A river dammed by a huge Swiss landslide is flowing again. That's a relief to authorities
A huge mass of rock, ice and mud from the Birch glacier thundered into the Lötschental valley in southern Switzerland on Wednesday, destroying much of the village. Buildings that weren't buried were submerged in a lake created by the small Lonza River, whose course was dammed by the mass of material.
Authorities worried that water pooling above the mass of rock and ice could lead to risks of its own. Still, the regional government in Valais canton (state) said that the Lonza has been flowing through the full length of the debris since Friday.
Geologist and regional official Raphaël Mayoraz said Saturday that the level of the lake has since gone down about one metre (3.3 feet).
'The speed at which this lake is emptying comes from the river eroding the deposit,' he said at a news conference. 'This erosion is relatively slow, but that's a good thing. If it is too fast, then there is instability in this channel, and that could lead to small slides of debris.'
'The Lonza appears to have found its way, but it too early to be able to give an all-clear,' said Matthias Bellwald, Blatten's mayor.
The outlet of a dam downstream at Ferden, which is normally used to generate electricity, was opened partially on Friday evening to allow water to flow further down the valley and regulate the volume of water behind the dam. Authorities are still leaving open the possibility of evacuations further downstream if required, though the risk to other villages appears very low.
Days before most of the glacier collapsed, authorities had ordered the evacuation of about 300 people, as well as livestock, from Blatten. Switzerland's president said on Friday that the government was looking for ways to help the evacuees.
The Associated Press
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBC
2 days ago
- CBC
Global plastics treaty negotiations fail to reach a consensus — again
Social Sharing What was supposed to be the final round of negotiations for a legally binding global treaty to end plastic pollution has failed to reach a consensus. After delegates spent 10 days in Geneva, Switzerland, trying to address plastic pollution, the session was adjourned, with no immediate plans to resume efforts to reach a treaty. The World Wildlife Fund called on ambitious states to pursue a separate deal, with the hope of getting plastics-producing nations on board later. "Consensus is dead, it's clear that it's not working," Björn Beeler, the international co-ordinator for the International Pollutants Elimination Network (IPEN), told CBC News. This was the sixth time countries had convened as part of the UN Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee, which was supposed to come to an agreement by 2024. Representatives from 183 countries and 400 organizations showed up, and the stakes were high. Around 7,250 megatonnes of plastic pollute the planet, according to The Lancet Countdown on health and plastics, which was published in Health Policy earlier this month. And plastic production is on course to triple by 2060. Anthony Merante, senior plastics campaigner for non-profit organization Oceana Canada, says imposing limits on plastics production was at the heart of the disagreement. "It is unfortunate that some of the largest countries in the world want to stand on the path that leads us to making more plastic and to continuing the pollution crisis that we have," he told CBC News from Geneva on Friday. "But we're happy to see Canada stand on the right side of this." Flawed process, say attendees Consensus decision-making paralyzed the talks, Erin Simon, an expert on plastics and packaging at the World Wildlife Fund, told The Associated Press back in December. Consensus means that every nation must agree for there to be a legally binding treaty. "Each country has a veto card," said Simon. "They have no incentive to come up with a plan and we've seen that time and time again in these negotiations." At negotiations in Busan, South Korea, in December 2024, Saudi Arabia, Russia, India and other countries that produce plastics and oil and gas pushed for a treaty focused on better waste management and recycling — not plastic production caps. This remained the case in Geneva. WATCH | Why it's so hard to end plastic pollution: Why it's so hard to end plastic pollution 1 year ago "Issues like production are very, very hard to move," IPEN's Beeler told CBC News on Monday, halfway through the negotiations. IPEN is a global network of more than 600 organizations in 131 countries that conducts research to help influence global policy. "It's clear [many plastic-producing countries] do not want a treaty. It's clear the only thing that they would tolerate would be an agreement that addresses plastic waste management, and even there, they're difficult,"said Beeler. Beeler says a focus on waste management and recycling pushes the responsibility onto the general public. Big divide on certain topics Production limits and ways to address chemicals used in plastic products were removed from a draft of the treaty presented on Wednesday, which was supposed to be the second-to-last day of negotiations. When the countries reconvened Wednesday night, Colombia's delegation said it wouldn't accept the new draft as the basis for negotiations, calling the text unbalanced and lacking the ambition and global obligations needed to end plastic pollution. Canada and many other delegations agreed — including Panama, Mexico, Chile, Ghana, Norway, the United Kingdom, the European Union and the group of small island developing states. They are all part of the High Ambition Coalition, a group of ambitious countries committed to ending plastic pollution by 2040. "Let me be clear — this is not acceptable for future generations," said Erin Silsbe from Environment and Climate Change Canada. Fiji delegate Sivendra Michael said it would be like "mopping the floor without turning off the tap." Almost 100 countries wanted to limit plastic production, as well as tackle waste cleanup and recycling. Instead, the draft of the treaty centered on the redesign of plastic products so they can be recycled and reused, and improving waste management. It also didn't impose global, legally binding rules, instead asking nations to make their own commitments to ending plastic pollution. What this means for Canadians Canada had been part of the High Ambition Coalition to end plastic pollution since its inauguration in 2022. "Plastic pollution knows no borders, global rules are essential to protect ecosystems, coastal and Indigenous communities, and to address transboundary threats," Kennan Nembhard, a press secretary with Environment and Climate Change Canada, told CBC News in a statement on Thursday. Canada generates 4.7 million tonnes of plastic waste per year and only recycles about eight per cent, according to Oceana Canada. "If you want to fight plastic pollution effectively, you need to do so at the source, because we've been making plastic for over five decades now and recycling has never hit double-digits efficiency numbers," said Merante from Oceana Canada. "We have seen plastic wash up on our shores, fill our oceans, fill the stomachs of wildlife like whales and seabirds and dolphins. We have seen the devastating effects of this and now we're learning the human health effects of this." Merante says that without a treaty, there aren't clear next steps for Canadians. He hopes the government will pass new legislation to provide some guidance, but says businesses need to be on board for things to change.
