News
With the Alps at our backs
The French city of Grenoble aims to become the 2022 “European Green Capital”. It can play its biggest trump card in the build-up to this coveted award: the Alps.
From archives to houses of the present
Alpine museums are about more than just wooden skis, farmhouse trunks and old photos. They preserve, exhort or inspire us – and thus have a vital role in society.
No landscape to be seen
Increasing demands for use are putting the Alpine landscape under ever more pressure. The “Urban Sprawl Initiative” is an attempt by environmentalists in Switzerland to reverse the trend. The aim is to curb the marketisation of the landscape.
Point of view: Don’t mess with our future!
The climate crisis is a reality – and it is by no means the only environmental problem looming. Luisa Deubzer of the CIPRA Youth Advisory Council calls for a rethinking on the part of society. In late November 2018 the 24-year-old gave a fiery speech before politicians and young people at the Eusalp Forum in Innsbruck, Austria.
What the landscape tells us
How do we perceive changes in the landscape? Why do we feel more closely connected to some places than others? These questions are raised by CIPRA with «Re-Imagine Alps», its new interactive map of the region.
Sustainable Tourism: Who will do the job?
There is no shortage of ideas when it comes to sustainable tourism in the Alps. But who will take charge of networking these ideas? In early November CIPRA International invited experts from all the Alpine countries to attend a workshop in Innsbruck, Austria in order to jointly develop a job profile.
Youth participation is a must-have – not a nice-to-have
More youth participation in the Alps! This was the plea made by the GaYA Conference in Chambéry, France, to politicians and policymakers in the Alpine countries. The strength of feeling involved was illustrated by the participation of numerous young people and representatives from the spheres of politics and society.
Three workshops for sustainable mobility
Ideas for cross-border co-operation, the future of the Veynes railway and a toolbox for sustainable commuting: three projects from the Alps that serve as an inspiration for more sustainable mobility.
Good service for rural areas
A success story: December 2018 saw the opening of the 100th «Maison de services au public» in the French Alps.
Winter Olympics: return to the Alps in 2026?
In early January 2019 the Italian cities of Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo submitted a joint bid, facing off with Stockholm in Sweden in the race to host the Winter Olympics. The IOC will make its decision in June.
Ecosystems out of balance
Storms, drought, floods, mudslides and avalanches: many Alpine regions were affected by extreme natural events in 2018. The first measures are already in place to ensure better management.
Researching the Alps
They are probably among the most thoroughly researched mountain areas on Earth, yet the spirit of research in the Alps remains undiminished: November 2018 saw the opening of a new Centre for Mountain Research in the Swiss city of Sion.
Venturing into the unknown
In her report Christine Eben would write: ‘Once again we formed mixed groups, in terms of both age and nationality, just as we had in our previous workshops that had proved so successful. As it’s all about future developments, exchanging ideas with young people is all the more important.’
The Alps as a climate laboratory
Without climate protection measures the average temperature in the Alps will increase by up to 4.5 degrees by 2050. New initiatives give rise to hope, with the latest United Nations climate report drawing further attention to the topic.
A cultural heritage to savour
How a cross-border project combines culinary delights with the Alpine heritage.
What nature provides
The international project AlpES is strengthening the importance of ecosystems and their services for the population of the Alps. The project team will be presenting its results on 21-22 November 2018 in Innsbruck, Austria.
Morbegno recognised for its commitment
Morbegno, in the Italian region of Lombardy, has been chosen as the 2019 «Alpine Town of the Year». It thus joins an international network that advocates future-proof urban development in the Alps.
Ample space for castles in the air
Toni seeks out sources of friction between himself and his surroundings. That includes meeting up with people who have contrasting views to his own and his own living environment. ‘It’s the only way for something new to materialise,’ he explains.
A place of encounter
Living here is a life choice. It’s not a choice Maria Schneider from Germany made herself; rather, she followed her husband Andreas Schneider to Italy some thirty-five years ago. In actual fact, it all began by mistake.
The whale jumper
Hanging inside Gregor Novak’s flat is a whale. Made from an old pullover. That old woolly jumper had become seriously irritating as it had lost its shape and was unwearable. So Gregor scratched his head looking for an idea and then came up with two – in the drawers marked ‘Fabrics’ and ‘Animals’ respectively. He then handcrafted the old jumper into a whale, which now adorns his flat in Liechtenstein.
Inspiration with heart and mind
Sometimes inspiration comes to Franziska Kunze right in the middle of her day. As it did recently when she was at the market and spotted a pig’s heart in the butcher’s window. She knew there and then she’d buy the heart, even though she didn’t yet know how she was going to prepare it.
Ideas like apple trees
Whenever Cristina Dalla Torre gets excited about an idea, she feels she has to tell the whole world about it. She knows how important it is for ideas to get out there and enthuse others. And yet, occasionally, she can be lost for words: ‘This is a good idea, a really good idea. It’s like, you know, …’
‘And… and… and’
Jean Horgues-Debat reserves the right to get it wrong. ‘There is no norm,’ says the 60-year-old engineer. ‘We’re allowed to give it a go, develop, and reject.’
Point of view: Burning with love, not hate
The climate crisis and nationalism are the two greatest threats of our time, says Kaspar Schuler, executive director of CIPRA International since June, on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of «Fire across the Alps».
Youth taking action for the Alps
Calling for youth participation, engaging in Alpine policymaking, launching the first Youth Interrail Pass for the Alps: the CIPRA Youth Council is celebrating its fifth anniversary with an impressive record.
Innovative ideas for tourism
Forest cabins that are self-sufficient in energy, mobile ski instructors, taking a break in an empty second home or glamping down on the farm: CIPRA Switzerland’s «Innovation Generator» is supporting the start-up of four tourism projects.
Building – a bottomless pit?
Whether it is a question of major projects or infrastructure developments in protected areas – Alpine countries such as Austria and Switzerland cannot build quickly or easily enough.
Youth participation – but how?
More youth participation in the Alps is the aim – but the process is often slow to take shape in cities and towns. The “Toolbox for Youth Participation”, produced by the GaYA project, offers help in starting up.