Environment
Walking to net zero
Research
ETH Zurich
The Canton of Zurich recently adopted the net-zero 2040 climate protection target. Here Sibylle Wälty appeals for more 10-minute neighbourhoods, which, by making better use of the settlement area, will reduce emissions.
Mass diebacks of Scots pines caused by lack of rain in mid and late summer
Research
WSL
Since the 1990s, Valais and other dry Alpine valleys have seen repeated mass diebacks of Scots pines. Oddly, however, the amount of precipitation in the all-important summer months has not decreased at all over this period. WSL researchers have now found an explanation.
A green Europe with no energy imports
Research
ETH Zurich
Researchers from ETH Zurich and TU Delft have developed a model to generate hundreds of ways in which Europe’s energy system can become green and self-​sufficient by 2050. They have made their results available on an interactive platform to provide a clearer picture of all the various options and their associated trade-​offs.
Scientists compile an inventory of endangered microorganisms
Research
EPFL
Cryospheric ecosystems are some of the oldest on the planet. EPFL scientists have found that the microorganisms living in them have a unique genetic signature. They performed an inventory of the microorganisms in these ecosystems and complied the information into a database, which will be a useful resource for future studies on climate change microbiology.
Drought impedes carbon sequestration by earthworms
Research
WSL
If dry spells become more frequent due to climate change, litter-degrading organisms found in forest soil, like earthworms, will suffer, impacting carbon sequestration: this is the finding of a study conducted by the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL).
A talk about how far food travels before reaching our plates
Research
ETH Zurich
Before it reaches our plates, the food we eat usually has travelled a long way. In this episode of the ETH Podcast, we talk about how far a breakfast travels and the resulting political and ecological significance.  
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