"Mobile devices can easily be taken into the room or even into bed. Parents are less able to control their children's media consumption as a result," study leaders conclude.

Since electronic media are often used before falling asleep, ZHAW researchers investigated whether there are any correlations to sleep and rest among adolescents. The results show that most of the young people surveyed sleep between eight and eight and a half hours. However, sleep duration decreases with age. While 12- to 13-year-olds still sleep more than eight hours a night, 18- to 19-year-olds only sleep a little more than seven hours.

"Young people's time to fall asleep naturally shifts backwards as they get older, they become so-called owls," says ZHAW media psychologist Daniel Süss, who conducted the JAMESfocus study with Gregor Waller and his team. The JAMESfocus series takes an in-depth look at various aspects of the JAMES study, which examines the media behavior of Swiss young people between the ages of 12 and 19.

Teenagers unrecovered

In addition to the duration of sleep, the state of recovery of the adolescents during the week was also surveyed. Half of the surveyed adolescents, regardless of age, do not feel refreshed or tend not to feel refreshed during the week. The ZHAW researchers identified party attendance, playing video games, sending photos and movies with the cell phone, and using the cell phone as an alarm clock as risk factors for recovery. According to the ZHAW researchers, the media equipment of young people can therefore play a decisive role in sleep problems.

"Mobile devices can easily be taken into the room or even into bed. Parents are less able to control their children's media consumption as a result," says Daniel Süss. According to the 2014 JAMES study, Swiss young people are very well equipped: 98 percent own a cell phone, 76 percent a computer or laptop and 29 percent a tablet. Factors such as hormonal changes, social pressure or school requirements could not be recorded in this study. However, it is known from other studies that these also play an important role in sleep quality.

Not every reading good

If teenagers have sleep problems, it makes sense to ban the cell phone from the bedroom and, at most, reduce gaming. Smartphone screens and what's on them can rob children of sleep. But there's no need to despair either - very often, clear rules help. The important thing is for parents to talk to their children about it," says Michael In Albon, youth and media expert at Swisscom. Certain behaviors can have a positive effect on the quality of sleep of young people. "For example, if they do something with the family or read a book instead of WhatsApp messages before going to bed, they feel more rested the next day," says Daniel Süss.

Tips for schools

Check media use before going to bed: The release of the sleep-inducing hormone melatonin is delayed by the blue light components of the screens. Therefore, take a one-hour break from screens before going to bed. Switch off devices: For undisturbed sleep, mobile devices should be turned off or put in flight mode (without WLAN). Don't use your cell phone as an alarm clock: Use a conventional alarm clock instead of the cell phone and banish the cell phone from the nightstand - this way there is no reason to take the device into the room.

Ability to concentrate: For students who are unfocused or sleepy during class, media consumption - especially in the evening hours - should be addressed.

More information about the study

With the Kyoto Protocol and the new Paris Climate Agreement, 195 countries have committed themselves to limiting global warming. The countries themselves check whether they are actually making the necessary reductions in greenhouse gases on the basis of estimates and projections. The uncertainties are great and errors can creep in. Researchers supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) have developed a method to independently check this information by directly measuring the gases in the atmosphere.

Hardly any leaks in the natural gas pipelines
For this purpose, researchers from Empa in Dübendorf, the University of Bern and ETH Zurich combined the measured data for methane (CH4) with a dispersion model for air pollutants in Switzerland. The result: The values determined for 2013 deviated only slightly from the figures of the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) and thus confirmed the estimated annual emission of around 200,000 tons of methane.

The share of livestock, which accounts for the lion's share of methane emissions (70 percent), turned out to be somewhat lower than previously estimated. On the other hand, it was confirmed that natural gas pipelines in Swiss cities hardly leak at all. Previously, the assumptions on this were very uncertain. The higher-than-assumed methane emissions in northeastern Switzerland were surprising. "We are now planning a measurement campaign closer to the affected areas to verify whether the difference is indeed real," says Dominik Brunner, atmospheric physicist and head of the study at Empa.

