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S U B S C R I B E
WRS stories about environment
WWF issues sobering message ahead of Rio
Tuesday, 15 May, 2012
A growing population is using too many resources and putting unbearable pressure on our planet. That’s the view of the WWF, the World Wide Fund for Nature which launches the 2012 edition of its Living Planet report today. The report measures changes in the health of the planet’s ecosystems and the WWF has brought forward its publication to send a strong message to the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development taking place in Rio next month. As Jim Leape, Director General WWF International tells WRS’s reporter Vincent Landon, the news is grim whatever statistic you choose:
Tuesday, 15 May, 2012
A growing population is using too many resources and putting unbearable pressure on our planet. That’s the view of the WWF, the World Wide Fund for Nature which launches the 2012 edition of its Living Planet report today. The report measures changes in the health of the planet’s ecosystems and the WWF has brought forward its publication to send a strong message to the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development taking place in Rio next month. As Jim Leape, Director General WWF International tells WRS’s reporter Vincent Landon, the news is grim whatever statistic you choose:
Solar Impulse in dress rehearsal for Morocco flight
Monday, 7 May, 2012
The solar-powered aircraft Solar Impulse took off last year for Brussels and Paris. Now the Solar Impulse team has a flight plan for Morocco. But before that trip they’re working out some of the last kinks with a test flight today. WRS’s Helena Humphrey is at the airfield in payerne in the canton of Vaud:
Monday, 7 May, 2012
The solar-powered aircraft Solar Impulse took off last year for Brussels and Paris. Now the Solar Impulse team has a flight plan for Morocco. But before that trip they’re working out some of the last kinks with a test flight today. WRS’s Helena Humphrey is at the airfield in payerne in the canton of Vaud:
Developed world consumes enough for 3 planets
Tuesday, 1 May, 2012
Twenty years ago the Rio Earth Summit turned the world’s attention to the idea of sustainable development and preserving our planet. Later this year, global leaders will once again gather in Rio to assess what’s been achieved since then. So what has Switzerland done since 1992 to make the planet healthier? Has the country achieved its sustainable development goals? Far from it, says a report published by the Federal Statistics Office. Consumption has increased and inequalities persist between rich and poor. WRS’s Dave Goodman talks to Philippe Roch, former head of the Federal Environment Agency, who now works as a consultant:
Tuesday, 1 May, 2012
Twenty years ago the Rio Earth Summit turned the world’s attention to the idea of sustainable development and preserving our planet. Later this year, global leaders will once again gather in Rio to assess what’s been achieved since then. So what has Switzerland done since 1992 to make the planet healthier? Has the country achieved its sustainable development goals? Far from it, says a report published by the Federal Statistics Office. Consumption has increased and inequalities persist between rich and poor. WRS’s Dave Goodman talks to Philippe Roch, former head of the Federal Environment Agency, who now works as a consultant:
Renewables, efficiency keys to post-nuclear Switzerland
Thursday, 19 April, 2012
Last year the government called time on nuclear power in Switzerland. Since 40 percent of the electricity produced in Switzerland is nuclear-generated, filling the gap once the last nuclear power station goes offline is going to be a tall order. But the government thinks it is possible and yesterday, in Bern, outlined its new energy policy. WRS reporter Vincent Landon has more:
Thursday, 19 April, 2012
Last year the government called time on nuclear power in Switzerland. Since 40 percent of the electricity produced in Switzerland is nuclear-generated, filling the gap once the last nuclear power station goes offline is going to be a tall order. But the government thinks it is possible and yesterday, in Bern, outlined its new energy policy. WRS reporter Vincent Landon has more:
Could gas powered plants replace nuclear?
