News
The Emmen valley - The vision of a valley heated without oil
Timber and solar energy rather than oil, gas and electricity are to be the heating resources of the future in Switzer-land's Emmen valley. Although the Emmen valley region is densely forested, each year it still buys in some CHF 30 m's worth of oil, gas and electricity - while more than half the wood accruing each year simply rots away in the region's forests. It's a situation the "Oil of Emmental" project hopes to remedy.
Hydrogen-powered piste vehicles in the Alps
The Swiss association Swiss Alps 3000 has launched a new campaign aimed at zero-emissions mobility in the Alps. As part of the campaign it presented the prototype of a hydrogen-powered piste vehicle. The first vehicle of this type was tested during winter 2003/2004.
King Albert I Memorial Foundation Award
For the sixth time now the King Albert I Memorial Foundation presented awards for outstanding achievements in connection with the mountains of the world at Pontresina/CH on 11 September 2004.
Ultra-low energy building gains altitude
The highest ultra-low energy business premises of the Alps were officially opened in Punt Muragl (En-gadine/Switzerland) at the end of August. Gasser Building Materials' 23,000 m3 warehouse with integrated DIY store is situated at an altitude of 1,728 m above sea level and is heated almost exclusively by solar energy.
Environment Award of Switzerland
For the fifth time already the Pro Aqua-Pro Vita Foundation is organising its Environment Award of Switzerland. The Award is open to private individuals, companies and institutions from all countries, and the closing deadline is 15 December.
Europe's changing climate and the hot summer of 2003
Europe's climate has changed considerably over the past one hundred years, and the impact of that change is visible in many areas. An extensive study in English by the European Environment Agency (EEA) shows that Alpine glaciers for instance have lost more than half their ice mass.
New publication: "Path to Nature's Wisdom - Ecological Dialogue Himalaya and Alps"
The Naturschutzbund Steiermark/A has published a German and English conference book following the international conference "Path to Nature's Wisdom - Ecological Dialogue Himalaya and Alps". The conference was held in Graz/A from 9 to 11 October 2002 as part of the UN's International Year of the Mountains 2002, under the patronage of the Dalai Lama.
New competences at the EU for the Alpine Convention
As of November a new Commissioner at the European Union is to be officially responsible for the Alpine Convention. Stavros Dimas, currently Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities, is to take over as Commissioner for the Environment.
2004 Award for Sustainable Tourism: Take part now!
The authorities of the département of Haute-Savoie/F is presenting an award for the most sustainable tourist project as part of the 6th Tourism Summit of Chamonix Mont-Blanc.
International conference on erosion and related problems
The European Land and Soil Alliance (ELSA e.V.) is holding its 3rd Annual International Conference under the motto "Erosion and Soil Protection - The Challenge of Soil Erosion for Local Authorities". The Conference is being held in Bolzano/I on 23 - 24 September, with simultaneous interpreting available in German, English and Italian.
New tourist complexes in high mountain regions
The Ukrainian project at Bukovel reflects the global trend towards developing increasingly vast ski areas:
New publication: Mountains of Europe - Stakeholders, legitimization, delineation
Europe's mountains are the topic of a new publication in the series Revue de géographie alpine / Journal of Alpine Research. Six essays in French and in English by renowned scientists such as Werner Bätzing have been compiled under keywords such as "Stakeholders, legitimization, delineation".
Still little research into permafrost
During a six-year experimental series Reynold Delaloye, geographer at Fribourg University/CH, has found that permafrost reacts less sensitively to warming than was previously assumed, with no change noted in soil temperature at greater depths. He attributes his findings to a cooling ventilation mechanism that sets in in winter.
REMOTION - International conference on environmentally friendly mobility concepts and tourism
REMOTION 2004 is an expert conference that invites participants to consider and discuss the future prospects of mobility in tourism. It is being held at Werfenweng/A from 19 to 21 September and aims to bring together tourism destinations and manufacturers of environmentally sound transport and drive technologies.
Thesis on dead wood and the preservation of biodiversity in forests
At the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne/CH the doctoral candidate Rita Bütler has looked at the question of how much dead wood is enough for biodiversity conservation in managed forests.
