It is not only on Forest Day that Christian Bottlang takes care of the forest in his forest district. Around 80 hectares, or ten percent of the total forest area, have so far been affected by bark beetles and storms. However, on the most severely affected forest areas, mostly a pure stand of planted spruce trees thrived, often planted by private forest owners generations ago. The trees stood in rows, growing close together. The spruces have been suffering increasingly from drought in recent years. The shallow roots cannot supply the trunk and crown with sufficient water.

About bark beetle & Co.  

The trees are weakened and thus susceptible to damage, including bark beetles and storms. "Once the bark beetle has arrived in such a pure stand, it moves quickly," knows forester Christian Bottlang. The bark-breeding beetle bores into the bark, lays its eggs there and feeds on the bast, usually causing the tree to die. The infested trees must be felled and transported out of the forest as quickly as possible. This means that at present, affected areas are being cleared and the remaining stands of trees that are left exposed as a result are more susceptible to further damage, such as storm damage. The foresters have known about this for a long time.

On the areas that Christian Bottlang, as a forester of many years, manages and shapes himself in the forest district, pure spruce stands have long been a thing of the past. "Like many of my professional colleagues, I rely on diversity, on natural regeneration and regularly maintain the forest areas at intervals of five to ten years." Thanks to species richness and maintenance, the forest areas are more robust and healthier. The risk of damage is significantly lower.

Promote pioneer trees, combat neophytes

In private forest areas, the forester acts as an advisor. There is no actual management obligation for forest owners according to the Forest Act. They have to comply with obligations such as the ban on clear-cutting, the restocking obligation in protection forest, the use of site-appropriate plants or the marking obligation by the forest service for planned logging operations. Forest owners who have relied primarily on spruce - which was and still is an important tree species for the domestic sawmill and construction industries - in their forests are currently having a tough time. "Certain forest owners are truly shocked. In some cases, there are almost no trees left on their land," says Christian Bottlang. But the bare areas are now also clearly an opportunity, both for the forest and for its biodiversity. This is also the opinion of the Forest Department of the Office for Landscape and Nature of the Canton of Zurich.

"On the damaged areas, a sustainable, site-appropriate, diverse and ecologically valuable stocking from natural regeneration is to be created," explains the cantonal forest engineer, Konrad Nötzli. The existing guideline for the promotion of young forest maintenance in the canton of Zurich has been supplemented and now additional subsidies can be granted on damaged areas. The forest owners receive ten francs per area if they maintain and care for the bare areas in accordance with the guidelines. For example, pioneer woods such as birch, willow and poplar are to be promoted. These soft deciduous trees stabilize the forest floor and the humus layer, enrich the biodiversity of flora and fauna, and allow the regeneration defined by the forest itself to flourish thanks to sufficient light. Christian Bottlang also helps the areas with additional well-considered, small-scale plantings of oaks, for example.

He protects the small trees from deer browsing with wooden gates - naturally with wood from his own hunting ground. "We have already used a total of 70 kilometers of roof battens for the gates in the entire forest district." Here and there, one also discovers spruce again on the natural regeneration. "In certain areas, the entire range of trees thrives, even the silver fir finds its place." The forester is very pleased with the richness of species.

According to the guidelines of the office, the damaged areas, which are supported by contributions, must be intensively monitored by the forest owners for five consecutive years. The forester is clear: "We need patience, but now we have the opportunity to let a future-oriented, species-rich forest grow on the damaged areas. A forest that is also prepared for the challenge of climate change."

Forest day

On March 21, the traditional Forest Day takes place under the motto of "Biodiversity" takes place. The day was established by the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) in the 1970s in response to global forest destruction. In Switzerland, forests grow on around 1.28 million hectares. This area is cared for and managed by around 5,000 forestry professionals. Almost half of the animals and plants found in Switzerland are dependent on the forest, that is about 20,000 species. Thanks to near-natural, expert forest management, valuable biodiversity is preserved, despite the complex demands placed on today's multifunctional forest.

 

More about the "Forest Policy" of the Federal Office for the Environment FOEN can be found at here

 

 

 

 

For the "Werde Bünzli" campaign, the "Tubel Trophy" by the Swiss band Baby Jail was also "recycled" The TV spot was directed by the well-known Swiss filmmaker Michael Steiner. Help reinforce Coin-Like recycling behaviors by adopting, sharing and spreading the content on March 18 on "International Recycling Day." Wishing you an exciting immersion in the world of Bünzli the Swiss Recycling team http://www.swissrecycling.ch/swiss-recycling/werde-buenzli/

The COVID-19 pandemic (also colloquially described as "coronavirus pandemic," "corona crisis") is a Breakout of the new Respiratory disease COVID-19 (or "Covid-19", for Corona virus disease 2019). The first infections outside the People's Republic of China were reported as early as January 2020, but it is only since March 11, 2020 that the World Health Organization (WHO) has officially assumed a pandemic (the first since pandemic H1N1 in 2009/10).