Monday, 16 April, 2012
Switzerland is preparing a phaseout of nuclear power. But will the atom be replaced with gas? Several Sunday papers say the energy minister Doris Leuthard is considering opening five to seven new gas powered plants. But the idea of swapping nuclear plants for gas powered plants is already getting a chilly reception. WRS’s Jordan Davis has been following the story and talks about the logic behind new gas powered plants:
Monday, 16 April, 2012
Switzerland is preparing a phaseout of nuclear power. But will the atom be replaced with gas? Several Sunday papers say the energy minister Doris Leuthard is considering opening five to seven new gas powered plants. But the idea of swapping nuclear plants for gas powered plants is already getting a chilly reception. WRS’s Jordan Davis has been following the story and talks about the logic behind new gas powered plants:
Translating your food's footprint no easy task
Tuesday, 21 February, 2012
Do you know the ecological footprint of the food you’re eating for breakfast this morning? There are plenty of labels out there already to tell you if they’re organic, fair trade, or pesticide-free, but what about the overall impact of their production to the environment? Well, the Federal Environment Office has a plan to reveal it to the consumer, but it won’t be easy. WRS’s Lucas Chambers has the story:
Tuesday, 21 February, 2012
Do you know the ecological footprint of the food you’re eating for breakfast this morning? There are plenty of labels out there already to tell you if they’re organic, fair trade, or pesticide-free, but what about the overall impact of their production to the environment? Well, the Federal Environment Office has a plan to reveal it to the consumer, but it won’t be easy. WRS’s Lucas Chambers has the story:
Ongoing cold threatens crops but curbs insects
Thursday, 9 February, 2012
Switzerland feels like it has been in an icy grip for months now and with the cold snap likely to continue for another week how are farmers coping with the extreme lows? If temperatures dip below 10 degrees for too long, some crops and vegetables may start dying. The cold is also making life difficult for those who sell fresh produce at the market. But there is some good news because right now the chill is hurting the insects more than the veggies. WRS’s Lucas Chambers has the story:
Thursday, 9 February, 2012
Switzerland feels like it has been in an icy grip for months now and with the cold snap likely to continue for another week how are farmers coping with the extreme lows? If temperatures dip below 10 degrees for too long, some crops and vegetables may start dying. The cold is also making life difficult for those who sell fresh produce at the market. But there is some good news because right now the chill is hurting the insects more than the veggies. WRS’s Lucas Chambers has the story:
It's official—2011 hottest year on record
Wednesday, 4 January, 2012
It’s a wet morning across the country but before you curse the rain we should give thanks because last year was an exceptionally dry year for Switzerland and much of Europe. It was also the hottest year on Swiss records. MeteoSwiss spent the first few days of 2012 crunching the numbers. Pierre Eckert, the head of MeteoSwiss’s Geneva bureau told WRS’s Catherine Allen all about it:
Wednesday, 4 January, 2012
It’s a wet morning across the country but before you curse the rain we should give thanks because last year was an exceptionally dry year for Switzerland and much of Europe. It was also the hottest year on Swiss records. MeteoSwiss spent the first few days of 2012 crunching the numbers. Pierre Eckert, the head of MeteoSwiss’s Geneva bureau told WRS’s Catherine Allen all about it:
Zermatt strives to go green
Wednesday, 21 December, 2011
Sustainability is the buzz word in tourism these days. But when it comes to ski resorts, how do you bring in more tourists, build more hotels and bigger lifts, and pump out tons of artificial snow while still respecting the environment? WRS’s Vincent Landon travelled to Zermatt to find out how one mecca of winter sports is trying to reconcile the needs of nature and tourists:
Wednesday, 21 December, 2011
Sustainability is the buzz word in tourism these days. But when it comes to ski resorts, how do you bring in more tourists, build more hotels and bigger lifts, and pump out tons of artificial snow while still respecting the environment? WRS’s Vincent Landon travelled to Zermatt to find out how one mecca of winter sports is trying to reconcile the needs of nature and tourists:
Sheep and Christmas trees live in harmony near Bern
Monday, 19 December, 2011
How green is your Christmas tree? Not the colour but how environmentally friendly is it? There’s good news if you’re after that absolutely eco-friendly tree this Christmas—some Swiss farmers are using sheep to stay green! As WRS’s Lucas Chambers explains they are highly efficient but also highly sensitive:
