A single Bitcoin transaction consumes about the same amount of electricity as a household does in 1.5 months. The Greens now want to regulate Bitcoin more closely. The industry is fighting back.

• Bitcoin consumes more electricity per year than countries like Belgium, Chile, and the Philippines.

• The Greens are calling for Switzerland to regulate this “energy guzzler” more closely finally.

• The Swiss Blockchain Federation counters that a ban on

Bitcoin would not help at all.

The high energy and electricity prices have consequences: Italian pizza is becoming more expensive, hotels require a surcharge and companies are asking for help from the federal government. Federal Councilor Simonetta Sommaruga also called for energy saving. At the same time, cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin consume massive amounts of electricity.

Reader M.B.* is annoyed: “We should limit ourselves to washing, showering, and cooking, but cryptos are forgotten.” A single transaction “with these pie-in-the-sky currencies” consumes about the same amount of electricity as an average household in 1.5 months. “The austerity appeals are contradictory as long as you can produce and trade cryptocurrencies without restrictions,” says the reader.

Calls for a ban are loud

According to the University of Cambridge, the Bitcoin network currently consumes around 94.8 terawatt hours of electricity per year. The whole of Finland will need less electricity in twelve months. Paul Niggli, ex-crisis manager at the electricity network operator Swissgrid, called for a ban on Bitcoin in an interview with CH Media.

Bangladesh, Bolivia, and Ghana have already banned bitcoin. Does Switzerland have to do that too? “That wouldn’t do any good,” says SVP politician Heinz Tännler, President of the Swiss Blockchain Federation, when asked. Energy is mainly needed for mining (see box) – and in Switzerland, almost nobody mines Bitcoin. It is particularly important that mining takes place in countries where energy costs are low.

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That’s why Bitcoin needs so much electricity

Bitcoin payments are not confirmed by banks and financial service providers but by a computer network distributed around the world. This so-called mining requires a lot of computing power. The size of the Bitcoin network also ensures high power consumption: According to “Coinmarketcap”, Bitcoin is the world’s largest cryptocurrency with a current market share of around 39 percent.

Erstfeld, Switzerland

was found on August 20, 1962, in Erstfeld, Canton of URI, located in central Switzerland, by two Italian workers. The sensational find was under a mighty boulder at a depth of about 9 meters – on the south side of the current dam of the Ribital development.

The gold treasure from Erstfeld is considered to be the most important Swiss Celtic find from around 300 BC. Christ. The four-neck rings and three-arm rings are practically new women’s jewelry made of up to 95% pure gold and weigh a total of 640 grams.

The neck and arm rings discovered in Erstfeld are outstanding masterpieces of Celtic handicrafts. There are only a few comparable valuable finds in Europe north of the Alps.

The Gold Treasure from Erstfeld

can be admired as a copy in the Historical Museum URI in Altdorf. The real finds are exhibited in the Swiss National Museum in Zurich.

The gold treasure find is one of the most significant ever made in Switzerland. The masterfully crafted shapes and decorations of enigmatic intertwined creatures – half-animal half-human.

The Discovery

of the Erstfeld Godrings was a sensation. The richly decorated, ornamented jewelry pieces are made of 22-carat gold and are very valuable witnesses to the masterful and fascinating handicrafts of the Celts.

Erstfeld was a border area to the Alps and on the edge of the settlement area of the Celts, who lived in central Switzerland around 300 BC. . Celts made sacrifices to their gods in special places. High mountains – like the Gotthard massif – soared up into the sky to the gods.

Today the gold treasure is interpreted as a dedication to a mountain god. The seven neck bracelets look very similar stylistically and are decorated with very beautiful relief and decorative elements.

Celtic Culture in Switzerland

Ulrich and Nazarine Koepf

Risikofaktoren / Prävention

Zu schwere oder falsch getragene Rucksäcke können zu Muskel- und Gelenkverletzungen führen. Dies kann zu starken Rücken-, Nacken- und Schulterschmerzen sowie zu Haltungsproblemen führen. Diese Richtlinien können Ihrer Familie helfen, Rucksäcke sicher zu verwenden.