"In 1997, as clouds of smoke hung over Indonesia's rainforests because an area about the size of Pennsylvania was burned to make way for agriculture - with the fires further exacerbated by drought - trees choked in the haze could no longer produce fruit. Because of this, the resident bats found no other way to forage, flying elsewhere and carrying a deadly disease with them," begins the article by freelance science journalist Katarina Zimmer, which was published on National Geographic on Nov. 22, 2019.

Zimmer writes that bats then hid in Malaysian orchid trees. Pigs suddenly became ill. Possibly they ate fallen, withered fruits on which the bats had previously nibbled. Malaysian farmers would have tasted of these fruits.In 1999, 265 people were found to have dangerous brain inflammation, with 105 suffering death from the so-called Nipah virus.

Several researchers point out that the Nipah virus is just one of many contagious diseases from regions where massive deforestation has occurred for decades. Various scientifically proven studies assume a causal link between deforestation and a complex cascade of events that ultimately transport disease-causing viruses to every corner of the world.

Mosquito bites and man-made "multipliers".   

In a complex analysis of satellite and health data recently published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Erin Mordecai of MacDonald and Stanford Universities reported a significant impact of Amazon Basin deforestation on malaria transmission - consistent with some previous research.

Although these are high estimates, the dimensions are illuminating: Between 2003 and 2015, a 10 percent annual increase in forest loss was recorded. Malaria cases increased by 3 percent annually during that time. In one year of the study, for example, an additional 618 square kilometers (1,600 square miles) of cleared forest - the equivalent of nearly 300,000 football fields - was associated with an additional 10,000 malaria cases.

This effect had been most pronounced in the forest interior. Here, the forest areas were still intact, with mosquitoes colonizing a moist habitat at their edges.

"Because tree-lined mosquito glades are disappearing, contagions in urban areas could increase."

Other studies, such as that of epidmiologist Amy Vittor at the Emerging Pathogens Institute at the University of Florida, show: Along the deforested forest edges, an ideal habitat is formed for the breeding of the mosquito Anopheles darlingi, the most important vector of malaria in the Amazon.

Through careful research in the Peruvian Amazon, Vittor found higher numbers of larvae in warm, partially shaded pools that formed next to roads and debris cut into the forest. "Those were the places where Anopheles darlingi really liked to hang out," the researcher recalls.

Given the ongoing fire in the Amazon in 2019, these results did not bode well. Data released in November 2019 showed that an area 12 times the size of New York City was destroyed in the Amazon in 2019. However, rainwater cannot be regenerated from trees and plants in such mowed-down places.

Conclusion: bats as vectors of CoV disease?   

The paper published in April 2018 titled "Bats, Coronaviruses, and Deforestation: Toward the Emergence of Novel Infectious Diseases?" (Source: US National Library of Medicine / National Institutes of Health) by Aneta Afelt, Roger Frutos and Christian Devaux establishes a clear link between bats, forest clearing, and coronaviruses. Due to evolving land use, bat populations are settling in areas closer to human habitation (Reuter et al., 2016).

However, the researchers differentiate between humans and animals:

"Although human blood has been found in the diet of D. ecaudata bats in Brazil (Ito et al., 2016), indicating that bats can feed on humans, this is an exception. Furthermore, perhaps with the exception of Australian bat lyssavirus (ABLV) and Duvanhage virus, there is no clear case of direct transmission of virus from bats to humans (Tignor et al., 1977; Hanna et al., 2000; Paweska et al., 2006)."

In fact, experts believe that bats are more beneficial than many assume. For example, bats help pollinate fruit trees (Whittnaker et al., 1992; Kelm et al., 2008) and they would also help contain insect populations (Leelapaibul et al., 2005; Kalka et al., 2008). However, nowadays, about 56 species of bats are hunted and consumed by low-income populations in Asia (Mildenstein et al., 2016). They are also used in traditional medicine (Walker, 2005; Ashwell and Walston, 2008) and on farms to produce guano fertilizer (Chhay, 2012; Thi et al., 2014).

 

However, the analyses of the researchers mentioned above emphasize that there would have been several CoV transmission events between bats, civets, and humans even before the 2002 SARS outbreak (Zheng et al., 2004). For example, their publication states, "The biological problem of virus emergence has not fundamentally changed, but the likelihood of the risk occurring is increasing due to environmental stresses and changes."

