Questions from Colegio San Martin

a) We asked a teenager in the streets of Lucerne and she answered: Why do we always hae to got to destinations which are so far awy? At the weekends we could also sty in our city and myke something funny without using the car, If we like to go somewhere else, there are trains... And don't forget to turn off the standby of your computers and televisions! that's really stupid, when we loose energy with things we on't use! Ayla from Berne

b) They are true. It seems so easy to do something against climate change and still it is difficult.

a) There is much talk about Copenhagen, whether the politicians will achieve something or not.

b) Switzerland is acutely aware of the threat of climate change. In Switzerland the immediate impact of temperature rises on the human population will come from the mountains and their cover of snow and ice. In the last few decades the temperature in Europe's higher mountain regions has increased by one degree Celsius. Research shows that the trend is continuing.

Human settlements will be affected by landslides and floods. The all-important tourism industry will suffer as the areas available for winter sports shrinks more and more. Agriculture will also be hit.

Climate change is a cause for concern both economically and socially.

c) High priority

d)

e) save the penguins

a) To be honest I feel a bit bored when I hear of Climate Change. It is as with the Swine Flue. I think: "Not again this topic. Please let me enjoy my life."

Fight for the penguins. take it easy but do something.

We had a climate day in our school. This was a big success.

Industries that pollute the environment have to pay high taxes. And if it is “too much” it is prohibited.

Yes, for example such Project with myclimate.

I would make projects to save energy and to use new renewable energy (solar, wind, water).

a) People would always have in mind how they can save energy: the car industry would have started to develop smart cars a lot earlier, architects would have designed intelligent houses years ago.

b) The past shows us that societies adapt and sometimes they just disappear. Maybe we won't survive this neither.

a) I would like to have time to do sports as much as I can.

b) Yes kind of. I have the possibility to chose a good education but on the other hand I have almost no time to myself. I never really think about life a lot.

c) Time

a) sport

b) school takes a lot of time away...

Red and white: Red for blood, and white for peace; so this means blood for peace. This means that we fight only when it is for peace.

We like different styles of music. As we have 4 different languages in our country (French, Italian, Romantch, German) and we like English too, we listen to music of all over the world.

Addition by myclimate: One very famous musician in Switzerland is Stress and he also fights against Climate Change.

We have projects to save energy and to use new renewable energy (solar, wind, water).

Yes, because I think we can do a lot. In Switzerland, we have projects to save energy and to use new renewable energy (solar, wind, water), and these projects are very successful, I think.

We try to have a very good infrastructure on public transports. So for transport, instead of using vehicles we move the items on the train. This helps much to reduce the number of vehicle. Furthermore, also private persons use more and more the well developed bus- and trainsystem – so this reduces the number of vehicles/cars, too.

But to be honest, our vehicles are one of the most important problems. Traffic grows and grows: we are the ones in Europe with the biggest cars.

Lake Vierwaldstättersee is great!

b) Roger Federer - Do you know him?

a) I honestly cannot think of such a situation.

b) We should show solidarity with developping countries.

Swiss woods are in a bad condition and there are no signs that they will recover in the near future. Every fifth tree suffers. Especially pines are in poor health. Scientist say that these conditions are caused by acid rain and climate change.

We are very lucky, what concerns the climate, the weather, in Switzerland. We have enough rain, but not to much. We have enough sun, but not to much. So the government does nothing have to do.

But Floods do occur in Switzerland especially in hot summers when the glaciers melt. Climate change hits alps hardest: Changing patterns of rain and snowfall, shrinking glaciers and rising temperatures will affect not only the mountains but also the communities which rely on their resources. Already some Alpine villages in the north of the range face flooding, while areas further south are seeing tourist and other trades increasingly threatened. Some areas have already suffered water shortages.

The Alps' most famous high peaks, Mont Blanc, The Matterhorn and Monte Rosa mark part of the dividing line between the increasingly wet north of the region and Italy and Slovenia in the dryer south.

North of the dividing line, flooding and mud slides are becoming a common threat in some Alpine communities. In the south, some of the Europe's most celebrated Alpine beauty spots, including Italy's Dolomites are under threat, although some micro-climates mean the dividing line does not following a rigid north-south line.

The situation across the Alps is made worse by the increasing demand for artificial snow created during the winter months by snow machines working on the ski slopes. This is needed to sustain the winter sports industry which is an economic mainstay of the slopes, but places a further heavy burden on water and energy supplies which are already under great stress.

The Alps are the water tower of Europe. But increasingly much of the water is not reaching the places downstream where it is needed, for ecosystems, agriculture and energy production.

Around 16 million people in eight countries, from France in the west to Hungary in the east, live in the arc of Europe's biggest mountain range. Rain and snow from its mountains provide the Danube, Rhine, Rhone and Po rivers with up to 80 per cent of their water.

The destruction of the Alps is accelerating and the disruption to water supplies will be felt much further afield than originally thought.

Climate change is also driving Alpine species further up the mountains while exotic species including palms get a foothold lower down.

Yes, they change a lot. They melt at an alarming rate.

Maybe because it is about habits... I keep forgetting to do those things also I know I should do them. Do you understand what I mean?

Switching of Stand-by. Reducing the heat in our apartment. Not using the car that much. eating seasonal and regional food..... and no meat.