Articles

Towards happy shrinking

Always more - the world will become better and better as long as material well-being grows. Nobody asks what this costs…until the system collapses. The present financial and economic crisis is giving us a taste of it. The Alps are now among the losers, but could be among the winners if they rise to the challenge. Must growth in principle be rejected? Read More…

Fire for the flowering meadows

In 2010, the "Fire in the Alps" campaign once more draws our attention to a burning issue with its signal fires during the second week of August. This year, the imposing fires on the heights will burn "for the protection of the alpine flowers", as a contribution to the Year of Biodiversity 2010. Read More…

Uphill with solar energy

The village of Tenna in the Safien valley of the Swiss canton Graubünden is working hard on a world premiere. The Skilift Tenna cooperative has decided to replace an ancient ski lift by the first solar-powered ski lift ever. Read More…

New compacts on Transport and Spatial Planning now online

The assessments of climate response measures for the areas of Transport and Spatial Planning have been available online since the end of February. Both background reports (or "compacts") can be downloaded from www.cipra.org/en/cc.alps (de, en). Read More…

Regions tackle climate change

The participants at the start-up meeting for a transnational LEADER project held in Mäder/A on 20 and 21 January 2010 went one step further. The 20 or so representatives from five interested project regions in different Alpine countries met up with CIPRA staff in Vorarlberg to get to know one another and come up with a joint project design. Read More…

CIPRA actively involved in the transfer of know-how

Several events have been scheduled as part of the cc.alps project in 2010. At a workshop entitled "Building with a Future" to be held in Bolzano/I on 22 and 23 April following a field trip, participants from towns and municipalities are to exchange views on energy-efficient construction. For more information visit www.cipra.org/de/alpmedia/veranstaltungen (de/it/sl). Read More…

Communities committed to an improved climate

The international climate conference entitled "Municipalities and the climate - Putting mitigation measures to the test" was held in Mäder/A on 21 and 22 January. Around 130 participants from all the Alpine states responded to the invitation of the Alliance in the Alps network of municipalities and CIPRA International to discuss sustainable climate response measures. Read More…

"Cool heads in the hothouse!": Interview with a cc.alps award winner

"Everyone wants to do their bit!" On 6 November 2008 CIPRA rewarded the seven best measures submitted to the cc.alps competition. The Oberallgäu municipality of Wildpoldsried/D won one of the three main prizes for its activities in the area of energy efficiency. Andrea Skiba from the cc.alps team spoke to the Mayor of Wildpoldsried, Arno Zengerle, about their success. Read More…

Energy-efficient Alpine communities and Alpine towns

At the end of February the Vorarlberg communities of Langenegg, Mäder and Zwischenwasser received the European Energy Award® (eea) - Gold. These communities spearhead the international award for energy-efficient communities, which evaluates some 600 towns and communities across Europe. Read More…

Green light for deer and lynx in the Alpine-Carpathian Corridor

In future, wild animals will be able to move more easily between the Alps and the adjoining Carpathian Mountains. That is the objective of the recently initiated cross-border project Alpine-Carpathian Corridor. The EU is providing approximately 2 million Euros for it. Read More…

The new CIPRA compacts Traffic and Spatial Planning are on-line

The results of the climate protection measures taken in the areas of 'Traffic' and 'Spatial Planning' are now accessible on-line. At www.cipra.org/en/cc.alps (de/en) both of the background reports - so-called 'CIPRA compacts' - 'Traffic and Climate Change' and 'Spatial Planning and Climate Change' can be downloaded. Read More…