For the model, Brunner and his colleagues integrated data from two measuring stations newly set up for this purpose on the Lägeren near Baden and on the former radio transmission tower in Beromünster (LU), as well as from two other sites in the Swiss midlands. A few sites are sufficient for determining methane emissions in Switzerland. Thanks to the weather model of the Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology (Meteoschweiz), the tortuous paths of the air parcels can be traced back across the Atlantic over several days.

Supplementation of the European measurement network
"We have refined the resolution of the inverse modeling, which has already been applied to larger-scale areas such as the USA, and adapted it to the scale of Switzerland with its difficult topography," says Stephan Henne, the study's lead author. The FOEN is expected to publish the study as an annex to Switzerland's latest greenhouse gas inventory on April 15, 2016. This places Switzerland, along with the United Kingdom and Australia, among the first three countries to publish an independent review of its figures.

The project called CarboCount-CH is considered a pilot project for a pan-European measuring network "Integrated Carbon Observation System" (ICOS), which will record the greenhouse gas emissions of all countries in Europe in the future. "With our CarboCount-CH measuring network, we will next investigate the uptake of carbon dioxide (CO2) by vegetation," says Henne.

The three companies nominated for the Swiss Ethics Award have now been determined; their names are:

- Despite GmbH: Assessment for positions of trust - AVP ©

- Die Sozialfirma AG: Sustainable integration of handicapped employees

- Weleda AG: Ethical procurement of natural raw materials

High requirements

Projects are nominated that meet the strict criteria regarding ethical benefit. The top-class jury, consisting of ethicists as well as representatives from business, science, theology and politics, selects the Award Winner from the nominated projects. The jury consists of:

- Stephan Baer, Baer Ammann GmbH

- National Councilor Corina Eichenberger

- Paola Ghillani, Paola Ghillani & Friends Ltd.

- Prof. Dr. Markus Huppenbauer, Ethics Center of the University of Zurich

- Prof. Dr. Hans Ruh, business and social ethicist

- Prof. Dr. Peter Schaber, Ethics Center of the University of Zurich

- Dr. Christoph Weber-Berg, Reformed Regional Church of Aargau

The Swiss Ethics Award

Since 2005, the SWISS EXCELLENCE FORUM has been honoring outstanding ethical performance in business with the Swiss Ethics Award. The focus is on achievements by organizations that assume responsibility in a special way and are actively committed to sustainable corporate governance.

New "Swiss Ethics Model

The "Swiss Ethics Model" was developed in collaboration with the Ethics Center of the University of Zurich. The model provides a management tool that can be used to sustainably develop the ethical performance of an organization. The model serves as an orientation for the management to implement its ethics strategy as well as to sensitize the employees and closes a delicate gap in the management system in an increasingly globalized market environment.

This year's keynotes:

Nadja Lang, Executive Director Max Havelaar Foundation (Switzerland); Roger de Weck, Director General SRG; Prof. Dr. Dr. Franz Josef Radermacher, mathematician and economist, University of Ulm will take the KKL stage. The conference will be moderated by Nicole Brandes.

New legal information and techniques for modern and concrete certificate language have been added. All sample references and text modules are also included on a CD-ROM. Performance and behavioral formulations can be used for your own references, in some cases with only minor adjustments. All references are also annotated, which makes selection easier and allows the special features of the sample references to be recognized immediately.

Martin Tschumi: "Work Manual for the Preparation of Testimonies".

7th expanded and updated edition 2016 published by PRAXIUM-Verlag, Zurich. (Volume: 334 pages, incl. CD-ROM with all sample certificates).

Source of supply

Today, on World Water Day, the UN reminds us that jobs and employment rates depend heavily on sustainable management of water resources, reliable water supply and sanitation infrastructure.

The UN report on water and work highlights that nearly half of the world's workforce is employed in highly water-dependent sectors. These include agriculture, forestry, fisheries, energy, resource-intensive manufacturing, recycling and tourism. Another third of all jobs are moderately dependent on water - such as the recreation sector, transportation and the construction industry. Thus, a total of 78% of all jobs worldwide depend on water.

