Politics

Johannes Bohacek explains why it’s misleading to think we can completely replace animal testing with alternative methods, and why we should lower rather than raise the hurdles to research.

ETH Zurich and the other Swiss universities are committed to reducing the stress and suffering experienced by laboratory animals. However, an outright ban on animal testing – being put to the vote in a popular initiative this coming February – would put an end to progress in medical research.

It’s a good thing if animal testing is widely discussed in society, says Detlef Günther, but it’s important that these discussions are fair and fact-based.

What no one expected – genetically modified organisms in which no foreign DNA has been inserted are to be exempted from the moratorium on genetic engineering. This was decided by the Council of States during the winter session of parliament. On the other hand, the lower house's rejection of the proposal to double the EU cohesion billion was predictable.

Alain Fuchs, an EPFL graduate in chemical engineering, is a leading figure in France’s research landscape. He served as president of the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) from 2010 until 2017, when he was named president of Université PSL (Paris Sciences & Lettres).

The Europe dossier continues to occupy Parliament in the current winter session. The Foreign Affairs Committee of the National Council is proposing to double the cohesion contribution  if the EU allows Switzerland to participate fully in Horizon Europe and Erasmus+ by mid-2022. The Council of States is also discussing the moratorium on genetic engineering. It is discussing exceptions for procedures in which no foreign DNA is introduced into organisms.

Ambitions to make hydrogen a key energy carrier for a climate friendly future are misguided, says Anthony Patt. Wherever possible, including ground transportation and heating, we should replace fossil fuels with the direct use of renewable electricity.

How can we decarbonise our economy by 2050? ETH Zurich Professor Tobias Schmidt argues that the answer lies in a radical technological transformation. He describes his journey from engineer to policy researcher – and his determination to build bridges between science and policy.

During her visit to ETH Zurich, Defence Minister Viola Amherd sketched a picture of an unstable, unpredictable world to which Swiss security policy must adapt. ETH Zurich and EPFL make an important contribution to the security of Switzerland by training specialist personnel and facilitating knowledge transfer.

The CO₂-reducing effect of the pandemic has fizzled out, as the Global Carbon Project confirms in its latest report on greenhouse gas emissions. Nicolas Gruber nevertheless identifies some bright spots.

No access to prestigious grants. Limited opportunities to have a say in European research policy. Less interest from partners and researchers. These are just some of the ways in which ETH Zurich and Switzerland as a whole are being affected by the country’s exclusion from the Horizon Europe programme.

Whether a hydroelectric power plant is built, a pesticide is banned or a moor is placed under protection – a wide variety of political decisions have an impact on biodiversity. But does biodiversity play any role at all in such decisions? Researchers at Eawag and WSL have investigated this question and examined Swiss policy over the past 20 years.

It will take more than a long-term target for 2050 to achieve climate neutrality, says Reto Knutti. Policymakers must take a consistent approach towards net zero, and define a reduction path with specific measures and interim targets.

Encryption provides a solution to security risks, but its flipside is that it can hinder law enforcement investigations. A new technology called client-side scanning (CSS) would enable targeted information to be revealed through on-device analysis, without weakening encryption or providing decryption keys. However, an international group of experts, including EPFL, has now released a report raising the alert, arguing that CSS neither ensures crime prevention nor prevents unwarranted surveillance.

The National Council and the Council of States approved the cohesion contribution in the autumn session, which ended on October 1. The road to this point was rocky and full of twists and turns. A report.