Season changes.

Hi! I am Daniel from Taiwan, STS Autumn 2016. It's soon time to leave, so I'll take a moment to look back on my season. And it has been an amazing season. I can see the color of the nature and trees change from green to colorful orange. I remember our Staff Training when we learned a lot about Eco Policy at KISC, for example where our food comes from - which is mostly produced in Switzerland. Also, I got the opportunity to run an Eco Activity for a Maltese school group. I can be proud to share how the disposal at KISC works, and how we work towards helping our Earth. Right now, I'm telling other scouts how we work at KISC, to share with other Scouts around the world. When I go back to Taiwan, I will do my best to do more things for the Earth as a Pinkie, because one day Pinkie - always Pinkie. 

Beggining of the season. September.

Almost ending the season. November.

By Daniel (TW)

STS Autumn 2016

What does transport do to the world?

Hi! My name is Tolly and I am a climbing guide at KISC. That means that I work in the Programme department and run the climbing activities as well as helping out in general, not only in the programme department, but in any department. My arrival at KISC was my first time being in Kandersteg, and I was blown away by the tremendous landscape and welcoming smiles, but also the sheer punctuality of transport services. On my days off I have taken advantage of these transport services, but in doing so, have been made aware of the effect of transport on the environment.

There is quite a significant difference in the availability of public transport between where I live in Ireland, and Kandersteg in Switzerland. Where I live in Ireland we have a bus service operating at odd hours and that is about it, but in Kandersteg there is both a regular bus service and a train station.

Take a look at this small table to get an idea of the grams of CO₂ (a particularly bad pollutant) per mile for a few differently sized cars.

Size	Engine Size	Km per Litre	Grams of CO2 per km*
Small Car	< 1.5	15.7	244
Medium Car	1.5 - 2	14	270
Large Car	> 2	10.2	375

* calculated from Km/l and CO₂ emissions of 3.15 kg per litre http://www.carbonindependent.org/sources_car.html

Fact: Trains are 3 times more energy efficient as cars, and 6 times more energy efficient than planes on a per-passenger-mile basis. 

Ireland’s CO₂ emissions for transport last year (2015) was 13 million tonnes, and Switzerland’s was slightly higher at 16.4 million tonnes. However, Switzerland's population is nearly 8.1 million people, compared to Ireland's population of 4.6 million people. This means that the average Irish person produces 2.829 tonnes of CO₂, over 40% more than the average Swiss person. That is quite a significant difference. One of the reasons for this is due to the increased access to and use of public transport in Switzerland. Another reason is how Switzerland generates it's electricity - see some of our other blog posts for more information on that!

So next time you are considering going somewhere, don’t just think of the cost, think of the environmental impact. By sharing cars or taking public transport, you can make a big difference.

Tolly (IE)

Climate Change

Among the kisc staff, I'm in a rare position. I'm lucky enough to be in my second Snow and Ice season in a row. The Snow and Ice (or more commonly "Snice") guides are four members of summer staff who come to KISC specifically to guide groups on the Glacier at Fründenhütte. It's a fantastic job, and the Snice guides are always a slightly odd group, even when surrounded by Pinkies and Greenies. Most only have one Summer as Snice, but I was here last summer, and here I am again.

This is a job which puts me in the same mountains almost every day, meaning I've gotten to know them very well, and one of my favourite things is noticing things that have changed, or are in the process of changing. The mountains are moving, and "geological time" includes now.

Be it a simple broken branch or an enormous rockfall, there is always something different on the way up to the hut. The Summer sun is always pushing the snowline higher up the slopes, and as the freezing level rises things become looser. Our glacier (like most) is an extremely changeable environment, ever day sees avalanches and rockfalls from the side walls, and the ice itself bends and warps as the ice flows downhill. Crevasses open and close, chunks of ice the size of cars slowly become detached, and snowbridges disappear, leaving gaping holes where they were. The ice and the mountains are alive.

I also notice the difference in the ice between this year and last - there is less of it. Looking at photographs from previous years shows this even more clearly. Our little glacier above Kandersteg is disappearing, and it's heartbreaking.

We all know why this is; it is now almost universally accepted that our climate is warming, and that we are responsible. Our glacier is not alone, ice is melting all over the world. Every year Kandersteg and the rest of Europe sees less snow than in the past, and I find that upsetting. I can't place my finger on why, but I do. Climate change will affect us all in some way. Sometimes those effects are drastic and devastating. Sometimes, however, they're just a little bit sad.

By Duncan Butler (UK) - SNICE Guide 2015 & 2016