Last year, researchers at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW) installed a vertical solar system on the flat roof of the Eichgut senior citizens' residence in Winterthur.

There, the solar modules, which are active on both sides, were tested for over a year in combination with a green roof, the ZHAW informs in an Communication. "The long-term measurements have shown that the electricity yield per installed module power hardly differs from standard systems with south-facing, single-sided modules," Hartmut Nussbaumer of the ZHAW Institute of Energy Systems and Fluid Engineering quoted there. Specifically, east- and west-facing vertical solar modules yield about 940 kilowatt-hours per kilowatt-peak. Single-sided, south-facing modules yield about 1050 kilowatt-hours per kilowatt-peak.

In the case of south-facing solar systems, most of the electricity is also produced at midday. Vertical solar modules, on the other hand, operate at full capacity mainly in the morning and evening. Such electricity generated at off-peak times could "be sold at a high price in the future as the share of solar power in the grid increases," the scientists predict.

The ZHAW field trial tested the use of the modules in combination with a green roof. A green roof "improves the air quality, lowers the room temperature of the underlying building parts in summer and can even have a positive effect on electricity production," according to a statement. Specifically, the use of silver-leaved plants increased the electricity yield by up to 17 percent compared to the standard green roof.

[responsivevoice_button rate="1″ pitch="1″ volume="0.8″ voice="Deutsch Female" buttontext="Listen"]

 

In April 2019, the Petroleum Association (now Avenergy) published advertisements under the title "The CO₂-low oil heating". It gave the impression that thanks to technological developments, oil heating systems could be operated in the future without emitting large amounts of CO₂ eject.

swisscleantech filed a complaint against the advertisement with the Swiss Fairness Commission. The trade association accused the Petroleum Association of disseminating misleading information about oil heating systems (here the complete complaint text).

Advertising can do almost anything
In the meantime, the oil industry has adapted the advertisement and, among other things, has dispensed with the title that swisscleantech had objected to. Despite the clear data situation, the Fairness Commission rejected the complaint. It justified the ruling by stating that the statements in the advertisement refer to the future and that "different opinions can naturally exist about alleged facts for the future as predictions that cannot be proven."

For swisscleantech, the ruling shows that advertising has a great deal of leeway and can even promise things that will not happen according to the knowledge available today.

This is evident in the three specific technologies that the Petroleum Association named in the advertisement: biogenic fuels, the combination with renewable heating systems, and the use of synthetic energy sources produced from surplus renewable electricity.

• Biogenic fuels: Energy yields made from animal and plant waste are not available in sufficient quantities.
• Combi heatersEven in combination with renewable energy systems such as heat pumps, oil heating still emits a lot of CO₂ off.
• Synthetic energy sources: The energy carriers produced from surplus renewable electricity will not be used in the building sector. Their production is very costly, so for quantitative and economic reasons they are used where there are no alternatives (e.g. in industrial processes or in air traffic). For heat generation in buildings, there are already economical renewable solutions with heat pumps.

Detailed information on all three arguments can be found in the complaint.

Replace oil heating systems as quickly as possible
In Switzerland, when a fossil-fuel heating system is replaced in single-family homes, a fossil-fuel heating system is installed again in 50% of the cases, and in multi-family homes the proportion is as high as 60%. Given the 20 to 25 year lifespan of oil burners, replacement must begin now. The sooner this happens, the better for the climate.

