Climate Change
“Valais is an ideal laboratory to study climate change impacts”
Politics
EPFL
Exploring the climate crisis with Jérôme Chappellaz, environmental scientist and academic director of ALPOLE at EPFL.
Urban heat islands have a health cost
Research
EPFL
A new study has produced the first cost estimate of the impact that urban heat islands have on human health. The study looked at 85 European cities over the course of three full years, meaning it also took into account the protection that heat islands offer in winter – an aspect that has been little studied until now.
The CO2-binding society as a goal
Politics
Empa Eawag
Tanja Zimmermann and Martin Ackermann want to provide answers to the current climate crisis with new initiatives and ambitious goals. In this interview, Eawag Director Ackermann and Empa Director Zimmermann explain why this is primarily a water crisis, what is needed to tackle it and what can be produced from the greenhouse gas CO2.
Permafrost: a ticking time bomb beneath our feet
Research
EPFL
Nearly a quarter of the Earth’s land surface is permanently frozen. These areas, known as permafrost, are found in northern polar regions and at high altitudes. But the permafrost is now starting to thaw – with potentially disastrous consequences for the climate. Here, we look at what scientists currently know about this potential threat.
New landscape atlas helps us envision Paris in the future
Research
EPFL
EPFL’s Habitat Research Center has created the first atlas of Paris landscapes, after winning a request for proposals by the French government and the City of Paris. The atlas is the result of a highly innovative approach to urban research, as it includes not just maps but also testimonials from local residents.
The big clean-up in the atmosphere
Politics
Empa
If we want to achieve our climate goals and prevent irreversible changes to the Earth's climate system, we not only need to curb our greenhouse gas emissions, but also remove excess man-made CO2 from the atmosphere. This is the aim of a new large-scale research initiative by Empa, Mining the Atmosphere. Peter Richner, Deputy Director of Empa, explains how to do this while creating a completely new economic system in the process. A new NEST unit, Beyond Zero, is also dedicated to CO2-negative technologies, as is the current issue of the research magazine Empa Quarterly.
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