Swiss Academies of Arts and Sciences
The future of gas
Natural gas is no cleaner than other fossil fuels and no alternative to coal on the road to a CO2-free energy supply. This is made clear by this new report by European researchers.
Using natural gas instead of coal or oil reduces greenhouse gas impacts only slightly or not at all. To mitigate climate change, it is crucial to stop using all fossil fuels, ban new natural gas boilers and massively expand electricity generation from renewable sources. Methane emissions have a lifetime in the atmosphere of only about 10 years, which is ten times shorter than that of CO2, but their 20-year global warming potential is more than 80 times that of CO2. The new scientific report recommends heat pumps and district heating as alternatives to gas boilers.
Swiss Young Academy SYA
Innovative Teaching Formats at the Science-Society Interface: Reflections and Future Directions in Swiss Higher Education
Science-society dialogue is crucial for addressing pressing societal challenges. One important avenue for strengthening this link, in an inter- and transdisciplinary perspective, is teaching formats that encourage students to engage in the public sphere. However, an illustrative collection of best practices in Swiss higher education has been lacking so far. This practice-driven report draws on a non-exhaustive stocktake of existing courses in Switzerland and participatory workshops among lecturers. It features illustrative examples from Swiss higher education institutions and introduces a new typology of science-society teaching formats, offering educators a structured way to design and analyze courses across six dimensions. In addition, the publication discusses both the opportunities and challenges of implementing such teaching formats. To further advance science-society education, the report identifies three priority areas for action.
Swiss Academy of Sciences SCNAT
Strategy for natural history collections in Switzerland
Thirty-seven institutions, take a decisive step towards unlocking the full potential of natural history collections in Switzerland. Together, they publish and endorse a strategy based on 6 pillars and 52 key activities to better preserve collections, ensure their accessibility and promote their use for science and society.
