Epigenetics: 330-year-old poplar tree tells about its life

Similar to genetic mutations, epigenetic changes, i.e. alterations of genes that do not occur on the primary DNA sequence, sometimes occur randomly in plants and can be transmitted over generations. Using trees as an example, a research team has now shown for the first time that such "epimutations" increase continuously over the lifetime of a plant and can be used as a molecular clock to determine the age of a tree.

Editorial - November 24, 2020

So-called epigenetics is an important discipline in environmental research: it provides information on tree quality. (Image: Unsplash)

Epigenetics studies heritable changes in the activity of genes that are not based on changes in the primary DNA sequence. "While in mammals epigenetic marks are usually reset with each generation, this is not always the case in plants. Epigenetic changes within a generation can be stably passed on to the next generation in plants and even inherited over many generations," says Frank Johannes, Professor of Population Epigenetics and Epigenomics at the Technical University of Munich (TUM)..

His research team is interested in how often epimutations occur in plant genomes, how stable they are across generations, and whether they can influence important plant traits.

Trees carry many epimutations

"Because of their longevity, trees can provide us with epigenetic insights over large periods of time," says Prof. Johannes. Together with Robert J. Schmitz, Professor at the University of Georgia (USA) and Hans Fisher Fellow at the Institute for Advanced Study at TUM (TUM-IAS), he has now published two studies on the subject.

The team focused on a 330-year-old poplar tree. They compared DNA methylation, a mechanism in plants that represents a chemical change in DNA, in leaves of different branches of the tree. They were able to show that epigenetic changes increase continuously as a function of tree age. The further apart two leaves were from each other in relation to the branch's developmental period, the less similar they were at the level of DNA methylation. From this, the researchers concluded that the rate of epimutations per year is approximately 10,000 times higher than the genetic mutation rate in the same tree.

Tree age datable with epigenetics

From this discovery came the insight that epimutations can also serve as a kind of molecular clock to determine the age of the tree. "Only some branches had been dated by counting growth rings, but unfortunately not the main trunk. But we needed this information for our analysis. So we treated the overall age of the tree as an unknown parameter and let the DNA methylation data of the leaves tell us how old the tree is. This gave an estimate of about 330 years," reports Prof. Johannes.

It later turned out that this estimate was consistent with the diameter-based dating of the main trunk and with other information about the life history of this particular tree. "This was the first indication that there is such a thing as an epigenetic clock in trees".

A window into the past

Prof. Johannes' team is now investigating whether environmental changes experienced by trees over their long lives leave epigenetic signatures that can be read to learn about their past.

"Our goal is to merge historical environmental data with our epigenetic work to understand whether trees epigenetically 'record' specific environmental challenges such as droughts or temperature fluctuations. This kind of information can be useful for looking into the future, especially in the face of global climate change."

Publications:
Brigitte Hofmeister; Johanna Denkena; Maria Colome-Tatche; Yadollah Shahryary; Rashmi Hazarika; Jane Grimwood; Sujan Mamidi; Jerry Jenkins; Paul Grabowski; Avinash Sreedasyam; Shengqiang Shu; Kathleen Lail; Anna Lipzen; Catherine Adam; Kerrie Barry; Rotem Sorek; David Kudrna; Rod Wing; Talag Jayson; David Hall; Daniel Jacobson; Gerald Tuskan; Jeremy Schmutz; Frank Johannes; Robert J Schmitz: A genome assembly and the somatic genetic and epigenetic mutation rate in a wild long-lived perennial Populus trichocarpa.. Genome Biology, 21, 259 (2020). DOI: 10.1186/s13059-020-02162-5

Yadollah Shahryary; Aikaterini Symeonidi; Rashmi R Hazarika; Johanna Denkena; Talha Mubeen; Brigitte Hofmeister; Thomas van Gurp; Maria Colomé-Tatché; Koen Verhoeven; Gerald Tuskan; Robert J Schmitz; Frank Johannes: AlphaBeta: Computational inference of epimutation rates and spectra from high-throughput DNA methylation data in plants.. Genome Biology, 21, 260 (2020). DOI: 10.1186/s13059-020-02161-6

More information:
In an ongoing follow-up project, Frank Johannes is working with Hans Pretzsch, Professor of Forest Growth Science at the TUM, together. His chair leads a European beech experiment in the Steigerwald/Central Germany, where individual trees have been closely monitored since their first planting in 1870. Detailed growth and climate data are available for these trees. Now they are investigating whether and how the developmental history of these trees can be reconstructed using epigenetic measurements.

Neutrons detect air pollution

Air pollution: Portuguese scientists have analyzed lichens from areas with traditional charcoal production for the first time using the Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Research Neutron Source (FRM II) at the Technical University of Munich (TUM). In the vicinity of charcoal production, the lichens contained more than twice the concentration of phosphorus, which is produced during combustion.

