Month: May 2023

Here’s how the UN summit against the flood of plastic waste is going

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One thousand five hundred international delegates have been meeting since Monday in Paris about a global agreement to eliminate the plastic flood from the world! “The world needs to start turning off the plastic tap immediately and with emergency measures. Plastic is made from nearly 100 percent fossil fuels, making it extremely anti-climate. Negotiators must take seriously the dangerous impact of pollution on the environment and people and decide on a radical change. Mini-steps or voluntary measures are completely insufficient in view of the gigantic scale,” demands Lisa Panhuber, a…

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Spring was wet and dull, but warmer than before

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Spring 2023 was wet and dreary, “one of the 15 wettest and sunniest” since recorded, Geosphere Austria tallied Tuesday. The number of sunshine hours was 25 percent below average. “It was thus the dullest spring since 1991,” experts said. With a mild March and relatively calm April and May, it is about average for the recent past but was significantly warmer than a spring earlier.“Compared to an average spring in the period 1991 to 2020, spring 2023 was 0.1 degrees below average in Austria’s lowlands and 0.3 degrees below average…

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According to Greenpeace, almost all kitchen herbs contaminated with pesticides

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Eighty percent of the kitchen herbs tested by Greenpeace are contaminated with pesticides. This was the result of the NGO’s market check published on Tuesday.Greenpeace examined the assortment of the five most common kitchen herbs in supermarkets, hardware stores and garden centers. Residues of 23 different sprays were detected in the 20 samples. Twenty different kitchen herbs – from chives and parsley to mint, basil, thyme and rosemary – from conventional and organic farming were put under the microscope. The results were shocking for Greenpeace: among the pesticides detected was…

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So many people suffer from allergy

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They are beautiful to look at but rob quite a few of their breath: flowering grasses. A survey now reveals how many people suffer from allergies. Allergy sufferers are not to be envied: For months, they have been plagued by various plants. Now the grass also makes their eyes itch and their noses run. The drought is exacerbating the problem. The Linz-based polling institute Imas wanted to know how many people in Austria suffer from the annoying symptoms. One thousand-eight people were questioned, representing the population aged 16 and over.…

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A new money bonus gets you half the net monthly rent in Vienna

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A new money bonus is coming – and it’s a tough one! The “Gemeindebau-Bonus” is intended to relieve the burden on hundreds of thousands of Viennese significantly. New bonus fixed, payment in September 2023! The Vienna City Council has set the so-called “community building bonus” for 55 million euros. “Community building in Vienna has always stood for social cohesion. Through the multi-level community building bonus, the City of Vienna and Vienna Housing shows what it means to look and act socially accurate,” said Housing Councillor and Deputy Mayor Katrin Gaál…

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Subsequent price increase for rents threatens already in July

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Since inflation has not slowed down noticeably in recent months, many tenants are already threatened with the subsequent price increase in July – because category rents are then expected to rise by about 5.5 percent. This would be the fourth increase in 15 months and would affect around 135,000 households if the government does not take countermeasures. AK, ÖGB and the tenants’ association are alarmed and are once again calling for the introduction of a rent brake. Fourth increase in 15 months“Four increases in 15 months of a total of…

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Pope lamented division in the world at Pentecost Mass

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On Pentecost, Sunday, Pope Francis lamented discontent and division in the world. “We are all connected, and yet we are divided from one another, numbed by indifference and oppressed by loneliness. So many wars, so many conflicts: it seems incredible the evil that man can do,” the pope said.Several hundred faithful and cardinals sat in the pews and chairs around the altar. The pope seemed in good shape. He had cancelled several appointments Friday because of a fever. Christians celebrate the Feast of Pentecost 50 days after Easter, bringing the…

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Sunny weather prevails this week

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Sunny weather will continue until the end of next week, according to a forecast by Geosphere Austria. May is coming to an early end of summer. Beyond that, it will remain mostly sunny and pleasantly warm until next Friday, with the tendency for showers and thunderstorms increasing toward the end of the week. The summer is thus not only calendar-technically before the door. Pentecost Monday brings scattered showersOn Whit Monday, the sun will initially shine from the sky everywhere before spring clouds will form over the mountains and hills in…

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Price of goods, Corona, electricity – important changes in June

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Several changes will come into effect on June 1 or during the month. For example, the last Corona measures expire in this country, stricter penalties for e-scooter drivers are coming, a discounter is starting a 50 percent special sale, electricity customers should compare prices again, and the festival season is beginning—an overview of the most important innovations. ➤ As of June 30, Covid-19 is no longer a notifiable disease. Specifically, this means, above all, the end of the so-called traffic restrictions. Currently, Covid-positive individuals still have to adhere to rules…

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