Anthropization and occurrence of diseases

At Anthropization or anthropization (translated from English) is understood in geography and ecology as the transformation of open spaces, landscapes, and natural environments by human actions. Anthropic erosion, for example, describes the process of human activity that degrades terrain and soil.

Rural areas are characterized by a great diversity of landscapes that include houses, barns, fields, orchards, and forests of varying densities. It is commonly believed that deforestation and anthropization can lead to the disappearance of species. However, this is not always true when new environments provide acceptable habitat for a large number of animals and favor, for example, a higher diversity of bats.

In addition, house lights attract large numbers of insects at night, which are easy prey for insectivorous bats. Houses and barns provide shelter for cave-dwelling bats, while orchards and fields attract frugivorous bats. This attractive effect of anthropized environments on bats with diverse biological needs leads to higher concentrations and biodiversity of bat roosts (Han et al., 2015; Plowright et al., 2015; Reuter et al., 2016; Lacroix et al., 2017a,b; Walsh et al., 2017; Afelt et al., 2018).

This increases the risk of virus transmission through direct contact, pet infections, or contamination through urine or feces. This is because bats likewise produce viruses adjacent to human dwellings (Plowright et al., 2015; Afelt et al., 2018). Because CoVs (see infobox "Novel Bat CoV Disease.") are primarily pathogens of animal diseases, there is a risk of disease occurrence in both domestic animal diseases and human diseases.

Animal-borne viruses: a historic enemy with a bright future

The novel coronavirus is known as SARS-CoV-2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2). The respiratory disease caused by the virus is called COVID-19 (Coronavirus disease 2019).

Recently, major infections of humans by bat viruses have been documented, although they may have occurred earlier in history. Coronaviruses (CoVs abbreviated) have mostly been associated with animal diseases, with livestock and domestic animals acting as intermediate carriers for transmission to humans.

Approximately 4.4 percent of rats sold at three live markets in the Mekong Delta region of Vietnam and 22 percent of bats sampled at three bat farms carried CoV, representing a high level of animal contamination (Berto et al., 2017). Prior to the emergence of SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV in humans, the four known human CoVs (HCoV-HKU1, HCoV-229E, HCoV-NL63, and HCoV-OC43) were reported to be endemic and responsible for mild to moderate respiratory illness for more than three decades.

There is evidence that alpha-CoVs from the bat Hipposideros caffer ruber share common ancestors with human HCoV-229E (Pfefferle et al., 2009) and that a related virus infected captive alpacas (Vicugna pacos), while another related virus infected camels (Corman et al., 2016).

In addition, HCoV-NL63 found in 9.3 percent of samples from individuals hospitalized for respiratory illness. Thus, there are sequence similarities between bat (Perimyotis subflavus) CoV ARCoV.2 and infected humans, while HCoV-NL63 can replicate in cell lines from the lungs of tricolored bats (Huynh et al., 2012).

MERS-CoV is closely related to both bat CoV HKU4 (in Tylonycteris bats) and bat CoV HKU5 (in Pipistrellus bats). Collectively, these data illustrate the complex dynamics of CoV circulation between bats and wild or domestic animals (cattle, pigs) prior to interbreeding with humans.

However, bats may not necessarily be involved in primary infections of humans. However, write Aneta Afelt, Roger Frutos and Christian Devaux in their 2018 study titled "Bats, Coronaviruses, and Deforestation: Toward the Emergence of Novel Infectious Diseases?"

"The situation is different with the emergence of a novel pathogen within the immunologically active human population. In such a case, the risk of large epidemics accompanied by high mortality is very high. Once adapted to humans, CoVs can evolve to develop a more efficient intra-species mode of transmission. During the SARS outbreaks in Taiwan and Toronto, certain individuals were very efficient at transmitting SARS CoV and were referred to as "superspreaders" (McDonald et al., 2004).

A total of 83.2 percent of transmission events were epidemiologically linked to five "superspreaders," all of whom had pneumonia diagnosed at the first medical consultation.

Resumée (on the spread of coronaviruses).

Because the increasing impact of human activities on ecosystems is unlikely to abate, there is a need to strengthen CoV surveillance in wildlife, cattle, domestic animals, and humans to better understand the dynamics of interspecies transmission and improve risk assessment, early warning, and intervention (Devaux, 2012).

Unfortunately, the problem of bat-borne viruses is not limited to CoVs. Of the 60 viral species reported to be associated with bats, 59 are RNA viruses that may be responsible for the emergence and reemergence of infectious diseases in humans (Brook and Dobson, 2015).

