Austria
News, publications, press releases, positions... on this page you find current and alpine-relevant information from Austria.
Articles, publications, press releases, CIPRA positions - here you find relevant information on alpine topics from Germany. Please check the other language versions in german, french, italian and slovene for more content.
cc.alps: CIPRA demands on transport
Transport, in particular by car and truck, is one of the main causes of climate change. In the Alpine countries transport accounts for more than 25 percent of the release of greenhouse gases and is of special importance in the increase of these gases since 1990. A wrong development, running counter to the political objective to reduce exhaust emissions. In the Alps, the percentage of journeys made by car is higher than European average. Read More…
cc.alps: CIPRA Demands on Nature Protection
When climate changes, nature feels it. Mountain areas are particularly sensitive, and the greatest losses in terms of plant and animal species may occur precisely there. According to scientific estimates, almost every second plant species in the Alps is threatened with extinc-tion by 2100. For the flora with the highest number of varieties in Central Europe this would be an enormous loss. Because of global warming, also well-known animal species such as the Alpine ibex, the snow grouse and the mountain hare will experience far worse living con-ditions in the Alps. Read More…
cc.alps: CIPRA Demands on Energy
In order to limit global warming, first of all it is important that we use energy more efficiently. Yet this will not be enough for operating in a way that climate can sustain. We must radically change our energy consumption and our consumption of energy-intensive goods and services. Experience shows that consumption only goes down when clear political signals are sent - which include legislative initiatives, rewarding energy saving and punishing waste. The switch from fossil to renewable energies must be forced - but not to the detriment of nature. Biomass production, the installation of wind power turbines and new hydroelectric power stations in the Alps hide many potential conflicts. The environmental, social and economic consequences of climate projects must be carefully assessed and compared. Read More…
Calm and collected in a heated discussion: Ivan Hribar, director of Snovik thermal spa/SL
The Thermal Center Snovik was the winner of one of the seven prizes in CIPRA’s cc.alps competition for its activities . We met the director Ivan Hribar. Read More…
Catalogue of connectivity measures: new publication in English, French, German and Italian
The Continuum Project just published online a catalogue of possible measures for improving ecological connectivity in English, French, German and Italian language. Read More…
New ideas for life in the Alps in the post-fossil age
Last week's annual CIPRA conference on the subject of growth attracted some 200 attendees to Liechtenstein. There was a consensus that our limited resources mean that growth is finite. Numerous ideas were offered and calls made for a response to the inevitable downsizing process. CIPRA summarised the most urgent calls in a catalogue of ideas. Read More…
The Alpine Convention in small bites
"The Alpine Convention in Small Bites" is the name of a new page on the website operated by the Permanent Secretariat of the Alpine Convention, which provides short summaries of the main contents of the Alpine Convention. Read More…
Report on the water resources of the Alps and climate change
An English-language report on the water household of the Alps in times of climate change was recently published under the title "Regional Climate Change and Adaptation - The Alps Facing the Challenge of Changing Water Resources". The authors consider specific options for adaptation to changes in the availability of water in the Alpine region, including the keys to success and the obstacles to be overcome. Read More…
Beacons of energy-efficient construction in the mountains
The summer of 2009 saw the opening of the first mountain chalet to be built to the Minergy-P standard. Located in the ski area of Zermatt/CH at an altitude of 3,883 metres, the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise is a model of ecological construction at the foot of the Klein Matterhorn. Read More…
New ALPARC brochure available
"Large Carnivores in the Alps and Carpathians: Living with the Wildlife" is a recently published brochure containing the results of the conference on large carnivores held in Slovakia at the beginning of July. Read More…
Abondance Ski Area reopened
In the last few years, lack of snow was a major problem for the ski area in Abondance/F, which is located at 1500 m above sea-level. Because of poor snow conditions, the lifts did not open at all in the last two winter seasons. Read More…
Latest edition of the Journal of Alpine Research now available online
The latest edition of the international and multidisciplinary "Journal of Alpine Research" is now available online under the title "Mountain Regions as Referents for Collective Action". Read More…
