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New CIPRA resolution for climate protection

CIPRA, the International Commission for the Protection of the Alps, adopted a resolution on "Climate Protection and Climate Change Adaptation Strategies" at its Assembly of Delegates in Bad Hindelang/D on 18th May.

Resolution: Climate Protection and Climate Change Adaptation Strategies

The Alpine region is particularly affected by global climate changes, many of which are the result of man’s impact. The Alps are a particularly sensitive region and are affected all the more by the forecast changes such as the rise in annual average temperatures, the increase in extreme meteorological events, summer droughts and melting glaciers. It is CIPRA’s view that climate change represents one of the 21st century’s greatest challenges. Given the above it calls upon the European Union, the bodies of the Alpine Convention, all the Alpine states, the federal provinces, regions and cantons as well as all governmental and non-governmental authorities .. to intensify their climate protection efforts in order to reduce the greenhouse effect; .. to draw up sustainable strategies for dealing with the growing repercussions of climate change.

US ski resort to tackle climate change

The well-known winter sports resort of Aspen in the Rocky Mountains plans intends to cover its entire energy requirements from renewable sources by 2015, a move prompted first and foremost by the realisation that climate change poses a genuine threat to winter tourism in Aspen.

Two new publications on the subject of climate change

The Mountain Research Initiative has published two new English publications on the subject of climate change.

Alpine summit flora undergoing rapid change

As part of their study on the "Influence of Climate Change on Succession Processes and Population Dynamics of Vegetation in Alpine Environments" research teams at the universities of Hanover/D and Zurich/CH have concluded that the rate of change in the floristic composition of vegetation in the Swiss Alps is increasing all the time. According to the experts this trend is consistent with global climate change.

MIREN: a new network looks at invasive plants in mountain regions

MIREN (Mountain Invasion Research Network) is a new global research network that was founded this summer as part of a workshop in Vienna/A. It focuses on the problem of invasive plants in mountain regions, particularly from the aspect of global change.

Decrease in water runoff from the Swiss Alps

A new study analyses the impact of a potential climate change on hydrological discharge regimes from the Swiss Alpine region for the period between 2020 and 2050. Eleven catchment areas with different glaciation rates and altitude ranges were examined.

Climate protection measures for a hot Bavaria

Representatives of Bavaria's Ministries of the Environment, Economic Affairs, Agriculture and the Interior, and of the Bund Naturschutz have agreed on around a dozen climate protection measures in a further step in implementing the Climate Protection Alliance they concluded in 2004.

Trading emissions to achieve "zero emissions" target at the Olympic Games

Turin/I is aiming to maximise the reduction in the output of greenhouse gases during the forthcoming Winter Olympics with the aid of its HECTOR (Heritage Climate Torino) programme launched in 2004.

Insufficient snowfall a cause of recessive glaciers

Lower winter precipitation has been one of the causes, along with global warming, behind melting glaciers over the past 150 years. These are the main findings of a study by researchers at the Laboratoire de glaciologie et géophysique de Grenoble/F and the Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zurich/CH, published in the Geophysical Research Letters.

New book: the good alpine air

A new publication in the series "Revue de géographie alpine/journal of alpine research" is devoted to the subject of the air in the Alps. The mountain air has played a major role in the history of the Alps since the end of the 18th century.

Mistletoe area boundaries on the ascendant

Scientists at the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest Snow and Landscape Research have found specimens of mistletoe at altitudes of up to 1500 m. It was previously thought that in Switzerland mistletoe grew only in areas below 1000 m above sea level.

Major climate change as a threat to the flora and fauna

A new study published by WWF International addresses the threat of rapid climate change and its impacts on the flora and fauna. For many species, the natural mechanisms of adaptation are no longer capable of coping with the sheer speed of change.

Glaciers melting faster than anticipated

A new study by Zurich University using satellite images to analyse the surface area of 930 glaciers has shown that Switzerland's glaciers lost around 18% of their surface area between 1985 and 2000.

Greater co-operation to protect against natural hazards

Switzerland, Germany, Austria and Liechtenstein intend to co-operate even more closely to protect against natural hazards in the Alps. This decision was taken by the four German-language Environmental Ministers at this year's meeting in Potsdam/D. The Ministers concurred that natural catastrophes in the Alps were likely to occur more and more often despite all the efforts being made with regard to climate protection.

Europe's changing climate and the hot summer of 2003

Europe's climate has changed considerably over the past one hundred years, and the impact of that change is visible in many areas. An extensive study in English by the European Environment Agency (EEA) shows that Alpine glaciers for instance have lost more than half their ice mass.

Ford Environment Award 2004: Special Award for Climate Protection

The Ford Environment Award of the Austrian Umbrella Organisation for the Environment and the Ford Motor Company Austria rewards with a total of €16,000.00 the three best initiatives for the protection of the country's natural and cultural heritage.

UNO confirms global warming poses threat to winter sports everywhere

According to a new study on the economic repercussions of the climate change on winter sports many low-altitude ski resorts are set to face financial difficulties or even bankruptcy due to global warming. The study was commissioned by the UN Environmental Program and presented at the World Conference on Sport and the Environment in Turin/I on 2 December.

Population Trends: Implication for Global Environmental Change

Global Change Abstracts 04/1

Air pollution by ozone in Europe in summer 2002

The Challenges of Mountain Environments: Water, Natural Resources, Hazards, Desertification and the Implications of Climate Change

Global Change Abstracts 02/1

Global Change Abstracts 03/1

Annual European Community Greenhouse Gas Inventory 1990-2000 and Inventory Report 2002

Human role in Earth System changes

Global Environmental Change, Climate Change and Health

Mountain Environments in changing Climates

GraubündenPlus

AlpTick is our idea of one ticket for all public transport in the whole Alpine region. The work of the CIPRA Youth Council (CYC) has finally borne fruit. This year, travellers to Switzerland will be the first to experience our mini AlpTick creation: Sustainable travel is one step closer to the goal of a unified Alpine ticket for trains and buses with the Graubündenplus ticket.

Integration of Biodiversity Concerns into Climate Change Mitigation Activities