However, is the risk for disease occurrence now directly related in the distribution of bat species? Several examples can be found in other virus families. Hendra virus was detected in 1994 after the deaths of 30 horses and 1 male in Hendra, Australia. The most likely mode of human contamination was aerosols from sick horses initially contaminated by urine or amniotic fluid from Pteropus bats (Weatherman et al., 2017). Nipah virus is another example of the combined effects of deforestation and attraction to anthropized environments. Pteropus bats affected by deforestation settled in barns, where they transmitted the virus to pigs, which in turn infected humans (Chadha et al., 2006).

"It remains obvious that the risk of new viruses emerging is very high."

Anthony and colleagues have estimated that at least 3,204 CoVs are circulating in bats in 2018 (Anthony et al., 2017). Regardless of the accuracy of this prediction, it remains evident that the risk of new viruses emerging from bats is likely to be very high. Now, since the Asian continent in particular - along with South America - is one of the regions of the world where population growth is highest, while deforestation rates are extreme, it fulfills all the conditions - see also sanitary conditions - to become the site of infectious disease emergence or re-emergence.

The "One Health" concept recognizes that human health is linked to animal health and the environment. However, the world's population faces so many problems in terms of increasing urban population, decreasing agricultural land and poorly managed urbanization in many places.

 

 

Infobox:

Novel bat CoV disease.

Coronaviruses (CoV) have been associated with various animal diseases for a long time, for example, birds show infectious corona infections, but there are also respiratory infection in cattle (BRD-BCoV), calf diarrhea, in pigs and dogs SDCV, PEDV, SECD, in felines, in animals of the feline family intestinal disease or infectious peritonitis (Saif, 2014).

People have always had waves of influenza and common colds. However, SARS appeared in China in 2002 and spread exponentially to 29 other countries with a 10 percent mortality rate. More recently, the MERS-CoV outbreak in Saudi Arabia in 2012 had a mortality rate of 38 percent. The occurrence of these two events involving highly pathogenic CoVs sheds light on the threat that coronaviruses pose to humans.

Bats harbor many viruses (Calisher et al., 2006), particularly coronaviruses, which make up 31 percent of their virome (Chen et al., 2014). In addition, bats show remarkable resistance to viruses (Omatsu et al., 2007; Storm et al., 2018). The risk of emergence of a novel bat CoV disease is therefore foreseeable. (mm)

 

Notice:

Researchers already pointed out the "superspreaders" years ago  

It will certainly be critical to pay special attention to "superspreaders" that are very efficient at transmitting CoVs through exposure to respiratory droplets, for example, says the study "Bats, Coronaviruses, and Deforestation: Toward the Emergence of Novel Infectious Diseases?" published in April 2018 in the U.S. National Library of Medicine / National Institutes of Health. A section from this reads:

"Disease emergence is a random process, and it is therefore impossible to predict the scenarios and dynamics of emerging infectious diseases. The attractive effect of anthropized environments on bats is an important risk factor for the occurrence of novel bat-borne diseases in both humans and animals. Given the proportion of CoVs described in bats, 31 percent, the risk of emerging CoV-associated diseases should be seriously considered in the future."

If the priority is to discover therapeutic options and vaccines (Graham et al., 2013; Zumla et al., 2016), it is even more important to work on educating and sensitizing people to the risks associated with the anthropized environment.

To the reference list

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

 

 

Copyright of the texts published above:

Michael Merz, ENVIRONMENTAL PERSPECTIVES

 

 

 

Agriculture is the linchpin for the country's supply. Depending on the country and region, however, emergency laws are handled differently. Agriculture is a critical infrastructure and also cannot conduct a home quarantine. Here are a few important points about the current situation (Initial sources: Federal Office for Agriculture FOPH  www.blw.admin.ch Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Regions and Tourism www.bmlrt.gv.at )

Basically, it should be noted,

- that a transmission of the coronavirus from humans to animals is not possible according to the current state of knowledge.

- at present, there is also no evidence that the coronavirus can be transmitted through food.

However, the virus can be transmitted by humans to surfaces where it can be detected. For this reason, potentially affected farmers are increased hygiene measures recommended. This is also emphasized by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA): "agricultural products or farm animals do not pose any risk per se. The generally applicable hygiene regulations must be observed".

It should also be noted that, from the current perspective, there is no reason to question the adequate supply of food to the population.

Questions and answers about agriculture and forestry

 

How does the curfew or ban on gatherings affect farms? Is it still possible to do field work?

The curfews and the ban on gatherings of more than 5 people in Austria, for example, do not apply to farms. Farms are considered critical, system-maintaining infrastructure. I.e. they can pursue their activities as unrestrictedly as possible (e.g. field work is still possible). Hygiene measures must be complied with.

How should farms deal with a possible coronavirus case on the farm?
What applies to employees on farms?

Suspected and confirmed infections must be reported immediately. The health authorities can then order various measures, including operating and traffic restrictions. The recommendations and instructions of the health authorities must be followed.

In a case of infection, a distinction must be made:

1. Self-affectedness (as a positive tested coronavirus case or up to fourteen days in quarantine instructed by the health authority) means that the ability to work is restricted with it. It is the entrepreneur's own responsibility to ensure that operations continue. Assistance is provided, among others, by the machinery ring (personnel leasing) and/or other official support packages.
2. Affection of one or more employees: A quarantine situation can be extended to the entire company by order of the authorities.
3. Affection of the company by official order to disinfect and/or destroy the goods. Here there is the possibility of compensation according to epidemic law.

What is the situation with regard to economic damage and compensation for farms?

In principle, the risk of economic damage is borne by the entrepreneur. There is no general obligation to pay compensation for all economic disadvantages. However, if specific official measures (e.g. quarantine measures) lead to an impediment to acquisition, there is a claim for compensation in accordance with the Epidemics Act.

Are there grants or bridge loans available?

Such tools can only be tested after concrete economic damage has been done. At present, the focus is on reducing the speed at which the virus spreads.

What happens to farm products in connection with coronavirus disease on the farm?

There are no cases where it has been proven that people have been infected with the novel coronavirus through eating food and drinking water. Therefore: Food and drinking water do not pose a risk from the novel coronavirus.

What can the health authority order an operation in the extreme case?

In extreme cases, the authority may order disinfection of the establishment.
Compensation is provided for under the Epidemic Act. The claim for compensation must be submitted to the respective district administrative authority.

Can livestock auctions still be held? Are farm animals still allowed to be sold?

Yes, farm animals may continue to be sold. Animal auctions and animal sales markets may no longer be held in the usual form. Exceptions are possible provided that personal contacts are reduced to an absolute minimum and the procedure is closely coordinated with the authorities. Uniform Austria-wide standards are being developed. The current closures do not apply to the agricultural trade, which also includes slaughter animal auctions.

What about the supply of feed for farm animals?

From the current point of view, there is no increased demand for feed due to the coronavirus and no shortage is foreseeable.

Are warehouses or agricultural trade (fertilizers, pesticides, other inputs, etc.) also affected by the closure of the stores?

For agricultural trade (warehouses, horticultural enterprises, producers of plant seedlings, slaughter animal auctions and country product trade with seeds, feed and fertilizers) the current closures do not apply.Agricultural operating, feed and seeds are sufficiently stocked for the spring season.

Current situation in Switzerland:

The cantonal business assistance services can be asked for help in an emergency. "Many farms have a private network that they can call on in the event of a short breakdown," says the Canton of Lucerne's farm helper service. However, if there is no private solution, the farm helper services would help out. Because of the coronavirus, however, the service is not worried. "Whether we can do all the missions, we see when they come," writes the service. In general, however, the services are short of helpers, it said. That's a nationwide problem, it said. (Source: www.bauernzeitung.ch)

The Federal Office for Agriculture (FOAG) answers the most burning questions about coronavirus on its website. Further questions can be sent by e-mail to the FOAG be sent.

 

 

The Swiss salt works, which are owned by the 26 cantons and the Principality of Liechtenstein, have long been committed to sustainable and environmentally friendly salt production. For an increasingly efficient use of energy resources, they are pursuing various projects at their three sites in Bex/VD, Riburg/AG and Schweizerhalle/BL. The enlargement of the Saline de Bex hydropower plant on the Avançon River, which borders the production site, is part of this program.

Yesterday, the Swiss Saltworks, together with the responsible project team, broke ground for this major project. The construction of the original hydroelectric plant in 1943 marked a turning point in the ecological strategy of the Saline de Bex. The replacement of fossil fuels with green electricity enabled the environmentally friendly production of SEL DES ALPES salt. The cost of enlarging the power plant amounts to 20 million francs.

More green energy in the grid

Dr. Urs Ch. Hofmeier, Managing Director of Swiss Salt Works, is pleased with this next step in the sustainability strategy: "The enlarged plant is not only in line with Swiss Salt Works' efforts for sustainable salt production, but also with the National Energy Strategy 2050, which was approved by the Swiss people in 2017."

"The future plant will produce 15 GWh per year, about 50% more than today," adds Jean-Louis Meylan, administrative and financial director of Saline de Bex. "Thanks to the new plant, the amount of green energy we feed into the grid will increase from 4 GWh to 9 GWh per year. The enlarged power plant will provisionally produce electricity until 2082. Then the concession will have to be renewed."

