwashing Phenomena, Contexts, and Trends: The Mean, Lean Washing Machine" has recently been published.

Millions of different organic compounds are found in the soil and in bodies of water. New methods are making it possible to analyse these molecules more accurately than ever before - and to decipher their role in the functioning of ecosystems and species communities. In a scientific journal, a research team from Eawag and University of Zurich therefore calls for a new "ecology of molecules".

In a survey, the public had a say in the names of the two fish species discovered by researchers from the University of Bern.

By combining the four giant telescopes of the Very Large Telescope, an international team has observed the exoplanet WASP-121b with unprecedented precision, revealing one of the most extreme climates in the Galaxy. WASP-121b is one of the most studied exoplanets. Known for its extreme conditions-such as clouds of metal vapor-it belongs to the category of ultra-hot Jupiters.

Cleaning wastewater is a challenge for mountain huts: the quantities involved fluctuate greatly, and as water is used sparingly, the wastewater is highly concentrated.

Global warming causes extreme temperatures - this is clear to most, but few realize that both droughts and heavy rains are symptomatic of a climate in crisis.

To support environmental conservation efforts, an EPFL start-up has developed a smart microphone system that can record and analyze the sounds made by animals.

Allergies and asthma are widespread diseases that could arise during embryonal development in the womb.

ETH Zurich's CAS programme in Applied Technology in Energy provides a deeper understanding of the energy system.

A study by Swiss TPH, in collaboration with European research partners, provides critical insights into the interplay of air pollution, greenspace, and temperature on respiratory health.

An architecture PhD candidate at ETH Zurich has developed a simple solution for building concrete floors in a more climate-friendly way.

Researchers from ETH Zurich and ZHAW Winterthur are simulating in a new study how the future Swiss power system could be structured to withstand a drastic fall in gas and electricity imports.

An international team of researchers has examined the environmental, social, economic and legal aspects of wind energy. In this interview, Russell McKenna, an expert in energy system analysis, explains where he sees the greatest need for action to further develop wind energy. ETH News: What is the study about, and what is its core message? Russell McKenna: The study looks at the impacts of wind energy on the systems in which it is embedded; whether environmental and climate systems, socio-economic, techno-economic, or political-legal systems.

The fourth Antarctic campaign of the -Beyond EPICA - Oldest Iceproject, funded by the European Commission, has achieved a historic milestone for climate science.

Until now, contraception has been the method of choice for zoos to avoid surplus animals.