Editorial - November 24, 2020

Lichens on an olive tree trunk - taken near Ponte de Sor (Portalegre County, Portugal). (Copyrights: Dr. Nuno Canha / Univ. Lisabon - via TU Muenchen, FRM 2, MLZ)

Tradition versus air pollution: In the region around Ponte de Sor (Portalegre County, Portugal), coal has been produced for centuries by smoldering wood in charcoal kilns. But traditional charcoal production not only provides jobs, but also bad air.

Complaints about the smell, clouds of smoke in winter, reports of asthma and other respiratory diseases are not uncommon, says chemist Dr. Nuno Canha of the Instituto Superior Técnico at the University of Lisbon. However, there have been no official measurements of air quality.

Lichens absorb pollutants from the air

In search of a method to measure air quality in a roundabout way, Dr. Nuno Canha came across the prompt gamma activation analysis (PGAA), which is possible thanks to the neutrons of the FRM II in Garching. Here, neutrons activate traces of pollutants, which are then still detectable even in the smallest concentrations.

For his study, Dr. Canha collected lichens growing on olive tree trunks in the area of the charcoal kilns. Lichens are a community of fungi and algae without roots. "Because they absorb all their nutrients through the air, they are excellent indicators of air quality," says Nuno Canha. He picked one batch in spring and the other in fall to rule out seasonal differences.

More stress near the coal piles

One indicator of lichen exposure to air pollutants is their conductivity, because the fine cell membranes break under extreme stress, which increases the lichens' conductivity.

Nuno Canha found that lichens in the immediate vicinity of coal-producing furnaces had twice as high conductivity in the fall as lichens further away from the furnaces. In spring, this difference between individual sites was not as noticeable.

The scientist suspects that this is due to the preceding rainy period before picking the lichens in spring, which lower the stress level of the creatures, while it was rather dry before picking in autumn.

Other sources of pollution in autumn and spring

Together with TUM scientists Dr. Zsolt Révay and Dr. Christian Stieghorst, Nuno Canha detected 22 elements in the lichens using prompt gamma activation analysis.

The concentrations of the elements phosphorus (P) and sulfur (S), which are present in smoke from burning wood, differed particularly strikingly in the fall. The lichens collected by Canha in the immediate vicinity of charcoal burners contained more than twice as much P and the highest concentrations of S in the fall, compared to all other locations.

"That fits well with the conductivity measurements, which also attest to higher stress in the lichens in the fall right next to the furnaces," Canha says. In contrast, in the spring, it was the lichens near a populated area with little traffic that contained more sulfur and phosphorus. Nuno Canha attributes this to exhaust fumes from private wood stoves and meteorological influences.

Nuno Canha hopes that the study will bring the impact of traditional coal production on air quality more into the focus of the authorities. For example, air filters could remove pollutants from the exhaust gas.

Publication:

Nuno Canha, Ana Rita Justino, Catarina Galinha, Joana Lage, Christian Stieghorst, Zsolt Revay, Célia Alves, Susana Marta Almeida-
Elemental characterisation of native lichens collected in an area affected by traditional charcoal production
Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry 325:293-302 (2020).
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10967-020-07224-3

More information:

The work was funded by the Portuguese Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia.
Research Neutron Source Heinz Maier-Leibnitz: https://www.frm2.tum.de

Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Center: https://mlz-garching.de/pgaa/de

Técnico Lisboa: https://tecnico.ulisboa.pt/en/

Controlling power consumption thanks to artificial intelligence

Researchers at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts have developed a solution using artificial intelligence to smooth out these load peaks. In this way, the distribution networks are not unduly burdened and customers also save money.

Editorial - November 24, 2020

Artificial intelligence helps to avoid too high a load on the power grid, even when many power-intensive devices such as clothes dryers are switched on at the same time. (Image: Judith Wirth/iHomeLab)

Artificial intelligence is also likely to find its way into buildings in Switzerland. In the last twenty years, the number of working people in Switzerland has increased by almost 1.5 million. As a result, fewer people are at home during the day and many electrical appliances are switched on at the same time, especially in the early evening hours when, for example, people are taking a shower, cooking or charging an e-vehicle. This simultaneous activation of many electrical appliances generates enormous grid loads. Since up to 60 percent of the grid usage costs for energy supply companies (EVUs) are calculated from these load peaks, they have a great interest in avoiding them or at least smoothing them out. To do this, they need to know when power-hungry devices such as heat pumps absolutely have to be supplied with electricity and when this is not absolutely necessary.

This means that the time margins can be identified and used to reduce and smooth peak loads. Andrew Paice, head of the iHomeLab at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, notes, "This requires intelligent and efficient energy and load management, which can be used to shift energy." To this end, a team from the iHomeLab and the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts' Thermal Energy Storage Competence Center, together with partners ASGAL Informatik GmbH, Semax AG and Vilters-Wangs Electricity Works, developed a prototype system that uses artificial intelligence to help utility companies with load management. The Swiss Agency for Innovation Promotion Innosuisse supported the project.