Pierre Rochat, town mayor of the municipality of Bex, is enthusiastic: "We are delighted that the Swiss Saltworks are enlarging their hydropower plant to produce more green electricity. Once the work is completed, the power plant will be able to supply electricity to 2,400 households, which is equivalent to half the inhabitants of the municipality of Bex."

Construction site calendar

The preparatory work for the expansion of the hydropower plant started in January. Due to the current situation with the coronavirus, yesterday's groundbreaking ceremony took place in camera. However, the Swiss Saltworks will provide for a big topping-out ceremony to mark the completion of the construction work. The power plant is scheduled to go into operation at the end of 2022.

www.salz.ch

"Under the given circumstances, it is not reasonable for our customers to start IFAT at the beginning of May - for health as well as economic reasons," says Stefan Rummel, Managing Director of Messe München and responsible for IFAT. "Now we are looking ahead with confidence to organize a successful IFAT 2020 in September together with the industry."

The decision to postpone the event was made by Messe München in close consultation with the Executive Board of the Exhibitor Advisory Board, with the conceptual sponsors and in consideration of numerous exhibitor feedbacks. The Chairman of the Exhibitor Advisory Board, its Executive Boards and Managing Partner of the Kirchhoff Group, Dr. Johannes F. Kirchhoff, explains:

"The conceptual sponsors of IFAT support the postponement of IFAT 2020. Based on the current situation, we estimate that the willingness of exhibitors and visitors to participate is increasingly declining. Many companies have massively tightened travel conditions for their employees, and this is compounded by the personal uncertainty of individuals and the unpredictability of future developments.

This fundamentally jeopardizes the success of the trade show in May. At the same time, the importance of IFAT for the entire industry is so great that we don't want to take this risk."

IFAT 2020 will now take place from September 7-11, 2020. For more information, please visit: 

http://www.ifat.de

 

Four pre-event sessions will be held with various experts to discuss the local consequences of natural hazards due to climate change, as well as potential opportunities that may result.

On Friday, March 27, the participants of the workshops will explore, among other things, the meteorological natural hazards and the climate future in the Alpine region with Thomas Bucheli, SRF Meteo. But also on the geological natural hazards, biodiversity and alpine farming or on the topic of protection forest, an inventory will be compiled with renowned experts from Switzerland on another three evenings.

All interested persons are invited to discuss the effects of climate change around the Titlis.

The preliminary evening events will take place on Friday 27 March, 24 April, 8 May and 15 May 2020 from 16.40 to approx. 20 o'clock in the manor house in Grafenort (stop zb Zentralbahn directly in front of the manor house). Afterwards an aperitif will be offered and further discussions will take place. Participation is free of charge, but registration is necessary as the number of places is limited.

All info and detailed program of all events  

Friday 27 March 2020, 4:40 pm
Manor House Grafenort Meteorological Natural Hazards
Climate future in the Alpine region with Prof. em. Heinz Wanner, University of Bern / Josef Eberli, FOEN / Thomas Bucheli, SRF Meteo / Hans Peter Willi, former FOEN

Friday 24 April 2020, 4:40 pm
Manor house Grafenort
Geological natural hazards
Climate risks in the Alps with Prof. em. Wilfried Haeberli, University of Zurich / Prof. Daniel Farinotti, ETH Zurich / Dr. Cécile Pellet, Univer-sité Fribourg / Dr. Alexander Bast, SLF Davos

Friday 8 May 2020, 4:40 pm
Manor house Grafenort
Biodiversity + Alplandwirtschaft
Biodiversity in the mountains with Prof. Christian Körner, GMBA, University of Basel / Prof. Jasmin Joshi, HTR Rapperswil / Dr. Felix Herzog, Ag-roscope Zurich / Prof. Peter Duelli, WSL Birmensdorf

Friday 15 May 2020, 4:40 pm
Manor house Grafenort
Protection forest
Climate Change in Mountain Forests with Dr. Peter Brang, WSL Birmensdorf / Dr. Peter Bebi, SLF Davos / Dr. Boris Pezzatti, WSL Cadenazzo / Dr. Rainer Egloff, independent researcher

 

Nestlé is a new member of the European Plastics Pact. "We are delighted to sign the European Pact," Marco Settembri, CEO for Europe, Middle East and North Africa, is quoted as saying in the statement. "Already today, a new Vittel plastic bottle is made from used bottles. Tomorrow, we want to ensure that other packaging can also be recycled into new food packaging."

Around 80 companies, governments and non-governmental organizations are working together here to use less plastic for packaging and improve recycling. The goal is a circular economy for plastics. "The pact will help Nestlé achieve 100 percent recyclable or reusable packaging and reduce the use of virgin plastics by one-third by 2025," according to a Media release of the Group.