Monday, 19 December, 2011
How green is your Christmas tree? Not the colour but how environmentally friendly is it? There’s good news if you’re after that absolutely eco-friendly tree this Christmas—some Swiss farmers are using sheep to stay green! As WRS’s Lucas Chambers explains they are highly efficient but also highly sensitive:
Bern rejects tax on carbon dioxide emissions
Friday, 16 December, 2011
Green campaigners have suffered a setback after Parliament rejected proposals for a tax on fuel to cut carbon emissions. Yesterday the Council of States performed a U-turn and shelved the idea. Senators had previously argued that such a tax was necessary for Switzerland to reach its target of a 20 percent cut in carbon dioxide emissions by 2020. It now means both houses of Parliament have rejected the proposal. WRS’s Dave Goodman talks to Patrick Hofstetter, head of climate policy for WWF Switzerland:
Friday, 16 December, 2011
Green campaigners have suffered a setback after Parliament rejected proposals for a tax on fuel to cut carbon emissions. Yesterday the Council of States performed a U-turn and shelved the idea. Senators had previously argued that such a tax was necessary for Switzerland to reach its target of a 20 percent cut in carbon dioxide emissions by 2020. It now means both houses of Parliament have rejected the proposal. WRS’s Dave Goodman talks to Patrick Hofstetter, head of climate policy for WWF Switzerland:
PlanetSolar faces Gulf of Aden pirate threat in its final stretch
Tuesday, 13 December, 2011
It has been 15 months now since a team of explorers launched its bid to go around the world in a solar-powered boat. The PlanetSolar project aims to showcase solar technology and demonstrate its potential. The team set off from Monaco, crossed the Atlantic, stopped off in Cancún for the world climate change summit, then headed across the Pacific to Australia. They then navigated some of the world’s most exotic channels, including around Thailand, Singapore, Sri Lanka and India. On the final stretch, PlanetSolar is preparing to enter the Gulf of Aden—notorious for its piracy threat. To hear how the adventure is going and what measures they’re taking for the coming weeks, WRS’s Dave Goodman talks to Raphaël Domjan, founder of PlanetSolar:
Tuesday, 13 December, 2011
It has been 15 months now since a team of explorers launched its bid to go around the world in a solar-powered boat. The PlanetSolar project aims to showcase solar technology and demonstrate its potential. The team set off from Monaco, crossed the Atlantic, stopped off in Cancún for the world climate change summit, then headed across the Pacific to Australia. They then navigated some of the world’s most exotic channels, including around Thailand, Singapore, Sri Lanka and India. On the final stretch, PlanetSolar is preparing to enter the Gulf of Aden—notorious for its piracy threat. To hear how the adventure is going and what measures they’re taking for the coming weeks, WRS’s Dave Goodman talks to Raphaël Domjan, founder of PlanetSolar:
Green growth seen as incentive to reduce climate change impact
Monday, 12 December, 2011
UN climate talks finally wrapped up over the weekend as efforts to battle out a deal were extended by two days. So what was decided—world changing action or just more hot air? WRS’s Dave Goodman talked to Stewart Maginnis, director of the Global Forest and Climate Change Programme at IUCN—the world’s oldest and largest global environmental organization based in Gland:
Monday, 12 December, 2011
UN climate talks finally wrapped up over the weekend as efforts to battle out a deal were extended by two days. So what was decided—world changing action or just more hot air? WRS’s Dave Goodman talked to Stewart Maginnis, director of the Global Forest and Climate Change Programme at IUCN—the world’s oldest and largest global environmental organization based in Gland:
Going green for Christmas with a live tree
Monday, 12 December, 2011
Many people have probably been out this past weekend looking to buy a Christmas tree. Given growing concerns about the environment, the idea of chopping down trees just so we can have a few weeks of seasonal fun may seem out of step with the times. Reporter Rosalind Yarde has been investigating an increasingly popular trend in Geneva—hiring or buying recyclable Christmas trees:
Monday, 12 December, 2011
Many people have probably been out this past weekend looking to buy a Christmas tree. Given growing concerns about the environment, the idea of chopping down trees just so we can have a few weeks of seasonal fun may seem out of step with the times. Reporter Rosalind Yarde has been investigating an increasingly popular trend in Geneva—hiring or buying recyclable Christmas trees:
