Articles
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EU nature protection database
Together with the European Topic Centre for Nature Protection and Biodiversity (ETC/NPB in Paris/F) and the European Environmental Information Observation Network (EIONET) the European Environmental Agency EEA has just published a new database with information on the protection of nature: EUNIS - European Nature Information System.
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Italy: 2005 World Ski Championships a risk to national park
Preparations for the World Ski Championships in the upper Valtellina in 2005 are in upheaval. The projects for the resort of Santa Caterina Valfurva, which is to stage the women's races, have come under attack. Environmental associations believe that as the Santa Caterina Valfurva skiing region is situated in the Stilfserjoch National Park the environmental impact of the projects should be examined particularly thoroughly.
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Alpine wind farms: blessing or curse?
Tiroler Wasserkraft AG (TIWAG) and Salzachwind GmbH are planning to build several wind farms in the Wipptal/Brenner region on the Austrian-Italian border. The Austrian Alpine Association (ÖAV) is calling for an immediate stop to the planning work for the wind farms as they are to be erected in a conservation and local recreation area.
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Plans for a network of the Alps' large lakes
Together with various partners the French Rhône-Alpes region is planning to submit to the EU Programme Interreg IIIB Alpine Space a project for setting up a network of large natural lakes in the alpine region. The project's main goals are to include environmental protection in harmony with the European Framework Directive on Water and sustainable tourist development of lake landscapes.
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No GMO-free zone in Upper Austria says EU
The EU Commission has rejected Austria's request to approve national measures for a three-year ban on genetically modified organisms. The federal province of Upper Austria was to have been declared a GMO-free zone. The government of the province of Upper Austria felt that a general ban on genetically modified seed stock was justified inasmuch as the issue of the coexistence of agricultural methods of cultivation with and without genetically modified organisms had not yet been fully resolved.
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Biogaspark Alpe-Adria: Eco-power for households
As part of the energy project Biogaspark Alpe-Adria biogas plants are to be built and operated in the Alpe-Adria region, of which Austria, Italy and Slovenia are participating members. The plants to be constructed by mid-2006 will generate electricity and heating for around 13,500 one-family households.
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Biogas - Car fuel of the future?
The SwissFarmerPower Working Group recently presented a study entitled "Agricultural Biogas, the Fuel of Tomorrow" which shows that animal husbandry in the Swiss mountain canton of Lucerne produces enough biogas from faeces to supply 32,000 cars a year with fuel. Biogas fuel would also considerably improve air hygiene and help reduce CO2 emissions.
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New four-language dictionary on flood protection
The Swiss Federal Office for Water and Geology and the Swiss Federal Chancellery have published a dictionary on flood protection in German, French, Italian and English.
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Cross-border youth solar project successfully completed
It took 15 adolescents from Austria, Slovenia and Italy only one week to erect a solar installation at the leisure centre of the Austrian Klimabündnis [Climate Alliance] municipality of Gurk. The activity was part of the youth solar project "Together for a Sunny Future", and was supervised by technicians from AEE, the Working Party on Renewable Energy.
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CIPRA calls for Alpine Convention Water Protocol
For years the International Commission for the Protection of the Alps CIPRA has been demanding that the Alpine states draw up a Water Protocol to the Alpine Convention. In Innsbruck/A CIPRA itself tabled a proposal for such a Protocol to coincide with the UN's International Year of Freshwater 2003.