Water consumption increases annually
Since the 1980s, freshwater consumption has increased by around 1% per year - mainly due to growing consumption in emerging and developing countries. In the already highly developed countries, however, consumption is stable or even slightly declining.

The reasons for rising consumption are urbanization and rising living standards, which go hand in hand with higher demand for water, food (especially meat) and energy. Here, the report also sees growth opportunities for certain sectors, such as wastewater treatment.

At the same time, however, the UN warns: If fresh water becomes scarce, this could limit growth opportunities in the coming years and decades and prevent the creation of good jobs. If no infrastructure exists - as is still the case in many countries - regions and countries can be cut off from an adequate water supply. Moreover, if the available water is of poor quality, high financial resources will be eaten up by water treatment.

Climate change exacerbates scarcity

In addition, water scarcity could lead to crises in affected countries, for example when different consumer groups compete for the scarce resources. The scenario is also exacerbated by climate change, which is leading to a further shortage of water resources in many places.

Investing in water means investing in jobs

The UN sees investment in water supply as an indispensable prerequisite for economic growth and thus also for jobs. It is shown that there is a high correlation between such investments and national income; the same applies to the existing water storage capacity.

To the report (available in English and Spanish)

Throughout Switzerland, buildings have been realized in recent years that are based on the guidelines of the 2000-watt society orientation. As the number of buildings increases, so does the need for monitoring the success of "2000-watt buildings".

The 2000-Watt Society therefore offers a new downloadable Monitoring standard for buildings and areas.

This compiles the specifications and instructions for action as a draft standard. It defines the requirements for the balancing of buildings, groups of buildings and areas over the three areas of construction, operation and mobility. The aim is to carry these out in the operating phase according to a uniform basic scheme, to ensure the comparability of the measured values and results collected, and to define a standard for their documentation.

The most common starting salary is currently between 80,000 and 94,999 Swiss francs. This means that Swiss graduates earn very well in a European comparison.

These are the findings of the "JobTrends Switzerland" study, which Staufenbiel Institut is publishing for Switzerland for the first time this year. In Germany, this benchmark study has been providing guidance on how the job market for young graduates is developing since the late 1980s. "For 27 years, we have been closely connected to the Swiss market for young academics as the organizer of the Absolventenkongress Schweiz, the largest job fair in the country," explains Birgit Giesen, Managing Director of Staufenbiel Institut. "We are now also incorporating our know-how into an annual study specifically on the Swiss graduate job market."

Social media use

The use of social media is not yet a matter of course in Swiss HR departments: social media is part of employer branding in just under three-quarters of companies. At 79 percent, Xing is particularly favored by HR managers. Facebook and LinkedIn are used by 66 percent of companies each. Social media plays a role for job postings at seven out of ten companies. Nine percent of companies use social networks to check the profile of their applicants.

Good application rate

Around one in four applicants makes it to an interview at the companies surveyed. Of these, 14 percent then lead to an employment contract. At 88 percent, major fields of study are the most important factor in the selection of applicants. The exam grade plays a subordinate role with only 46 percent. When it comes to personal criteria, Swiss employers focus on soft skills such as initiative, the ability to work in a team, analytical and conceptual skills, and communication skills, ahead of the ability to work under pressure and a willingness to take on responsibility.
With a master's degree, the doors are open to applicants with Swiss employers. 63 percent of the companies surveyed pay master's graduates a higher salary - on average, the salary difference between bachelor's and master's degrees is 13 percent.

Generation Internships

The "internship" generation is still very much in demand in Switzerland. 88 percent of the companies that took part in the study offer internships as a chance to gain practical experience. However, the internship should last at least three to six months. This is demanded by 86 percent of the companies. The companies hope that applicants will experience the "application of theory in practice" during the internship, "get to know everyday working life" and thus ultimately gain professional orientation and deepen their specialist knowledge.