Need more energy in the short term, which can be saved again afterwards

In order to cover the greater demand in the evening, the surplus energy produced during the day, for example from photovoltaics or other renewable sources, should be stored for a short time, and this without the need to install additional storage. Boilers, heat pumps or e-mobiles can be used for this purpose. Solutions already exist for large-scale distributors such as refrigerated warehouses: If excess energy is produced, they can be cooled a little more. Subsequently, the cooling is reduced again; the energy is thus available elsewhere. The team from the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts and its research partners developed a solution thanks to which single- and multi-family houses or commercial enterprises can also be used in a similar way.

For example, the boiler is brought to the maximum temperature when needed and thus used as a buffer storage. The project focused on houses with heat pumps, because electricity companies can access them with a small adjustment and control them accordingly.

Making better use of energy thanks to artificial intelligence

In order to reduce or smooth load peaks in this way, it is first necessary to ascertain where heat pumps are installed at all and where photovoltaics are generated - information that is only partially known to the electricity companies. The more difficult question, however, was: How much time is available to reduce and smooth peak loads without the users feeling a loss of comfort because the apartment becomes uncomfortably cool or the water too cold?

To answer the two key questions, the researchers took advantage of the increasing digitization of electricity distribution networks with smart meters, which electricity companies use to read electricity consumption for billing purposes. This data is available, but calculating the required thermal model of a building from it is very complex. That's why artificial intelligence came into play here. "The algorithms analyze smart meter data and identify individual electricity-consuming devices such as heat pumps, boilers or e-mobiles and electricity-producing devices such as photovoltaic systems from the total electricity consumption," explains Andrew Paice.

Valuable information about the consumers would be determined, such as their maximum power consumption, the time they are switched on and off, and the energy consumption per day. Paice adds, "When this data is combined with temperature and weather forecasts, predictions can be made about energy consumption on a given day."

Added value without sacrificing comfort

The project resulters open up new opportunities for the project partners ASGAL Informatik GmbH and Semax AG: Thanks to the automatic identification of electricity consumers and the calculation of their so-called load shifting potential, they can offer utilities a service that helps them to save network costs without the need for additional investments in their distribution networks.

For consumers, the innovation means no loss of convenience; nor do they have to disclose any additional information, because the evaluation is carried out exclusively on the basis of standard smart meter data and without any additional hardware installation. In addition, the data is automatically synchronized permanently with the changing circumstances in the buildings. Thus, in line with the Energy Strategy 2050, added value can be generated for the electricity utilities and for building owners.

The iHomeLab - "Living in the future. Today."

Under the direction of Prof. Dr. Andrew Paice, the iHomeLab team at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts is researching how intelligent buildings can reduce energy consumption or enable older people to live longer in their own homes. The results of the research projects are presented in the iHomeLab Visitor Center on the Horw campus and explained in an understandable way. www.iHomeLab.ch

Competence Center Thermal Energy Storage (CCTES)

The CC TES is concerned with new solutions for storing heat and cold in buildings, areas and industry. For this purpose, not only new, compact storage concepts are investigated, but also solutions for storing large amounts of energy in order to be able to use summer heat in winter as well. Finally, using data science methods, it is also possible to make use of hidden storage possibilities in buildings (such as the mass of the building) and thus ensure that renewable forms of energy can be optimally integrated into Switzerland's energy system.

www.hslu.ch

Energy Lab - a network for innovative solutions in the energy sector

Without innovation, the energy transition will not succeed. The newly founded Energy Lab therefore promotes innovation systematically and consistently in an implementation-oriented manner. It is a consortium of various institutions with the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts as the leading house.

Editorial - November 22, 2020

The Energy Lab is one of the 12 "NTN - Innovation Boosters" that will be funded by Innosuisse from 2021. In total, Innosuisse received 64 funding applications. The kick-off of the Innovation Boosters took place on Friday.

Using energy efficiently and sustainably and implementing renewable energy represents one of the greatest global challenges of the coming years and decades. "The challenges are so complex that they can no longer be solved with individual measures alone, but only through large-scale cooperation between industry, politics, science and society," says Ludger Fischer, professor at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts. That is why the NTN - Innovation Booster Energy Lab was founded under the direction of the university.

In addition to the Innovation Park Central Switzerland and NEST, the research and innovation platform of Empa and Eawag, many other institutions, all universities of applied sciences in Switzerland and the ETH Zurich are involved; the strategic leadership lies with the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts. Supported by Innosuisse from 2021 with CHF million 1.5 for an initial four years, the network aims to promote innovation in the field of efficient generation, storage and use of renewable energy. More than 200 companies are already connected via the Innovation Park Central Switzerland and NEST, which offer themselves as hubs for the joint innovation activities, and the trend is rising. This is because the Energy Lab is an open network in which interested parties can get involved at any time.

Innovation is not a product of chance

The starting point for the Energy Lab's work is the practical and economically relevant challenges of business and industry, politics and administration. "Our goal is to develop scientifically sound and economically viable solutions to these problems using an interdisciplinary approach," says Ludger Fischer. For this, the Energy Lab is convinced, it needs the cooperation of committed people with different perspectives and expertise from different fields. NEST Managing Director Reto Largo from Empa describes the big plus of the network:

"Thinking outside the box, even across disciplines, can create sparks that lead to truly new ideas." That's why structured methods such as design thinking form the basis of agile work in the network, as Sem Mattli of Innovationspark Zentralschweiz explains, because, according to Mattli, "Innovation is not a product of chance." It emerges in a guided process, he says. "A solution approach is first reflected upon and condensed by a broad-based group. Only then do the specialists come into play, who use this as a basis to develop a product that makes both energy and economic sense."