You can find all details about the complaint of swisscleantech here 

Riding an e-bike instead of driving a car is not only good for your personal fitness, but also for the climate. E-bikes emit significantly less CO2out than a car. However, the production of their batteries is a burden on the environment. The Glattbrugg-based company Libattion now wants to reduce this burden by giving used batteries a second life. Often, only individual cells in a battery are defective. Libattion uses the other, still intact cells to produce high-tech battery packs for industrial machines and stationary energy storage systems. "We need to move toward the circular economy and reuse valuable resources more than once"says Vincent Eckert, Executive Director of the Swiss Climate Foundation. "That's why we're supporting this project financially." High-rise buildings save 50% of their energy The development of a new glass facade for high-rise buildings is also supported. In summer, a lot of sunlight passes through conventional glass facades, heating up the office or living space. This must therefore be cooled with air conditioning or cooling ceilings. The new hybrid box-type windows with built-in solar shading from the Wollerau-based company HyWin prevent the heat from entering the office space. Highly efficient and compact heat exchangers in the bottom area of the box-type windows dissipate the heat and store it in the ground probe storage tank under the building. In winter, the building is heated by the HyWin with the stored heat. The HyWin thus takes over the cooling and heating function. This would massively reduce the energy consumption of a modern high-rise building, according to the funding application submitted by the SME to the Swiss Climate Foundation. After examining the potential, the foundation board decided to provide financial support for this project as well. Insurance companies demand and promote more climate protection The funding comes from the 27 partner companies of the Swiss Climate Foundation. Among them are insurance companies such as Allianz, AXA, Swiss Re, Vaudoise or Swiss Life. Several of these insurance companies have committed with the UN's "Net Zero Asset Alliance" to make their investment portfolios climate neutral by 2050. "To achieve this goal, we depend on new technologies for climate protection"says Martin Kaleja, CEO of Allianz Suisse Immobilien AG and member of the Board of Trustees of the Swiss Climate Foundation. "That's why, among other things, we are involved in the Swiss Climate Foundation, promoting innovations from Swiss and Liechtenstein SMEs." Subsidies for replacement of heating systems and other measures The foundation awards its funding twice a year to innovation projects with high potential for climate protection. But just as important are the so-called "standard measures" that SMEs implement to save energy in their own operations. For example, the foundation supports the replacement of oil heating systems with woodchip heating systems or the insulation of buildings. "After transportation, buildings are the second largest source of CO2in Switzerland and Liechtenstein", says Managing Director Eckert. "A lot of SMEs could be doing a lot of CO2and also save a lot of money by insulating their buildings better and heating them sustainably. They often shy away from the high investment costs, which is why we support them with donations of up to CHF 20,000 per standard measure".. SMEs can submit applications for standard measures on an ongoing basis. A list of the funded measures is available on the website of the Swiss Climate Foundation. To the list of standard measures

About the Swiss Climate Foundation Protecting the climate. Strengthening SMEs. According to this motto, the Swiss Climate Foundation supports projects of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that contribute to climate protection. Since its establishment in 2008, the foundation has awarded grants totaling CHF 24 million to 1,500 SMEs in Switzerland and the Principality of Liechtenstein. The Swiss Climate Foundation was established as a non-profit, independent foundation. It is under federal supervision and is open to interested companies that want to strengthen climate protection through efficient and targeted use of the redistribution from the CO2 steering levy. Since January 2008, the CO2-law imposes a levy on fuels. Part of the levy flows back to the economy. Large service companies in particular receive more back than they have paid. The partner companies of the Swiss Climate Foundation use this "net rebate" for climate protection measures by Swiss and Liechtenstein SMEs. The partners of the Swiss Climate Foundation The Swiss and Liechtenstein service providers Allianz Suisse, Alternative Bank Switzerland, AXA, Bank J. Safra Sarasin, ECA Vaud, Gebäudeversicherung Bern, Gebäudeversicherung Kanton Zürich, Glarner Kantonalbank, Julius Bär, LGT, Liechtensteinische Landesbank, Man Investments, NewRe, PartnerRe, Pictet Group, PwC Switzerland, Raiffeisen Switzerland, RobecoSAM, Sanitas Krankenversicherung, SAP (Schweiz) AG, SCOR, Swiss Life, Swiss Re, Vaudoise Assurances, Vontobel, VP Bank and AXA XL are partners of the Swiss Climate Foundation. Apply for funding Is your Swiss or Liechtenstein SME planning to save energy or is it developing climate-friendly products? Then apply now for funding from the Climate Foundation Switzerland

 

National Councilor Alois Gmür (CVP, SZ) wants to combat littering and reduce the consumption of resources from beverage containers by imposing a deposit on beverage cans and bottles. To this end, he has submitted a parliamentary initiative on June 21, 2019. In view of the many misinformation about the deposit, the umbrella organization Swiss Recycling felt compelled to examine the current facts and compile them in a report.

Change in the take-back system does not create any ecological added value
The deposit is used to organize the collection. It is a financial incentive to ensure that beverage containers are returned undamaged to a collection point - normally a deposit machine. A deposit is therefore essential for reusable systems. However, a deposit can also be levied on disposable packaging ("one-way deposit"), which would have to be done as a result of Alois Gmür's parliamentary initiative.
The deposit itself has no influence on whether a used beverage container is refilled or recycled. Experience from other countries (e.g., Germany) also shows that the introduction of a deposit does not lead to an increase in the proportion of reusable containers. The deposit has no influence on resource consumption.