More than three-quarters of employers offer interns a chance at permanent employment. However, the majority of companies surveyed advise against offering internships after graduation. In principle, interns are well compensated in Switzerland. Around half of the respondents find an internship salary of CHF 3,000 or more per month appropriate.

You can find the complete study and further information here

Without forests, Switzerland's drinking water supply would be at risk: This is reminded by the Association of forest owners on the occasion of Forest Day on March 21. Around 40% of Switzerland's drinking water comes from the forest. This acts on the one hand as a rainwater reservoir and on the other hand as a drinking water filter.

Compared to groundwater from agricultural or settlement areas, drinking water has fewer pollutants. According to the association, this is due on the one hand to the renunciation of fertilizers and pesticides as well as rarer incidents involving pollutants in the forest, and on the other hand to the sustainable management of the Swiss forest by its owners: For example, domestic forestry uses biodegradable and low-pollutant fuels and lubricants, does not carry out large-scale logging, and takes care of the forest floor, e.g., by driving through the forest only on defined paths as a matter of principle.

Stable forests ensure water quality
Forest soils are therefore not very compacted and, with their high humus layer and good root penetration, contribute significantly to water treatment. In complex mechanisms and chemical processes, the water is purified from possible pollutants such as pesticides, fertilizer substances, but also germs. In addition, the widely ramified and multi-layered root system of the forest plants ensures that water can penetrate well into the soil and be stored there - up to 2 million liters of water per hectare.

In order for the soil to fulfill its filtering and storage capacity optimally, active and prudent forest management is advantageous. For example, an appropriate proportion of hardwoods influences the positive effect. In addition, regular maintenance and harvesting interventions keep forests stable and less vulnerable to storm events. The tearing up of the forest floor by falling trees can thus be avoided and extensive collapses with subsequent nitrate release in water protection zones can be prevented; the overall structure of the natural filter remains intact and efficient.

Compensation demanded

However, according to the Association of Forest Owners, the efforts made by the Swiss forestry sector to protect drinking water are not sufficiently compensated. It therefore advocates compensation for the forest's drinking water services and the associated additional expenditure. Because, it concludes, the beneficiaries (drinking water catchments) save millions in treatment costs every year, while the majority of forestry operations make losses in the forest.

The online portal "Working safely with nanomaterials." of the German Social Accident Insurance (DGUV) provides information and e-learning tools on the topic of occupational health and safety when dealing with nanomaterials and nanotechnologies.

As of now, the interactive e-learning tool "Nanorama Production" available on the portal. It provides information on the safe manufacture and processing of nanomaterials. It also enables employees to recognize activities involving nanomaterials, to make a rough estimate of exposure, and to recognize and correctly apply selected protective measures by way of example.

Recognize work environments

The "Nanorama Production" offers insight into six different working environments: 1. synthesis, 2. dispersion of solid nanomaterials, 3. production of suspensions by means of a basket mill, 4. processing of dispersions, 5. storage as well as 6. operating laboratory. In addition, the "Nanorama" provides information on topics such as cleaning, measurements of airborne particles, explosion protection or industrial hygiene.

In the photo-realistic images of the 3D panorama, employees recognize occupational situations and receive valuable information on occupational safety and health as they work through the "Nanorama". The "Nanorama Production" is primarily aimed directly at employees, but can also be used by safety experts - e.g. for training purposes.

Behind the development is the Innovation Company, St.Gallena spin-off of the University of St.Gallen. The internationally active management and technology consulting company focuses on consulting on new technologies with a controversial opportunity/risk profile, such as biotechnology and genetic engineering, medicine and life sciences, and nanotechnology.

The Zürcher Kantonalbank (ZBK) awards the annual SME Prize. The award, worth 150,000 Swiss francs, is given to small and medium-sized enterprises that stand out for comprehensive sustainability in all areas.

