News
Recent news stories from research, education, and the Department of Environmental Systems Science at ETH Zurich.
Thinking climate action, biodiversity and energy supply together
Renewable energies are not the main driver of biodiversity loss. It is rather the other way round: renewables can limit climate change in order to preserve biodiversity. Cyril Brunner contextualises the trade-offs from a scientific perspective.
The toll of natural hazards on essential services
Severe weather damages property; insurances know this well and risk is often quantified from this angle. But what about less monetary impacts? A study looked at consequences of over 700 tropical cyclones and floods on essential services, such as healthcare, power, and telecommunication in 30 countries - and found that natural hazard risks to society may be vastly underestimated.
Mosaic grassland landscapes are the most beneficial
Like forests, grassland provides numerous ecological, economic and social benefits. Researchers have investigated ways to maintain and improve these benefits in the Swiss canton of Solothurn.
GreenTech Festival - How Drones map Biodiversity in Peru’s Canopies
Researchers are using drones to reach the hidden world of the rainforest canopy, collecting samples to identify the species living there. This collaborative project between the Environmental Robotics Lab and NGO Wilderness International will be presented at the GreenTech Festival in Berlin May 16-17.