Economic solutions for concrete problems

Economic thinking is imperative, Ludger Fischer is convinced: "The solutions will offer concrete added value for the economy and are therefore implementable!" As a university of applied sciences, the Department of Engineering & Architecture at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts has many years of application-oriented research expertise that will benefit the Energy Lab. "The Energy Lab will have a real impact on the energy transition in Switzerland," emphasizes Ludger Fischer.

All the partners involved have good prerequisites for this: The innovation park has a large network of companies in the construction and IT sectors and is very well connected with the other innovation parks in Switzerland. Empa provides the interface to the topics of energy and mobility and the associated issues of digitalization. At the Department of Engineering & Architecture at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, energy and sustainability is a strategic research focus.

It is strongly networked with all universities in Switzerland and internationally. Renowned universities from all over the world, such as MIT in Cambridge or TU Vienna, are already involved in the Energy Lab. For the Energy Lab, sustainable applied research also includes the involvement of students, cooperation with vocational schools and the systematic promotion of female researchers in order to actively counteract the unequal representation of the sexes in technical professions.

Officially, the NTN Innovation Boosters will begin their work in January 2021, but the Energy Lab has already generated a great deal of momentum in the application phase, promoted by the open structure and the motivating cooperation of all those involved. Within the first workshops, promising projects could already be launched despite the Covid 19 crisis. The plan is to develop up to 50 projects in total. They will be developed into solutions that are not only innovative, but above all competitive.More about the projects: www.energylab.site (Head of Energy Lab: Prof. Dr. Ludger J. Fischer)

Sustainable finance: Swiss targets still a long way off

Finance plays a central role in achieving both these national and global climate goals. A report by Swiss Sustainable Finance (SSF) highlights various financial instruments that support the shift to a climate-friendly economy and society.

Editorial - November 22, 2020

Switzerland aims to halve its greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and reduce them to net zero by 2050. To this end, sustainable financial instruments would contribute a greater role. (Image: Unsplash)

Finance plays a central role in achieving both these national and global climate goals. A report by Swiss Sustainable Finance (SSF) highlights various financial instruments that support the shift to a climate-friendly economy and society. The report also provides concrete recommendations and options for action to improve the framework conditions.

By 2050, an annual investment volume of USD 3,500 billion on average will be required to transform the world's energy systems in such a way that the 1.5-degree target of the Paris Climate Agreement can be achieved. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) estimates this enormous sum, not even counting other sectors such as agriculture and real estate1 . It is obvious that this is also a challenge for the financial sector. In its latest report, "Financing the Low-Carbon Economy - Instruments, Barriers and Recommendations," Swiss Sustainable Finance highlights the range of different financial solutions that already exist to promote a climate-friendly economy. The comprehensive compendium highlights 16 instruments and approaches, the application of which is illustrated by 8 additional case studies.

Direct investments with stronger leverage

According to the SSF market study, around one-third of all investments in Switzerland in 2019 were already managed sustainably, with most of these being investments on the secondary market. However, even more impact can be expected where new climate-friendly projects are directly financed or insured. This report therefore presents relevant instruments such as green bonds, direct real estate investments, green mortgages, insurance solutions, investments in private markets, joint financing and energy performance contracts in detail, explains how they work and provides an assessment of the maturity of the relevant instruments. Furthermore, the effectiveness of Swiss environmental legislation is highlighted, which significantly influences the success of various financial solutions.

Swiss case studies illustrate great potential

Concrete examples show how such financial solutions are having an impact in practice. For example, the city of Lausanne has established a company that rents roofs for the installation of solar panels. The electricity produced is sold directly to local users, representing a worthwhile investment for the operating company and giving customers access to cheap renewable electricity. Another example illustrates the important role of an infrastructure fund in realizing capital-intensive projects for local energy facilities based on renewable energy sources. And finally, another paper shows how an innovative insurance solution promotes energy efficiency investments by SMEs by covering the risk that the investment will not yield the calculated savings. Having been successfully implemented by a Swiss foundation in Latin America, the model is now to be rolled out in Europe.

Concrete recommendations for improved framework conditions

However, the potential of many of the financial solutions mentioned has not yet been exhausted. In order for financial solutions to mobilize the necessary sums for a transformation to a climate-friendly economy, existing barriers to a broader application of such instruments must be removed. SSF sees several urgent starting points in this regard, including filling existing data gaps on sustainability and climate resilience through private sector efforts, but also with government support. In addition, the creation of clear definitions and standards for climate-friendly investments and targeted education and training on the topic can contribute to further market development. However, the right price signals in the real economy are also crucial for the efficient use of such financial solutions: ultimately, a Co2 price must be defined that ensures that climate-friendly technologies quickly become established and CO2-intensive technologies become obsolete. And finally, the government can also further promote appropriate instruments through incentives or through the targeted reduction of investment risks.