Development is sustainable in the broad sense if it meets the needs of the present generation without jeopardizing the opportunities of future generations. For companies, this means using resources responsibly and competently. This means financial resources as well as social and ecological resources. The ability to manage sustainably is regarded as one of the essential components for maintaining and increasing the long-term value of the company.

To assess the sustainability performance of the applicants, the jury therefore gives equal weight to criteria from the fields of economics, environment, society, and management. In addition, the potential for future sustainability performance is taken into account.

In addition to the three main prizes, two special prizes will be awarded: The special prize for microenterprises is awarded to companies with around ten full-time positions. The special prize for exceptional performance honors, for example, special innovative projects, a high level of social commitment or an outstanding economic performance.

The jury is composed of representatives of the Zurich Cantonal Bank, the partners CCRS (Center for Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability) and öbu (Network for Sustainable Business) as well as renowned SME representatives.

The application is still possible until March 31, 2016.

Around a quarter of all deaths worldwide are attributable to working and living in an unhealthy environment: This is the conclusion of the WHO in a new report. Environmental risk factors such as air, water, and soil pollution, chemicals, climate change, and radiation contribute to about 100 different types of illnesses and injuries.

The most deadly factor turned out to be air pollution; this includes passive smoking. The WHO estimates that this alone causes 8.2 million deaths worldwide each year. Pollution leads to brain strokes, cardiovascular diseases, cancer and chronic respiratory diseases.

Fewer deaths from infections
In contrast, deaths from infectious diseases such as diarrhea or malaria, which are often due to poor water quality, inadequate sanitation infrastructure and waste management, have decreased. The main factors for this are that more people now have access to clean water, but also the increasing spread of vaccinations, mosquito nets and medicines.

Children and elderly as victims
Children under the age of five and the elderly are particularly often affected by premature deaths due to environmental risks. According to the WHO, the deaths of 1.7 million children could be prevented each year through better environmental management. These are particularly often affected by respiratory diseases and diarrheal diseases.

Regionally, Southeast Asia and the Western Pacific region are particularly affected - mainly low- to middle-income countries.

Simple measures
WHO proposes cost-effective measures to reverse the growing trend toward poorer air quality. These include using clean energy sources for cooking, heating and lighting instead of burning wood, coal and oil. Further improving access to clean water and encouraging hand washing are also among the proposed measures, as are smoking bans, sun protection and strategies for lower CO2 emissions.

A study by the University of Bern investigated whether levels of arsenic, cadmium, lead and uranium are elevated in soils of arable farming areas with high phosphorus-containing mineral fertilizer applications compared to soils without mineral fertilization, how high the pollutant loads from mineral fertilizers are and whether there is a risk of accumulation. For the study, 400 soil samples from 228 sites from the NABO monitoring network, the biodiversity monitoring, the cantonal soil monitoring (AG, BL, FR, SO) and the long-term fertilizer experiment DOK were analyzed.

The study provides no evidence that arsenic and lead are significantly introduced into arable soils by mineral fertilization. For cadmium, the arable sites studied show enrichment in the topsoil compared to the subsoil. Arable soils show on average higher uranium contents than meadows and pastures, and the arable topsoils show higher contents than subsoils. The results of the status study were confirmed by the results of the trend studies at six selected NABO sites. The authors conclude with recommendations to avoid uranium and cadmium accumulation and to improve monitoring. They likewise outline the need for research.

No acute danger
Even if no acute environmental or health hazards are to be assumed, it is nevertheless important to avoid the input of harmful elements through fertilizers as far as possible in the interests of precaution. Adjustments to agricultural policy have led to a situation in which only a quarter of the amount of mineral phosphorus fertilizer is applied today compared to 1990.

Mitigate risks

In order to reduce the risks associated with fertilization, the FOAG is in constant contact with other federal offices, research, practice, and the cantons. It is important that the existing cadmium limit value is complied with. In the medium term, efforts will focus on the recovery of nutrients and the use of recycled mineral fertilizers. The aim is to close the material cycles as far as possible and thus to reduce the use of P-containing mineral fertilizers to a minimum as well as to make their use more efficient.