Mountain film festivals at a glance
A good overview of the main mountain film festivals in the Alps is provided by a new brochure on "Mountain Film Festivals in the Alps" published by the Permanent Secretariat of the Alpine Convention. Read More…
New publication: Mountain Biodiversity and Climate Change
On the basis of papers presented at the International Mountain Biodiversity Conference held in Kathmandu/NP in November 2008, the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) has published a brochure on biodiversity in mountain landscapes and climate change. Read More…
Mountain hike for climate protection
On 15 August 2009, some seventy hikers went up to the Goldbergkees glacier on the Hoher Sonnblick in Salzburg/A to draw attention to the impacts of global climate change. Read More…
11,000 invasive species in Europe
The first complete European report on the presence of invasive alien species of flora and fauna is now available for download at the DAISIE website. The DAISIE project was initiated by the European Commission to obtain an inventory and a documentation of the effects of immigrant species in Europe. Read More…
Special edition of the Mountain Forum Bulletin now online
The July edition of the Mountain Forum Bulletin, entitled "Mountain Biodiversity: Lifeline for the Future", is now available for download at www.mtnforum.org/rsmfnews.cfm?newsid=52 (en). Read More…
350 newly discovered species in the Himalayas
A flying frog and the world's smallest deer are among the species discovered in the Himalayas in the last ten years. According to a report recently published by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), between 1998 and 2008, a total of 353 new species were identified. Read More…
cc.alps concentrates on raising awareness during the second half of 2009!
The Swiss MAVA Foundation for Nature is making further funding available to the CIPRA cc.alps Project in the second half of 2009. Read More…
A cool head in conversation: Norbert Lantschner, Director of the ClimateHouse Agency in Bolzano/I "The cleanest energy is the energy I don't need"
The ClimateHouse Agency in Bolzano has won one of the seven prizes of the CIPRA's cc.alps Competition for its energy saving initiatives. We spoke to its Director, Norbert Lantschner at our "Cool Heads in the Hothouse" conference. Read More…
Exemplary Climate Response Measures
A great deal is being done in the Alps as a response to climate change. Read More…
Knowledge in a compact and understandable form
Cool heads and well considered strategies are required in these times of heated debate about climate measures. Read More…
Melting glaciers on your local mountain - what now?
On 24th and 25th September 2009 cc.alps is organising an international conference on the impact of melting glaciers on communities in collaboration with CIPRA Switzerland and the Swiss Foundation for Landscape Preservation in Crans Montana/CH. Read More…
Why do you go hiking?
Together with the French Ramblers' Association and the French Alpine Club, the French association "Grande Traversée des Alpes" are trying to find the answer to the simple question, why do tourists go hiking on mountain and woodland paths or through dunes and deserts? Read More…
International Competition for Mountain Photography and Film
Photographs and films on the subject of Mountain, Landscape and Nature, from the mountains of Lombardy to the world's highest peaks may now be submitted as entries for the "Orobie Film Festival" International Film and Photography Competition. Read More…
The "Allgäu Moor Alliance" wins the German Government's Competition for Large-Scale Nature Conservation Projects
The winners of the German government's "idee.natur - Large-scale Nature Conservation Projects and Rural Development" competition were announced at the end of June 2009. Five regions came out on top with their concepts for new large-scale nature conservation projects. Over € 50 million will be invested in these regions over the next ten years. The "Allgäu Moor Alliance" was the winner in the Moors Category. Read More…
Dolomites named as a UNESCO World Heritage Site
At its 33rd meeting held on 26th June 2009 in Seville, Spain the UNESCO World Heritage Committee approved the application from the Dolomites/I to be included in the list of "Natural World Heritage Sites of universal value" thus according it the highest worldwide status for a natural site. Read More…
eco.mont - new journal for research in protected areas
The first issue of the new journal "eco.mont - Journal of protected mountain areas research" has appeared. Read More…
New version of the bilingual Revue de Géographie alpine
The international bilingual (fr/en) Revue de Géographie alpine (Journal of Alpine Research) has recently become available online on http://rga.revues.org (fr/en). Read More…
II. Report on the State of the Alps feels the pulse of the Alpine watercourses
The Standing Secretariat of the Alpine Convention and an international group of experts under the joint chairmanship of Austria and Germany have compiled the 2nd Report on the State of the Alps focusing on "Water and Water Management Issues". Read More…