About baby food and Nescafé

Accordingly, Nestlé announced in a separate Media release announced the launch of a new squeeze pouch for baby food. It is made from only one material, making it fully recyclable. "We have started with two product variants in the USA and Finland, and we intend to gradually extend the use of single-material pouches to our range of baby food pouches worldwide," explains Thierry Philardeau, Head of the Nutrition Strategic Business Unit.

A packaging-free system for dispensing Purina PetCare pet food and soluble Nescafé is also currently being tested, he said. The first products should soon be available in France. To further accelerate this innovation process, Nestlé has launched a CHF 250 million Sustainable Packaging Fund. It supports start-ups that develop packaging innovations.

 

 

Swico Recycling has saved 38 million tons of CO2 emissions in the last ten years alone. Most of this is thanks to the return of precious metals such as gold, silver and platinum from discarded digital devices to the materials cycle. This ecological track record is thanks to the voluntary recycling system that manufacturers, importers and retailers of digital devices join and which is financed by the advance recycling contribution.

Nevertheless, the recycling industry is increasingly under pressure. This is due on the one hand to growing political environmental awareness, and on the other to volatile offtake markets. Swico Recycling's system, however, is not in question, as it is exceptionally successful with a take-back rate of 95 percent. "With well-functioning systems, additional regulation brings no advantage. We focus specifically on innovation," says Judith Bellaiche, managing director of Swico Recycling. Despite its leading international position, Switzerland should not lose its innovative strength in the field of electrical recycling either, she adds.

Innovation as a golden path

For this reason, Swico has set up an innovation fund, which is fed with part of the recycling contributions. The fund provides financial support for projects that are intended to give an innovation boost to the Swico Recycling ecosystem. The projects can arise in the entire recycling chain, starting with the collection of scrap and ending with the removal of recyclable materials. In this context, Swico's contractual partners can also enter into collaborations with startups or research institutes to enable projects outside the usual guardrails.

For recyclers, the Innovation Fund brings incentives at the right time: Many recycling partners have the will and the potential for innovations, but do not get around to implementing them in the current competitive environment - whether for lack of money or time. "A cash injection at the right time can give an idea wings," Judith Bellaiche is convinced.

Complex system

In addition to the ecological benefits, Swico Recycling's voluntary system brings high added value for consumers and society. On the one hand, the dense network of return points, together with public and private collection points as well as specialist stores and wholesalers, provides a total of over 6,000 drop-off options. On the other hand, the system provides employment for around 1,000 people in the secondary labor market.

 

About the Swico Environmental Innovation Fund: 

With the Swico Environmental Innovation Fund, Swico Recycling aims - in the interest of consumers as well as manufacturers and importers - to increase the quantity and quality of recycling of waste IT and office electrical equipment.

To this end, Swico Recycling supports promising recycling projects with up to

CHF 300,000. Recycling is understood in the comprehensive sense of the circular economy: Logistics, control or the extension of the service life of equipment are also included. For example, projects from applied research and development or pilot tests can be funded.

 

Participants in the ecosystem who have a contractual relationship with Swico can apply. Cooperations and alliances with third parties, namely startups, are welcomed. The advisory board of the Swico Innovation Fund decides on the support contributions.

 

www.swico.ch

 

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Advisory Board Composition:

The advisory board of the Swico Environmental Innovation Fund is made up of proven experts who are active in an area relevant to the fund:

Roger Gnos (Chairman), Dangerous Goods Officer and Member of the Swico Recycling Technical Commission

Heinz Böni, Head of Swico Conformity Assessment Body SN EN 50625, Empa

Marius Schlegel, Member of the Swico Recycling Board

The two hydropower plants at Amsteg and Wassen are currently 90 percent owned by SBB. The remaining shares belong to the canton of Uri and the Urner Kantonalbank. Until now, SBB has paid an annual tax loss compensation. SBB found the amount too high, but the canton of Uri found it appropriate.

Taxes and duties in the municipalities are maintained 

In order to maintain an adequate tax loss compensation, the merger of Kraftwerk Amsteg AG and Kraftwerk Wassen AG with SBB AG is planned. For this purpose, the canton sells its shareholdings in these two power plant companies to SBB. The canton's energy purchase rights to the power plant productions will remain fully intact. The merger will have no impact on the employees in the power plants.

Thanks to the merger, SBB will be able to create synergies that will allow municipal taxes and charges to be maintained at a reasonable level.

The communities of Silenen, Gurtnellen and Wassen benefit most from the agreement. They are dependent on the annual compensation payments from the SBB plants in Amsteg and Wassen. If the negotiations had failed, the municipalities would have had to pay back part of the tax loss compensation of recent years.