Consumers lose
With a mandatory deposit, the return of packaging is only possible at points of sale - i.e. in retail stores during normal opening hours. Because the deposit could also only be paid out there. This means that the popular collection points at train stations, at municipalities, in offices, schools and leisure facilities would disappear. The number of return options would drop from 100,000 today to around 7,000. Swiss Recycling has shown what this would mean in concrete terms using comparative maps of the Basel, Geneva, Lugano, St. Gallen and Zurich regions. The loss of collection points would be particularly noticeable in on-the-go consumption, in the evenings and in rural regions with few retailers. For consumers, recycling would become much more cumbersome. Swiss Recycling therefore assumes that neither an increase in collection volumes nor a noticeable reduction in the littering problem can be expected as a result.
 
Conclusion: The deposit is not a solution for Switzerland
Swiss Recycling concludes that the argumentation of the deposit advocates does not stand up to current scientific findings. For countries without functioning take-back systems, the deposit can be a suitable instrument to promote collection. For Switzerland, however, with its highly developed recycling systems, the deposit is not a suitable instrument to reduce littering or resource consumption. Due to the expensive and maintenance-intensive deposit machines, the cost of taking back beverage containers would increase massively. The cost-benefit ratio for recycling beverage containers would decrease in return. Swiss Recycling therefore recommends that Parliament reject Alois Gmür's parliamentary initiative.

www.swissrecycling.ch

 

Between 1998 and 2018, around 200,000 tons of micro-rubber accumulated in the environment in Switzerland, informs the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Testing and Research (Empa) in a Communication. Their researchers have studied the formation and impact of microgum.

Tire abrasion examined 

According to the results, around 97 percent of the microgum entering the environment is caused by tire abrasion. Almost three quarters of this settles in the first five meters to the left and right of the road. Around 20 percent ends up in bodies of water. Some of the microgum can be filtered out by road wastewater treatment plants (SABA).

The researchers estimate the impact on humans to be low. "The share of tire abrasion in inhaled particulate matter is in the low single-digit percentage range, even at locations close to traffic," Christoph Hüglin of Empa's Air Pollutants and Environmental Engineering department explains in the release.

However, microplastics and microgums are "different particles that can hardly be compared with each other," Bernd Nowack of Empa's Technology and Society Department clarifies in the release.

Moreover, according to his calculations, only 7 percent of the polymer-based microparticles released into the environment are microplastics. The remaining 93 percent is provided by microgum. "The amount of microgum in the environment is huge and therefore highly relevant," Nowack says.

You will find the summary of the Empa study in the next issue of Environmental Perspectives (December issue).

 

 

American plastic waste should no longer end up in developing countries. A number of large waste managers have stopped exporting the plastic waste to countries outside North America, writes Greenpeace USA in a Communication.

This includes with Waste Management and Casella Waste Systems also two major companies in the U.S. waste industry.

The companies are responding to a request from Greenpeace USA. Casella Waste Systems has considered itself a pioneer in sustainable waste management and recycling for decades, CEO John Casella is quoted as saying in the release. That's why his company supports Greenpeace's demand, he said.

Not yet a universal solution 

For Greenpeace, stopping exports still doesn't go far enough. Waste Management and Casella made the right decision, John Hocevar, director of Greenpeace USA's Clean Oceans Campaign, is quoted as saying in the release.

But he said sending the plastic to landfills, burning it or turning it into fuel is also not the answer. "It's time to stop producing so much single-use plastic," Hovecar said.

The U.S. exported a total of 1.1 million tons of plastic waste in 2018 alone. Of that, 78 percent went to countries with weak waste management systems. This high share is also a result of China's 2018 ban on waste imports, writes Greenpeace USA, citing a report by the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives. Exporters therefore shifted to countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam.

 

Winners of the 2019 Biocomposite of the Year Innovation Award show the amazing versatility of commercially available biocomposites: Golden Compound from Germany won the race with their certified home-compostable coffee capsules. Second place went to KNN Cellulose from the Netherlands with their biocomposite granules made from recycled toilet paper.

Bcomp from Switzerland came third with powerRibs™, a composite material made of natural fibers for high-performance applications in lightweight construction.

