January 2022

Hydropower delivers renewable electricity, but comes with massive fish mortality – a global dilemma that can only be addressed by true compromises, says Luiz Silva. On the ETH Zukunftsblog, the senior scientist from the Stocker Lab outlines how to find them.

Understanding and experiencing glaciers: The annual excursion to the Jungfraujoch as part of the D-BAUG lecture "Applied Glaciology" is a highlight for many students. This time, Professor Daniel Farinotti and Andreas Bauder guided a total of 74 participants on two occasions through the research station at 3500 meters above sea level. There, the students gained exciting insights – behind closed doors and into various methods of glaciology, best weather conditions included.

High honour for Sarah Springman: The ETH Rector and D-BAUG professor was given the title Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE). With this award, Queen Elizabeth II honours the remarkable services of the British national to both engineering and international sports administration.

The outgoing Rector, Sarah Springman, reflects on where and how promoting women makes sense and what it means to be successful in this area.

The Spatial Development and Urban Policy (SPUR) research group led by Professor David Kaufmann recently launched the Humanitarian Planning Hub. The goal of this research and policy hub is to provide new knowledge for the development of environmentally and socially sustainable housing for displaced people worldwide and to work with local partners to find specific solutions. The first project is a cooperation with the Geneva Technical Hub, a joint initiative of the UN and Switzerland.

An electric car that runs on PV power sounds appealing. But is it really possible to enjoy flexibility with a vehicle charged through a home photovoltaic system? A research team led by Martin Raubal, Professor of Geoinformation Engineering, has reached some surprising conclusions.

Shared e-scooters and e-bikes transport the image of a climate-friendly mobility solution. D-BAUG researchers have now shown that shared micromobility solutions in Zurich emit more CO₂ emissions than the alternatives they replace.