Concession changes still open 

Repayment would have placed an enormous burden on the communities. Accordingly, Hermann Epp, president of the municipality of Silenen, is relieved: "We are happy about this agreement. Failure would probably have put our municipality in a financial bind."

With the conclusion of the framework agreement, a consensus is reached and the dispute is permanently settled. However, the Land Council has the final say. The transfer of the shares in Kraftwerk Amsteg AG and Kraftwerk Wassen AG to SBB AG requires that the corresponding articles in the Reuss concession and the Furkareuss concession be amended. The concession amendments are the subject of a separate bill that will be dealt with by the Land Council in the May session. The detailed message to the Land Council is available on the Internet at www.ur.ch can be called up. The canton, SBB and the municipalities concerned hope that the approach will also find support in the Landrat.

 

The final rating of the VCS Auto Environmental List takes into account emissions of the greenhouse gas CO2, noise, and, for cars with internal combustion engines, air pollutants. For electric cars, the environmental damage caused by battery production is also included. In the Auto Environmental List 2019, models with electric, hybrid or gas drive perform best.

Best electric cars

Hyundai Ioniq. BMW i3 and Mitsubishi i-MiEV

Best cars with internal combustion engine

Seat Arona 1.0 TGI natural gas / Gaz naturel

The news of the Auto Environmental List with the latest 4- and 5-star models that will be launched in the course of 2020 will be published twice a year. At the same time, the online database is updated. Both are available at

www.autoumweltliste.ch

The pathogenic bacteria of the so-called Legionnaires' disease are called Legionella. They are found, among other things, in water. Inhalation of finely atomized, contaminated water droplets is dangerous. This can happen wherever such droplets are produced: in car washes, recooling units of air conditioning systems or industrial cooling towers. Under certain circumstances, however, legionella can also form in drinking water.

This makes fountains, steam baths and showers a potential source of infection.

Pathogens in buildings

But how do the pathogens actually get into the building installations? In central drinking water treatment plants that supply municipalities and cities, most bacteria and nutrients are removed from the water. Concentrations also remain low in the distribution network, the pipes that bring drinking water to buildings. "But then it becomes problematic," explains Frederik Hammes of the Environmental Microbiology Department at the Eawag Water Research Institute. This is because water is heated in buildings, and this can cause legionella to form in the hot water pipes of domestic installations. The pathogens grow optimally at water temperatures of between 35 and 40 degrees Celsius. It is true that legionella can be killed by heating the hot water to 60 degrees Celsius. However, this temperature is seldom reached at shower heads, for example.

In addition, in order to save energy, boilers in many buildings remain below 60 degrees. Legionella can also multiply in cold water pipes, however, if the water regularly heats up to higher temperatures. Other factors, such as nutrient input through plumbing materials and irregular or lack of water exchange, are also known to promote proliferation. However, many questions remain unanswered: for example, exactly how Legionella occurrence and human infection are related, or how drinking water pipes can be most effectively tested for Legionella.

For this reason, the Swiss Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office (FSVO), the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) and the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health (SFOPH) are now funding the four-year multidisciplinary project "Legionella control in buildings" (LeCo), led by Eawag, to the tune of CHF 2.5 million. In addition to Frederik Hammes' Drinking Water Microbiology research group, the project involves the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts (HSLU), the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH), the Cantonal Laboratory Zurich (KLZH) and the Eawag research group "Pathogens and Human Health" led by Tim Julian.

Julian, together with Swiss TPH, wants to know how many Legionella in shower water lead to how many cases of illness. Specifically, the researchers want to use a mathematical model to calculate the probability of infection at different Legionella concentrations.

Another focus of the project is to improve sampling. This is because a regulation has been in force since 2017, according to which publicly accessible showers must not contain more than 1,000 Legionella bacteria per liter of water. But the bacterial composition in a drinking water installation varies, making sampling laborious. "In order to increase the informative value and comparability of the samples, we need to optimize and standardize the collection process," says Franziska Rölli from the Institute of Building Technology and Energy at HSLU.

"Awareness-raising and education also play an important role. This is because experts from the fields of architecture, specialist planning, sanitary installation and building operation are often not sufficiently familiar with the legionella issue. That's why, in addition to research activities, the project consortium attaches great importance to passing on the newly acquired knowledge, for example in workshops or seminars.

How to contain the threat posed by these bacteria is now being investigated by a multidisciplinary research team led by Eawag in the newly launched project "Legionella Control in Buildings" (LeCo). The project will last four years and was commissioned by the federal government.

More information on www.eawag.ch and under www.eawag.ch/leco