Using the latest knowledge of natural fiber composites, Swiss company Bcomp has developed its own lightweight solutions for high-performance applications. The powerRibs™ technology is inspired by the thin veins in leaves, allowing the reinforcement mesh to achieve maximum stiffness with minimum weight. This allows natural fibers to match and even replace the performance of carbon fibers in a motorsport body. The result is a 75 % lower carbon footprint, 30 % lower cost, and improved product safety without toxic dust and sharp splinters, as well as viable end-of-life options. Most importantly, powerRibs™ make automotive interior trim up to 40 % lighter. (More information: www.bcomp.ch)

Good times for biocomposites

Never before has the demand for alternatives to classic plastic products been greater. Up to 80 % of plastics can already be replaced by biogenic fillers such as wood flour and cork, or by natural fibers for reinforcement. Biocomposites are now available for almost every application: packaging, consumer goods, toys, handles, footwear, facade and decking elements, flooring, car parts and even furniture. The companies nominated this year provided a good overview of the growing fields of application for biocomposites: Automotive, packaging, consumer goods, cladding, musical instruments, and facade elements.

For the seventh year in a row, the "Biocomposite of the Year" innovation award was presented to producers and developers of innovative and new applications for biocomposites. The award ceremony was held at the world's largest conference on biocomposites: The 8^th Biocomposites Conference Cologne" (www.biocompositescc.com). With 200 participants, mainly from industry, and 30 exhibitors, the conference was once again the meeting place for developers, producers and potential users worldwide.

Why should we focus more on communication than on concrete problems like meat consumption or recycling?

We know a lot about the political and economic changes needed for a more livable future. However, there currently seems to be a lack of a communication model that helps citizens, civil society organizations, progressive think tanks, and political parties to better coordinate.

So both experts and personalities, see Greta Thunberg, lack a communication strategy?

Environmental activists are good at talking about environmental problems, but they lack a broader political strategy and a strong message on the economy. This is a problem, because if you want to solve the environmental crisis, you cannot ignore economic needs and political realities.

Communicating climate policy is not getting any easier in the face of increasing organized attacks on climate research.

It's nothing new that the general public sees self-profiling behind every extreme opinion, greenwashing behind every environmental measure. Do you have any current examples?

I'm thinking of some social conflicts: both political movements - for example, groups fighting immigration or defending fracking - and specific politicians and lobbies engage in disinformation.

Unlike the nationalist right, sustainability actors have powerful knowledge on their side. However, there is a significant lack of coordination between sectors, research institutes, think thanks, etc.. This results in poor communication that renders all this scientific knowledge ineffective.

However, in a democracy, you can also vote for politicians. In addition, many reports on environmental issues are circulating on social media. What do you understand by leadership in this context?  

Without the connection of businessmen and women to elected politicians, the disinformation about climate change, globalist conspiracies, and other nationalist issues in the daily news would not be so rampant. Except that influencers and journalists can't stop reporting what Donald Trump, Jair Bolsonaro, or Alexander Gauland are doing and not doing.

That's why we need an environmental movement that stops devoting itself to individual interests and acts against other individual groups. It is not about propagating every problem or that solution.

"It's not about propagating every problem or that solution."

What can environmental managers do differently?

What is missing is a comprehensive economic concept that political parties and decision-makers can champion. To this end, however, leading organizations, think tanks, and donors must seek out networks of ideas.

First of all, they need to develop more positive economic ideas. Ideas in which investment and growth are better balanced against resource consumption, waste utilization and social welfare.

 Have you observed any recent developments that successfully combine economic, political and environmental goals? 

The Green New Deal being discussed in the U.S. and among some Greens in Europe is a good example of how the intersection of politics, economics and the environment can work. This simple idea creates a positive image of jobs, family and community in productive economies that are better for people and the planet. Such ideas have a much stronger impact - especially with the younger population - than always sounding the alarm about a dying planet or presenting narrow and negative-sounding solutions like carbon taxes that alienate many voters.

So better cooperation is the key to implementing a more ambitious climate policy?

In some ways, this is a model for the development of public will and political power behind a fragmented environmental movement that could accomplish much more politically than it does. In most nations, much of the population is already concerned about the problems we face. But the fragmentation of environmentalists into so many groups makes the movement a collection of narrow interests fighting for political space.

Meanwhile, well-organized business leaders and cautious politicians can simply say that all these concrete environmental measures would hurt the economy. After losing so much ground for years, a more rational movement could devote itself to developing better economic ideas and communication strategies.