Broad use of instruments accelerates transformation to climate-friendly economy

One thing is clear: the financial industry already has a broad range of instruments at its disposal that can make an important contribution to achieving Switzerland's climate targets and, globally, to a rapid transformation of the economy. There are starting points for all players in the Swiss financial system, as the overview chart clearly shows (see Table 1 in the report). The available instruments must now be used even more widely - and thus accelerate the transformation to a climate-friendly economy and society.

Further information:

> Financing the Low-Carbon Economy (English study, Summary: German, French)
> Introduction from the SSF CEO to the report (Short film)
> Newsletter SSF bimonthly
> Twitter @SwissSustFin
> LinkedIn Swiss Sustainable Finance

1 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) (2019): IPCC Special Report: Global Warming of 1.5 º C.

Green Globe certification for a hotel in the heart of Arosa

Green Globe certification is a globally recognized, structured assessment of the sustainability performance of travel and tourism companies and their partners in the supply chain. After completing the certification process, including an audit with experts on site in Arosa, the Valsana Hotel & Appartements can officially call itself a Green Globe certified company and is therefore one of the most sustainable hotels in Switzerland.

mm - November 18, 2020

Michael and Stephanie Lehnort, the management couple at Valsana Hotel & Apartments. (Image: zVg)

Green Globe offers certification, training, education and marketing services in 83 countries worldwide. After an extensive certification process - a total of 380 criteria had to be evaluated for the business - and a final audit with experts on site, the Valsana Hotel & Apartments can now call itself a Green Globe certified business. Thus, the four-star superior hotel in Arosa now belongs to the select circle of Green Globe certification.

With this award, the sustainable hotel in the center of Arosa takes on another pioneering role in Switzerland.

Clear sustainability focus

A clear sustainability focus was already set during the construction of the new Valsana Hotel & Apartments. An ice storage system was installed in the basement of the building, which, in conjunction with a heat recovery system and various geothermal probes, makes it possible to heat the entire building complex without fossil fuels. A corresponding environmental certification was thus the next logical step for the hotel, which opened in 2017.

"Sustainability and the protection of our environment play a major role within the Tschuggen Hotel Group," explain Stephanie and Michael Lehnort, management couple of the Valsana. Thus, the Swiss hotel group with properties in Arosa, Ascona and St. Moritz has been completely climate-neutral since 2019.

360-degree view for processes

As part of the certification process, all areas of the hotel's operations were evaluated and checked for the underlying idea of sustainability. This includes, among other things, employee training in the area of sustainability, integration into the local community, but also a purchasing policy that primarily takes local and regional producers into account. Valsana achieved 93 percent of the possible points in the certification process. In addition to the ice storage, the hotel's own beehive, the green roof and the majority of eco-certified and fair-trade products were particularly highlighted.

"We are very proud of the Green Globe certification, because it shows that our daily commitment to operating a hotel in the most environmentally friendly way possible is paying off," Stephanie and Michael Lehnort continue. "At the same time, thanks to the membership, we now have the opportunity to be inspired by the commitment of other great companies and to learn about processes that could perhaps also be implemented in our business."

www.valsana.ch

Jobs of the future: Digital life sciences meets environmental professions

Science and business are undergoing profound changes as a result of developments in the digital future. There is a growing need for experts who combine specific knowledge in a scientific discipline with skills in data science, modeling and computation - these disciplines also affect environmental sectors.

Michael Merz - November 15, 2020

Robotics specialist, nutritional data analyst, environmental engineer: W.I.R.E., together with the "ZHAW School of Life Sciences and Facility Management", has identified professions of the future. (Image: Unsplash)

The working world of the future is changing not only in the wake of the Corona Crisis, but in an unprecedented surge of digitization. In the life sciences in particular, advances in genetic engineering, robotics, and data analytics are providing scientists with new tools to model and modify the building blocks of life. W.I.R.E., in cooperation with the "ZHAW School of Life Sciences and Facility Management" and illustrator Mirco Cresta, has visualized the life science professions of tomorrow.

Below are two new job descriptions on the great made job poster:

The Data Chef

analyzes data collected via machine learning and crowdsourcing on the sensory perception of food and compares it with its chemical properties to gain deeper insights into our eating habits. In this way, the Data Chef can combine new ingredients and ingredients to support the development of healthy as well as tasty food.

The Greengineer

combines his knowledge of computer-aided modeling with his understanding of synthetic biology. Data on soil moisture and solar radiation are collected with the help of sensors, drones and satellite images to create so-called soil fertility maps. This allows the optimum crop yield to be calculated for each piece of land - which should also make rather inhospitable areas suitable for agriculture and reduce the use of chemicals.

More job profiles of the future visualized by the folding poster "FUTURE JOBS IN DIGITAL LIFE SCIENCES", published by the think tank W.I.R.E. on behalf of the ZHAW School of Life Sciences and Facility Management.

