Category: environmentalism

  • The First WHO/Europe Indoor Air Conference

    The First WHO/Europe Indoor Air Conference

    Reading Time: 2 minutes Yesterday we could of the first indoor air quality conference. It was available in French, German, Russian and English. The link is to the English language version. This is an interesting conference to have because, as two or more speakers highlighted, we spend up to 80 percent of our lives indoors,…

  • The Luxury of Walking Paths Away From Cars

    The Luxury of Walking Paths Away From Cars

    Reading Time: 3 minutes I love to walk and cycle every day. I love to walk from home and not touch the car. This morning I refuelled the car and it cost 90 CHF for 44 litres or so. Every single time I refuel the car I get a shock. Petrol is expensive, and yet…

  • The Environmental Impact of Construction Noise

    The Environmental Impact of Construction Noise

    Reading Time: 3 minutes When people speak about construction they always think of the carbon footprint of construction but I’d like to take a look at the noise footprint of destruction of old buildings and construction of new buildings. I live close to a quarry. If I open the windows I can hear the noise…

  • The Skipped Walk Due to Air Pollution

    The Skipped Walk Due to Air Pollution

    Reading Time: 2 minutes Today is an unusual day. Originally I had planed to walk over one thousand meters up the Jura, before realising that I had too little sleep, so I decided to sleep a little more, do laundry, write a blog post and then eat lunch. Lazy After lunch I didn’t feel like…

  • Air Conditioning and Heat Tolerance

    Air Conditioning and Heat Tolerance

    Reading Time: 3 minutes Years ago, when working in an air conditioned office I came up with the theory that air conditioning, rather than helping us, during heatwaves, actually has the opposite effect. I came to this idea when I stepped out of my air conditioned office into a warm summer’s day wearing a fleece,…

  • An Afternoon Walk in the Heat

    An Afternoon Walk in the Heat

    Reading Time: 3 minutes Yesterday I went for a walk with a Garmin Etrex 32 that was sometimes in my hands and at other times in my pocket. I could have been hands three with a GPS watch but it’s good to play with a variety of devices. I chose the Etrex because it was…

  • Slowed by the Wind

    Slowed by the Wind

    Reading Time: 2 minutes Yesterday I walked into the wind for two to three kilometres. The wind was so strong that the Apple watch gave me “high noise level” warnings more than once. The wind was around 30-40km/h. It was so strong that I stopped listening to an Audiobook because I couldn’t hear it. I…

  • Garmin Instinct Solar Low Battery

    Garmin Instinct Solar Low Battery

    Reading Time: 2 minutes Yesterday just as I was telling the Garmin Instinct to start tracking I noticed that I had 20 or less percent of battery left so I considered turning around, to swap to another device. I didn’t, and I just went for a 12km walk. During the walk I was more focused…

  • Heat Waves and Tarmac

    Heat Waves and Tarmac

    Reading Time: 3 minutes Heatwaves and Tarmac When you cycle you feel the difference between different landscapes between seconds. You go from farming landscapes to wooded areas near forests before finally getting to the cities. In the process you notice the difference in temperatures between these different land uses. The Permanent Summer Heatwave This summer…

  • Cycling With Different Levels of Fitness

    Cycling With Different Levels of Fitness

    Reading Time: 3 minutes Originally I wanted to write about following route 50 from one village to Romainmôtier. I changed my mind as I created the title for this post. An old pickup truck and bike Yesterday I cycled with two people on electric bikes on my normal bike. I didn’t feel that I was…