It is time to develop stronger communication networks. Their focus should be on economic systems that invest in more sustainable societies and manage consumption and waste in an exemplary way.

Science is attacked from many sides. But the job of scientists is to provide good information, not to develop policies. Relating scientific findings to the root causes of sustainability problems is the job of NGOs, funders, activists, and policymakers. They need to develop clearer visions of how people can work and live in prosperity in the future.

 

About the IASS

The Institute for Advanced Sustainable Studies IASS conducts research with the aim of identifying, promoting and shaping transformation processes towards a sustainable society, both in Germany and globally. The Institute's research approach is transdisciplinary, transformative and co-creative: the development of problem understanding and solution options takes place in collaborations between the sciences, politics, administration, business and society. A strong national and international partner network supports the work of the institute. Central research topics include the energy transition, emerging technologies, climate change, air quality, systemic risks, governance and participation, and cultures of transformation.

iass-potsdam.com

 

 

 

Greta - five letters, two syllables, one first name are enough and millions of people know who and what is meant. And in the next moment you have probably already developed an emotion towards the young woman with the two pigtails and the serious look. The only thing left for the most professional advertising agencies to do is to envy her.

A testimonial that is neither cast nor highly paid or boasts an existing "celebrity bonus" of a bleached-out past life. 16 years old, marked by an illness, rhetorically average, and even still without a significant network of relationships that could provide a key to almost any door.

Reason enough to think about the communicative effect of Greta Thunberg as a person. At this point, it is neither about an analysis of the content or an appreciation of her work nor about a consideration of her ideas, but about the question of what we can learn from her.

Fact is: There are many opinions about Greta and some of them have probably already reached your level of consciousness. From some you can hear: "That's a heroine, finally someone who shakes things up" and "I absolutely agree with her". Other voices are raised with the view that "she would go to school more cleverly". In addition to these statements, which are usually somewhat ideologically tinged and aligned with one's own value system, there are then the incorrigible reality fetishists who say, "She may be right, but she can't really do anything for the better climate yet." No, she really can't. Greta does not sit at the levers of power.

About arguments in general 
The situation is quite similar to toothache: if you have one, you can't fix it yourself. For that, you need the dentist, who is clearly in a better position to mend cavities, moreover, he also has the knowledge and the appropriate equipment within reach. But you do need to tell him that you have a toothache. It is best to explain to him exactly where it hurts and for how long. And in the end, at best, you will come to the conclusion that you should eat less chocolate in the future to avoid further such devastating consequences, including pain.

The climate may also have a toothache. But not everyone can (or wants to?) understand the language of nature - at least not those who are actually the political specialists including handling. This requires a voice.

Conclusion 1: Greta gives a voice to a problem
Whether at Friday for Future demonstrations or on election ballots, whether at conferences and congresses or simply during a discussion with a neighbor: Greta Thunberg is present, in the minds of many and in the hearts of others. She is a young personality who, perceptibly, has definitely moved the world a bit within a few months.

It's not as if the climate movement is new. But it has lacked a face. And without faces, it is hardly possible to convey a story, a vision, an idea these days. Greta Thunberg serves the media dynamic and everything that has "Greta" in the title is clicked and liked. Even if the comments diverge in terms of content: Greta serves the influencer principle and appeals to large circles of people.

Conclusion 2: Greta gives a movement a face
Basically, the contradiction could not be more glaring: Greta Thunberg suffers from Asperger's syndrome. This is associated with limitations in social interaction and communication. What does she do? She goes among the supposedly important people and communicates, talks, articulates herself unflinchingly. She does exactly what any reasonably professional coach or career counselor would advise against. We all know that:

Basketball players are tall, ski jumpers are light, and orators are eloquent. And yet history teaches us that things can be different. Just like Greta. She shows us what it takes: irrepressible will, inner drive, a true mission and the fact of being inspired by an idea. She radiates incredible stamina.

She would have 1000 and more reasons not to do what she is doing or to cancel it. The smorgasbord of physical limitations, hostility and internal squabbles would give enough to find a suitable excuse. But instead, she is persistent and focused on her goals.

Conclusion 3: Greta has stamina
It's an open secret: not everything in the media productions is based on Greta's own ideas. She has advisors and listens to those who know better than she does about some things. Many bosses boast that they don't listen to consultants because they know well enough themselves. They should be advised: If you have a toothache (see above), go to the dentist, because he is the specialist.
Good consultants are good conversational partners and a source of inspiration. The majority of experts bring a helicopter view without blinkers. It's the selection that makes the difference, and the trick is to keep out less reputable consultants, know-it-alls, and all those who have no idea about the practice, and to involve the real specialists.