Covid and the psyche - How important is environmental psychology?

Mental health is particularly at risk in times of crisis. This also applies to the Covid 19 pandemic. A survey of 1,300 psychologists shows that demand for psychological counseling or therapy has increased sharply since the summer.

Michael Merz - November 10, 2020

Insights from environmental psychology could be used to promote sustainable behavior and, ultimately, well-being. (Image: Unsplash)

The Covid 19 pandemic and the measures taken to contain it are also affecting mental health. A survey of 1300 psychologists provides clues to the extent. Forty-six percent of respondents report that demand for psychological therapy or counseling has increased since the summer because of the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath.

Psychologists speak of increasing existential fears. Switzerland shows a need to catch up. There are gaps in care not only in the area of medication, but also in mental health. "Patients have to wait up to six months for outpatient therapy," says dedicated psychologist Yvik Adler. Adler is alarmed, "If the need increases additionally now, the consequences can be devastating." (Source: psychology.ch)

Maya Mathias, president of the association Initiative Psychologie im Umweltschutz (IPU), sees environmental psychology as a great opportunity for the society affected by the pandemic, but also for individuals. Last but not least, young female scientists such as the well-known English epidemiologist Tolu Oni report on why technical innovations alone are not enough to compensate for psychological problems in today's world.

Why is it so difficult for us to move from knowledge to action? And why is there reason for hope after all?

Where environmental psychology helps

Environmental psychology deals with the interaction between humans and the environment. On the one hand, it is about how humans influence the environment with their thoughts and actions, for example with their leisure behavior or in urban planning. On the other hand, the effect of the environment on humans is of interest, for example the effect of near-natural recreational areas or human-friendly architecture.

At the IPU are particularly interested in the areas of environmental protection and sustainability. Behavioral patterns such as airplane travel, driving, the enormous consumption of resources to satisfy our reward and consumption desires are having an increasingly damaging effect on the climate, nature, but also on ourselves. Per se, human actions are considered the cause of many environmental problems.

"For this reason, the solution should also be sought in people," says Maya Mathias, IPU President, and emphasizes: "Technical innovations are not enough for us to live more sustainably, since efficiency gains are usually cancelled out by additional consumption." Environmental psychology shows how psychological knowledge and appropriate strategies can be used to promote environmentally friendly behavior.

Thus, Maya Mathias is concerned with better understanding needs and motivations, attitudes and thinking. These insights can be used to promote environmentally friendly behavior. For example, human choices and behaviors play a role in energy consumption, Mobility, Travel, Nutrition, Consumption, Waste prevention and disposal or sustainable lifestyles play a role.

Investments against the corona blues

Tolullah "Tolu" Oni is an epidemiologist involved in Department of Sustainable Urban Development. Oni is not only studying at the Medical Research Council of the University of Cambridge, the young woman is already a Fellow of the "NextEinstein" Forum and an exhibitor of the "Young Global Leaders" at the World Economic Forum.

The epidemiologist writes about the need for a global "Marshall Plan for Planetary Health" on a WEF blog, saying that the focus so far has been too much on securing wealth and food, which has led to greater motorization in cities without regard to the need for space for physical activity in clean air.

"We can and must do better by launching a bold new investment program for the health of the planet," Oni writes.

Measuring well-being by GDP
She cites the increased corona mortality among the poorer population in the UK as an example of the negative impact of failed housing policies. Although several global philanthropic initiatives have attempted to improve urban health, including with success, today's flawed systems need more fundamental change.

Governments as well as the private sector should be challenged, policy makers should act, and better health and resilience of people, for example in big cities, should not be seen as a consequence of their economic successes, but as a goal of new urban planning from the outset.

Such approaches already exist, he said, from Bhutan in the Himalayas with its "happiness factor" in the measurement of gross domestic product to New Zealand, where a so-called "wellbeing economy" is being pursued.

"Similarly, multilateral development finance institutions (MDFIs), such as the African Development Bank and the Asian Development Bank, could help," Oni says. As noncommercial organizations that provide capital for economic development projects in a wide range of member countries, such institutions are uniquely positioned to advance the scheme in the manner of a universally understood Marshall Plan through conditionality in lending and funding, he says.

You can also find more approaches to environmental psychology and urban development on Oni's blog:

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/authors/tolu-oni-3469ffacac

Smart home technologies in the field of health are gaining in popularity

62 percent of the Swiss are interested in the development of smart home technologies. The German-speaking and French-speaking Swiss can particularly well imagine the use of new systems in the healthcare sector. However, a recent survey by Homegate underscores that despite interest, the use of smart home solutions is still limited.

Editorial - November 10, 2020

The Homegate Study 2020 on the topic of "Smart Home" found that more than half of the Swiss can well imagine using networked or Internet-connected systems for health, climate and energy in the future. (Image: Unsplash)

Smart home technologies, such as smart devices and systems in the home that are connected to the Internet and to each other, are designed to improve the quality of living and life, provide security, reduce energy consumption, and simplify life in general.