Carpathian Convention: Interim Secretariat in Vienna
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has opened a new office in Vienna: as of July the UNEP office is to act as the Interim Secretariat of the Framework Convention on the Protection and Sustainable Development of the Carpathians.
Sonthofen to be 2005 Alpine Town of the Year
On July 8 the German town of Sonthofen officially launched its preparations for the 2005 Alpine Town of the Year with an impulse workshop followed by a press conference. An international jury is to award Sonthofen the title of "2005 Alpine Town of the Year" for its past services on behalf of sustainable development in particular.
Worsening of regional differences in Swiss mountain regions
Switzerland's rural areas and mountain regions are continuing to struggle with depopulation and unemployment. By contrast large regions and central areas are less affected by this negative trend, which has now been ongoing for several years.
ReSource Award - On the lookout for sustainable water management projects
This year once again Swiss Re, a leading re-insurance company, is rewarding innovative water management projects.
New web site for Mountain Partnership
The Mountain Partnership organisation went online at the beginning of July. The www.mountainpartnership.org internet site provides a wealth of information on mountains in English, French and Spanish, with a new Newsletter entitled "Peak to Peak" and facts and figures on the international day of the mountains.
CIPRA on film
To mark its 50th anniversary CIPRA, the International Commission for the Protection of the Alps, produced a film about the Alps and of course the Commission's own activities.
Mountain regions and the elderly and disabled
Services for the elderly and the accessibility of accommodation by the disabled are the two key issues of a seminar at Feltre in Italy on July 2. The seminar is being held as part of the Interreg IIIA Programme Montagna Accessibile (Mountains Within Reach) of the Belluno Province and the Federal Province of Tyrol/A.
Switzerland: internet timetable for mountain enthusiasts
The Swiss Alpine Club (SAC) has posted a new German and French internet page at www.alpenonline.ch , to help mountaineers plan their tours.
Restriction on new holiday homes
In future all new properties built in Zermatt/CH must have a principal residence share of 30%. This measure is designed to prevent Zermatt becoming a ghost town during the off-season.
Flora Alpina - An atlas of all 4,500 plants in the Alps
How many vascular plants make up the flora of the Alps? What do they look like? What is their correct designation? What species are annual, perennial or xyloid? When do they flower? Where can they be found? What ecology characterises the individual species? The answers to these and other questions can all be found in Flora alpina, a new publication in three volumes that covers all the flowering plants and ferns of the entire alpine region, from Vienna to Nice, from valley floor to eternal snow.
Ford Environment Award 2004: Special Award for Climate Protection
The Ford Environment Award of the Austrian Umbrella Organisation for the Environment and the Ford Motor Company Austria rewards with a total of €16,000.00 the three best initiatives for the protection of the country's natural and cultural heritage.
Fires aglow for alpine protected areas
The "Fire across the Alps" event aims to send a glowing message on behalf of alpine policy in 2004, too. The emphasis this year is on alpine protected areas. Other "pot burners" include transit traffic and local issues. The fires also symbolise the solidarity between alpine countries and regions.
Preserving traditional crops and livestock breeds
An agreement on plant genetic resources is to come into force in nine EU member states on 29 June, with only Germany featuring among alpine countries. The agreement is designed to secure the use of gene pools and free access to seed stocks and propagating materials for key agricultural crops.
Conference on "Cities in the Mountains"
The French mountain organisation Montanea is organising an international conference on "Cities in the Mountains" together with the Alpe magazine. It is to be held at the Chambéry Conference Centre on 29 June. Admission is free. The registration deadline is 22 June. The conference will offer simultaneous interpretation in French, German and Italian.
Ministers of alpine countries: More road safety and alternatives to road traffic
At a meeting in Switzerland the transport ministers of alpine countries underlined their commitment to improve road safety in cross-alpine HGV traffic in a joint and concerted effort adapted to the needs of the alpine countries, and to bolster the policy of transporting HGV traffic by rail. The meeting was attended by representatives from Germany, France, Italy, Austria and the EU Commission.