People in a wide variety of professions also know how to work with good consultants or coaches, to listen carefully, and to take on board what information or implement what changes make sense.

Conclusion 4: Greta lets herself be helped
People close to Greta agree that the student is intrinsically motivated. In other words, she acts out of a strong, inner drive. The 16-year-old Greta Thunberg can be an incentive to reflect on one's own motivation, for example with regard to one's job or private life.

Conclusion 5: Greta acts out of intrinsic motivation
Nevertheless, it is also worth delimiting some things. Greta cannot and should not be copied or elevated to the status of a saint. She is a true role model in many respects. But there are also topics that encourage us to be rather cautious.

These days, the clear cultural differences between Europe and the USA are once again apparent. In this country, Greta polarizes, but is noticed and triggers debates on all possible sides. Anyone who says Greta means something about climate change. In America, on the other hand, things are different. An acquaintance from the United States recently told me that Greta Thunberg hardly makes it into the headlines there.

The situation is quite different, for example, with a former presidential aide who joins the illustrious crowd of Donald Trump's ex-employees. She told a journalist a few things about the adult and allegedly ill-bred Trump children. Welcome to the media, such a thing is present and has a corresponding scope. Who asks in the USA "Do you know Greta Thunberg?" receives the answer "No - who is this?"

Anyone who then adds something like "she's fighting for the climate" may be met with a counter-question like "Ah, so she also drives Tesla?

In the context of a communication analysis, the issue is always that communication should be appropriate for the recipient. At the moment, I am unsure whether what Greta Thunberg does in Europe also works in America. Once completely value-free spoken: Environmental and climate protection is more ideological on the old continent, closer to one's own value system and personal behavior. In the world across the pond, discussions very quickly end up in a technical debate - which is neither better nor worse. After all, catalytic converters were once mandatory in the U.S. a few years before they were in Europe.

Conclusion 6: Greta works - the question is only where and how
Whether Greta's sailing trip across the Atlantic, for example, was a smart move is questionable. An originally well-intentioned campaign literally got out of hand at times thanks to media exploitation. The discussion started with legitimate questions about where their companions were coming from and whether they were arriving and departing by plane. The media suddenly speculated about whether there was even a toilet on the yacht - with the unpleasant side effect that the actual reason for the trip receded into the background.

And every now and then, some journalist makes the calculation that what she is doing right now may require more CO2 than if she had not done it. Under these circumstances, it would have been more clever to get on a commercial airplane with her father, not to make a big fuss, and to concentrate on the appearance and the messages at the UN General Assembly.

Anyone who sees how often Greta Thunberg is the cover girl on magazines today must realize: Not infrequently, the titles and media have nothing at all to do with their targets. The original idea, namely to give the story a face, has ended up through media exaggeration where it is only about the face and no longer about the matter. How often is it about pure staging and no longer about the actual facts or the mission? Does someone want to shine mainly in the light of the spotlights? Do the often noble intentions fade into the background as a result? That can happen, but then it is anything but purposeful.

If it's all about pure marketing, the goal loses out. That's the same with a public figure as it is in a company. Especially in larger companies, there are often enough managers who have only one goal: to land one step higher up the ladder at the next reorganization, when the cards are redistributed. That has nothing to do with commitment to the good of the company, it's commerce for its own sake. And that's not good for Greta - or for any boss.

Conclusion 7: Greta should be careful not to lose the measure
Away from the critical gaze: Anyone who wants to can learn something from anyone - and from Greta Thunberg even a little more. To conclude the positive learning on the basis of her person, after the above-mentioned aspects, there is another decisive one: She does! From know-how to do-how! She does not only talk cleverly, but actually takes a lot of inconvenience upon herself. She shows up, gives speeches, is on site, stirs up conflicts and tries to solve them again.

There is much to say about their activities - and in all of this, their actions remain the most important. One thing should be clear to us: Greta Thunberg will not save the climate. But she shows that it is feasible to stay consistent on one's own topic. That's something everyone should remember when they find themselves in the "should-do" loop.