62% of the Swiss are interested in such developments in the home. Ticino residents in particular (66%) are enthusiastic about smart devices. In terms of usage behavior, however, it is clear that the French-speaking Swiss in particular (42%) already use systems or devices connected to the Internet.

Interest in smart home solutions grows

Almost one-third of men are very interested in new developments in the area of housing. There also appears to be an interest in smart housing among older respondents (aged 55 and over, 66%), multi-person households with or without children (63%) and households with incomes above 10,000 Swiss francs (68%).

More than half of the Swiss can well imagine using networked systems or systems connected to the Internet in the future for the areas of health, climate and energy. For the German-speaking and French-speaking Swiss, new technologies in the health sector are particularly exciting. The people of Ticino can particularly well imagine smart solutions in the field of energy.

Among younger respondents (14 to 34 years, 59%), the topic of climate is very much in demand, whereas among older respondents (55 years and older, 64%), smart devices in the area of health are more popular. Interestingly, multi-person households without children in particular cannot imagine smart home solutions in the area of comfort.

Despite interest, use of smart home technologies is still limited

Just under a fifth of the French-speaking Swiss already use smart devices in the energy sector, as do just 13% of the German-speaking Swiss, 4% of the Ticino and 17% of multi-person households with children. In all parts of the country, general affinity for technology, enjoyment of technical gadgets and the desire for progress are the three most frequently cited reasons for using smart home solutions.

57% of respondents, however, do not feel the need to install a smart home solution at home. Aspects such as fear of unauthorized access to the system, data protection, lack of knowledge and high costs also stand in the way of use. Almost one-fifth of the French-speaking Swiss even find the technology suspicious.

The range of smart home solutions still seems too fragmented to offer a holistic smart ecosystem. According to this representative survey, the majority of respondents are interested in smart home solutions, but few are using them yet.

To the dossier with the complete study results

Salez Agricultural Center wins architecture prize

The St. Gallen Agricultural Center in Salez was awarded the Constructive Alps Architecture Prize at the beginning of November 2020. The prize is awarded to particularly climate-conscious buildings in the Alpine region.

Editorial - November 10, 2020

The agricultural center in Salez was built according to the low-tech principle. It was equipped with as little technology as possible; for example, users can ventilate the building mechanically and by hand. (Image: Seraina Wirz)

Switzerland and Liechtenstein have awarded the Constructive Alps architecture prize to Salez. The prize was held for the fifth time. A total of almost 330 projects have been submitted. From these, a jury selected ten entries, of which the first three will receive a total of 50,000 Swiss francs. The Agricultural Center Salez has reached the first place.

Agricultural Center Salez

The Salez Agricultural Center consists of a conference center, estate farm, state vineyard and orchard. Together with the practical trial plots in Flawil, it is operated by the SG Agricultural Center (LZSG). This also has advisory centers in Kaltbrunn and Sargans.

According to the jury, the canton of St. Gallen, together with architect Andy Senn, has set new standards in terms of climate efficiency. The new building convinced the jury because "it consistently and intelligently carries through the principle of 'low-tech', a construction method that is as simple as possible for a long service life".

The building is heated with a wood chip system using sustainable raw material from the region. The heating plant also supplies the heating energy for the cantonal penal institution Saxerriet and the upper school center Türggenau of the municipality of Sennwald via a long-distance pipeline.

A photovoltaic system is installed on the flat roof of the new building. It covers around 60 percent of the electricity requirements.

"Constructive Alps" from Salez convinces

Constructive Alps is awarded to projects that are convincing in terms of sustainable construction and renovation in the Alps. Switzerland and Liechtenstein have now awarded this prize for the fifth time, as stated in a Media release means.

2The Salez Agricultural Center is thus one of the projects that demonstrate that architecture can combine aesthetics and climate rationality, according to a statement by the Federal Office for Spatial Development (ARE). The building of the center focuses on the simplest possible construction method and a long service life. The canton and architect Andy Senn have thus set new standards in terms of climate efficiency.

Other winning projects

The new building for the St. Gallen Agricultural Center in Salez opened in May 2019 after just two years of construction. An assembly hall in Vorarlberg and a mountain inn in Glarus made it into second and third place. In addition to seven recognition prizes, an audience award has also been determined for the first time.

More about the architecture award Constructive Alps can be found at here

Digital (French) Revolution at the Lion Monument

Without the French Revolution, Lucerne's Lion Monument would never have existed. Visitors can now immerse themselves in its history thanks to a multimedia app - including the digitally resurrected King Louis XVI and the guillotine with which he was beheaded.

Martin Zimmermann, HSLU - November 8, 2020

In 2021, the Lucerne Lion Monument celebrates its 200th birthday. Without the French Revolution, the world-famous monument would never have existed. Visitors can now immerse themselves in its history thanks to the multimedia app "Augmented Revolution Experience (ARE) - Revive la révolution" (Image: zVg)

Writer Mark Twain once called the Lucerne Lion Monument "the saddest and most moving piece of stone in the world": framed by broken lances and shields, a badly wounded lion lies in a rock grotto and breathes its last. Since 1821, the six-by-ten-meter sculpture by Danish sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen has attracted travelers from around the world. More than a million people visit the monument every year. But few of them know the story behind it.