Wähle den richtigen Rucksack. Achten Sie auf Folgendes:

1. Breite, gepolsterte Schultergurte. schmale Träger können sich in die Schultern graben. Dies kann Schmerzen verursachen und die Durchblutung einschränken.
2. Zwei Schultergurte. Rucksäcke mit einem Schultergurt, der über den Körper verläuft, können das Gewicht nicht gleichmäßig verteilen.
3. Zurück gepolstert. Ein gepolsterter Rücken schützt vor scharfen Kanten an Gegenständen im Rucksack und erhöht den Komfort.
4. Taillenriemen. Es kann das Gewicht einer schweren Last gleichmäßig verteilen.
5. Leichter Rucksack. Der Rucksack selbst sollte der Ladung nicht viel Gewicht hinzufügen.
6. Rollrucksack. Diese Art von Rucksack ist möglicherweise eine gute Wahl für Schüler, die eine schwere Last tragen müssen. Denken Sie daran, dass Rollrucksäcke nach oben getragen werden mü

WegWandern.ch

 
Gehen Sie wie folgt vor, um Verletzungen bei der Verwendung eines Rucksacks zu vermeiden:

Verwenden Sie immer beide Schultergurte. Wenn Sie einen Rucksack über eine Schulter werfen, können Sie die Muskeln belasten.
2. Ziehen Sie die Gurte so fest, dass sich die Packung nahe am Körper befindet. Die Träger sollten die Packung zwei Zoll über Ihrer Taille halten.
3. Licht einpacken. Der Rucksack sollte niemals mehr als 20 Prozent des gesamten Körpergewichts der Person wiegen.
4. Organisieren Sie den Rucksack so, dass alle Fächer genutzt werden. Packen Sie schwerere Gegenstände ein, die der Mitte der Packung am nächsten liegen.
5. Beugen Sie sich mit beiden Knien, wenn Sie sich bücken. Beugen Sie sich nicht in der Taille, wenn Sie einen schweren Rucksack tragen oder anheben.
6. Lernen Sie Übungen zur Stärkung des Rückens, um Muskeln aufzubauen, die zum Tragen eines Rucksacks verwendet werden.

Sportalpen.com

Ulrich and Nazarine Koepf

Risk Factors/Prevention

Backpacks that are too heavy or worn incorrectly can cause muscle and joint injuries. This can lead to severe back, neck, and shoulder pain, as well as posture problems. These guidelines can help your family use backpacks safely.

Choose the right backpack. Look for the following:

1. Wide, padded shoulder straps. narrow straps can dig into shoulders. This can cause pain and restrict circulation.

2. Two shoulder straps. Backpacks with one shoulder strap that runs across the body cannot distribute weight evenly.

3. Padded back. A padded back protects against sharp edges on objects inside the pack and increases comfort.

4. Waist strap. It can evenly distribute the weight of a heavy load.

5. Lightweight backpack. The backpack itself should not add much weight to the load.

6. Rolling backpack. This type of backpack may be a good choice for students who must tote a heavy load. Remember that rolling backpacks must be carried upstairs.

To prevent injury when using a backpack, do the following:

1. Always use both shoulder straps. Slinging a backpack over one shoulder can strain muscles.

2. Tighten the straps so that the pack is close to the body. The straps should hold the pack two inches above your waist.

3. Pack light. The backpack should never weigh more than 20 percent of the person’s total body weight.

4. Organize the backpack to use all of its compartments. Pack heavier items closest to the center of the pack.

5. Bend using both knees, when you bend down. Do not bend over at the waist when wearing or lifting a heavy backpack.

6. Learn back strengthening exercises to build up muscles used to carry a backpack.

Sportalpen.com

General Amazone Products

Last year, 3471 people found themselves in an emergency in the Swiss Alps and had to be rescued.
That is more than ever before. 112 people had fatal accidents while hiking in the mountains, as the Swiss Alpine Club announced on Wednesday, March 10th.
With the relaxation of the Corona measures from mid-March 2020, the activities and thus the emergency and accident numbers increase

Of the 3471 mountaineers. 1172 those in dire straits or decrepit could be rescued in healthy conditions or with minor injuries.

A total of 180 deaths

A total of 180 people lost their lives in the mountains, 47 of them as a result of illness, mostly due to a cardiovascular problem. 21 more people trotting in sports such as delta and paragliding, base jumping, and the use of mountain bikes. In mountaineering, in the narrower sense, where no transport device was used, 112 mountaineers had fatal accidents.

What is striking is the significantly lower proportion of foreign victims compared to previous years. While this proportion was mostly well over 40 percent, it was 27 percent last year with 30 fatal accidents. According to the Swiss Alpine Club, the decrease is largely due to travel restrictions.

A total of 1627 people

were in dire straits while hiking. According to the Swiss Alpine Club, especially in spring and early summer as well as in autumn, it became clear that even simple mountain hiking trails become dangerous when shady sections of the trail are snow-covered or icy.
In 2020 there were particularly many accidents on such sections of the route, six of them fatal.

See the. Swiss Rega website here

as quoted in the Urner Wochenblatt, March 13, 2021