By the way, take another close look at the name, the individual letters G-R-E-T-A leave plenty of room for interpretation. Not for nothing can the word GREAT be created by a small rearrangement - and that's what America is longing for right now...

www.stefan-haeseli.com

The profound study on "bacteria and fungi" in our soils have recently been published in the renowned journal "Nature Communications". The conclusion: The more species-rich the microbial community, the more ecosystem functions remain intact - which has a positive impact on agriculture.

"It's probably the first study to show that bacteria and fungi in our soils are organized in huge networks and that these networks perform very important functions," says Marcel van der Heijden, an agroecologist at Agroscope and the University of Zurich. "The more interconnected the network, the more our soils can do for agriculture."

The conclusion: the more bacterial and fungal species were present in the test soils, the more nutrients the plants absorbed and the more plant species were able to grow. If, on the other hand, only a few or no microorganisms were present in the soils, only grasses grew and far fewer nutrients were absorbed.

But other important functions of the soil are also lost if there are too few bacterial and fungal species: for example, nutrient efficiency, the decomposition of dead plant material or the storage of carbon from the atmosphere. "Without bacteria and fungi, the Earth would look like Mars," says Cameron Wagg, lead author of the study.

Like a giant factory

The many species of fungi and bacteria work together like in a huge factory. One is responsible for "receiving goods," one for "storage," one for "loading the conveyor belts," one for "welding," and one for "cleaning the hall. Only when all the positions are occupied does anything useful come out of it," explains van der Heijden. "The fewer "employees" the "factory" has, the less it can accomplish."

The bacterial and fungal species even occupy each position several times. "This has the following advantage: if one species fails, the next one can simply take over," van der Heijden explains. As a result, soils function even during prolonged periods of heat, drought stress or other environmental impacts.

The richer the species, the more soil functions

For the study, the researchers gradually reduced the species diversity of soil samples. This allowed them to measure how much nitrous oxide the different soils produced and thus lost valuable nitrogen. They further investigated whether the microbial networks in the soil influenced the leaching of important nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphates. Then they performed a "systems analysis" and analyzed several functions simultaneously ("multifunctionality").

The results showed that the more complex and species-rich the microbial community of a soil was, the more ecosystem functions remained intact - which has a positive impact on agriculture and the environment.

Seven until nothing is left

For the study, the researchers used soil samples from a Zurich field. To gradually reduce the biodiversity of a soil, they used a series of progressively finer sieves. As a result, some samples had the full diversity of bacteria and fungi, while others had very little or none. The experts then mixed the soil samples (inoculum) with sterilized soil in hermetically sealed chambers in which they seeded a grass-clover-herb mixture. The chambers allowed the gas exchange to be recorded.

Related links: 

Paper in Nature Communications

www.agroscope.admin.ch 

 

 

 

In 2018, those responsible at the Tschuggen Hotel Group had the CO2 emissions of the entire hotel group calculated for the first time. For this purpose, all areas - heating and cooling, energy consumption, business traffic and employee mobility, food & beverage, materials and waste - were analyzed and evaluated.

As a result, numerous measures were initiated to drastically minimize annual CO2 emissions, primarily in the optimization and innovative modernization of heating and energy systems. In addition, heat exchangers are used for ventilation and wastewater, electricity from alpine hydropower is used, and kitchen waste goes to producers of biogas fuel. In addition, employees are also being sensitized and a large number of small improvements are being implemented to take care of resources.

To offset its unavoidable CO2 emissions, the Arosa-based hotel group has chosen one national and one international project from the myclimate portfolio to support with the offset. On a national level, the Tschuggen Hotel Group will use its offset to renaturalize a raised bog in the Tourbières des Ponts-de-Martel nature reserve near Neuchâtel. Thanks to the carbon offset project, the raised bog can be rewetted, which means that fewer greenhouse gases are released into the atmosphere. As a second myclimate project, the Tschuggen Hotel Group has chosen the Virunga Mountain Gorilla Project in the Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda. There, the distribution and use of efficient cooking stoves sustainably protects the habitat of the last mountain gorillas. With the compensation into the mentioned projects, the Swiss hotel group will be completely climate neutral from 2019.

Guests are also included
As part of the myclimate "Cause We Care" initiative, guests also have the opportunity to actively participate in climate protection. They can now offset their travel to and from the hotel. The offsetting funds also flow into the carbon offset project in Rwanda.

The Swiss hotel group thus proves that active climate protection is possible even with the highest standards.

You can find more information on the site of Tschuggen Hotel Group