Samuel Frei from the Visual Narrative research group at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts wants to change that. "In the general tourism hustle and bustle, the original meaning of cultural heritage often remains hidden," says the design researcher. Frei is leading a project initiated by the Federal Office for Culture supported project. Research is being conducted into how digital technologies can help bring the significance of cultural heritage to a broad audience in a narrative way.

(Video: Kimberly Kent)

One result of this multi-year work is "Augmented Revolution Experience (ARE) - Revive la révolution". This augmented reality app for smartphones and tablets is aimed at visitors to the Lion Monument. For the development of ARE, Samuel Frei's research team collaborated with the Lucerne Historical Museum and "Project L21" (see box below).

Virtual Swiss Guardsman as a tour guide

ARE's protagonist is the fictional character Franz Müller, a Lucerne farmer's son who enlists as a Swiss Guardsman at the court of the French King Louis XVI. During the French Revolution, he has to watch hundreds of his comrades fall during the storming of the royal palace. No fiction: In honor of the fallen guardsmen, the Lion Monument is erected in a Lucerne quarry.

The film sequences were shot in the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts studio. Image: Kimberly Kent

Franz Müller guides users of the ARE app to the monument in short film sequences. He and other roles are embodied by a theater actor. All scenes were created in the film studio of the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts. The app projects the figures directly into the park landscape near the Lion Monument. At certain points, it also lets 3D representations grow out of the ground, for example of guards' uniforms, the royal palace or the guillotine used to execute the king. Elsewhere, ARE transports the audience directly into the thick of the fighting by means of a spatial staging.

A King à la Monty Pythons

The research team approached the somber subject with a dose of humor: A talking portrait of King Louis XVI lamenting the loss of his power, for example, is reminiscent of the legendary animated scenes by the Monty Pythons comedy troupe. This technology is called "deepfake" - thanks to artificial intelligence, historical paintings or photos of people are brought to life by actors.

King Louis XVI himself does the honors - as a Deepfake portrait. Image: zvg — King Louis XVI himself does the honors - as a "Deepfake" portrait. (Image: zVg)

"We are linking the historical narrative behind the monument with the possibilities offered by modern digital technologies," says ARE project manager Tobias Matter from the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts. For all the joy of using modern technology, however, his focus is on communicating the history of cultural heritage: "Our app is only a means to an end. People acquire knowledge best when they experience it with multiple senses."

App is available free of charge

Interested parties can test the ARE app for themselves: On November 7, it can be downloaded free of charge for iPhones and iPads. Due to the large amount of data involved in the download, a WLAN connection is recommended. Further information can be found on the L21 website.

200 Years of the Lion Monument: Exhibition by Students in the Kunsthalle

In 2021, the Lion Monument will celebrate its 200th birthday. On the occasion of the anniversary, the Kunsthalle Luzern has launched the "Project L21": art and culture professionals are addressing the history of the monument in exhibitions, theater productions, publications and electronic media. In addition to the Visual Narrative research group, Bachelor students from the Department of Design & Art at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts are also involved in L21. Their Art exhibition "The dark side of the lion". is on view at the Kunsthalle Luzern until December 13, 2020.

Romande Energie teams up with university

Romande Energie and the HEIG College of Engineering are joining forces. To this end, they are strengthening their existing collaboration with a framework agreement.

Editorial - November 3, 2020

A "Smart Cities" project by HEIG is about promoting the interoperability of energy networks in cities in Vaud. (Image: HEIG)

Romande Energie and HEIG, the engineering and business school in Vaud, have signed a framework agreement on their future collaboration. In it, they underline their will to jointly produce innovations for the energy transition, they write in a statement. The agreement covers topics such as energy storage, future distribution grids, renewable energies, mobility and hydrogen.

Collaboration could take various forms, such as research contracts, projects with the support of Innosuisse or European institutions as well as participation in education and training programs.

For planners and energy suppliers

The Vaud energy provider and the university of applied sciences are already working together on various projects. For example, they have set up the ReIne laboratory at HEIG, which allows an experimental approach to smart grids. They are also collaborating in the European project IntegrCiTy which deals with the interoperability of energy networks in cities.

One promising innovation project is as follows:

1.) Develop an integrated decision support environment for planners and utilities to improve the efficiency and resilience of the energy supply infrastructure;

2.) Implementation of the decision support platform and integrated tools in selected cities for local utilities and city governments.

Today, urban energy networks - natural gas, electricity and heating/cooling - are almost always planned and built separately. This closed approach prevents utilities and urban planners from identifying opportunities for synergies between networks and optimally planning investments in heavy infrastructure.

The objective of this ERA-NET project "Smart Cities" is to promote the interoperability of energy networks in existing and future urban infrastructure by developing a decision support tool to be applied, tested and validated in three cities in Switzerland and Sweden - Vevey, Geneva and Stockholm.

The IntegrCiTy project is funded within the ERA-NET ENSCC and by the industrial partners.

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