CTV News
3 days ago
- CTV News
Plastic pollution treaty talks in Geneva end without an agreement
Delegates reacts during a plenary session of Second Part of the Fifth Session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution (INC-5.2), at the European headquarters of the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025. (Martial Trezzini/Keystone via AP) GENEVA — Talks on a treaty to address the global crisis of plastic pollution in Geneva ended without an agreement Friday as the session was adjourned with plans to resume at a later date. Nations were meeting for an 11th day at the United Nations office to try to complete a landmark treaty to end the plastic pollution crisis. They remain deadlocked over whether the treaty should reduce exponential growth of plastic production and put global, legally binding controls on toxic chemicals used to make plastics. Most plastic is made from fossil fuels. Inger Andersen, executive director of the United Nations Environment Programme, said despite challenges, despite the disappointment, 'we have to accept that significant progress was made.' This process won't stop, she said, but it's too soon to say how long it will take to get a treaty now. The Youth Plastic Action Network was the only organization to speak at the closing meeting Friday. Comments from observers were cut off at the request of the U.S. and Kuwait after 24 hours of meetings and negotiating. The negotiations at the UN hub were supposed to be the last round and produce the first legally binding treaty on plastic pollution, including in the oceans. But just like at the meeting in South Korea last year, they're leaving without a treaty. Luis Vayas Valdivieso, the chair of the negotiating committee, wrote and presented two drafts of treaty text in Geneva based on the views expressed by the nations. The representatives from 184 countries did not agree to use either one as the basis for their negotiations. Valdivieso said Friday morning as the delegates reconvened in the assembly hall that no further action is being proposed at this stage on the latest draft. After a three-hour meeting, he banged a gavel made of recycled plastic bottle tops from a Nairobi landfill. A 'deeply disappointing' outcome Representatives of Norway, Australia, Tuvalu and others nations said they were deeply disappointed to be leaving Geneva without a treaty. Madagascar said the world is 'expecting action, not reports from us.' European Commissioner Jessika Roswall said the European Union and its member states had higher expectations for this meeting and while the draft falls short on their demands, it's a good basis for another negotiating session. 'The Earth is not ours only. We are stewards for those who come after us. Let us fulfill that duty,' she said. China's delegation said the fight against plastic pollution is a long marathon and that this temporary setback is a new starting point to forge consensus. It urged nations to work together to offer future generations a blue planet without plastic pollution. Lots of red lines The biggest issue of the talks has been whether the treaty should impose caps on producing new plastic or focus instead on things like better design, recycling and reuse. Powerful oil- and gas-producing nations and the plastics industry oppose production limits. They want a treaty focused on better waste management and reuse. Saudi Arabia said both drafts lacked balance, and Saudi and Kuwaiti negotiators said the latest proposal takes other states' views more into account. It addressed plastic production, which they consider outside the scope of the treaty. That draft, released early Friday, did not include a limit on plastic production, but recognized that current levels of production and consumption are 'unsustainable' and global action is needed. New language had been added to say these levels exceed current waste management capacities and are projected to increase further, 'thereby necessitating a coordinated global response to halt and reverse such trends.' The objective of the treaty was revamped to state that the accord would be based on a comprehensive approach that addresses the full lifecycle of plastics. It talked about reducing plastic products containing 'a chemical or chemicals of concern to human health or the environment,' as well as reducing of single-use or short-lived plastic products. It was a much better, more ambitious text, though not perfect. But each country came to Geneva with a lot of 'red lines,' said Magnus Heunicke, the Danish environment minister. Denmark holds the rotating presidency of the Council of Europe. 'To be very clear, a compromise means that we have to bend our red lines,' he said. For its part, Iran said it's a disappointing moment and faulted 'nontransparent and non-inclusive processes on unrealistic elements,' particularly chemicals. The plastics industry also urged compromise. The Global Partners for Plastics Circularity said in a statement that governments must move past entrenched positions to finalize an agreement reflecting their shared priorities. No consensus For any proposal to make it into the treaty, every nation must agree. India, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Kuwait, Vietnam and others have said that consensus is vital to an effective treaty. Some countries want to change the process so decisions may be made by a vote if necessary. Graham Forbes, head of the Greenpeace delegation in Geneva, urged delegates in that direction. 'We are going in circles. We cannot continue to do the same thing and expect a different result,' he said as Friday's meeting was ending. The International Pollutants Elimination Network said what happened in Geneva showed 'consensus is dead' for the process to move forward. Thursday was the last scheduled day of negotiations, but work on the revised draft continued into Friday. Every year, the world makes more than 400 million tons of new plastic, and that could grow by about 70% by 2040 without policy changes. About 100 countries want to limit production. Many have said it's also essential to address toxic chemicals used to make plastics. Science shows what it will take to end pollution and protect human health, said Bethanie Carney Almroth, an ecotoxicology professor at Sweden's University of Gothenburg who coleads the Scientists' Coalition for an Effective Plastics Treaty. The science supports addressing the full lifecycle of plastics, beginning with extraction and production, and restricting some chemicals to ensure plastics are safer and more sustainable, she added. 'The science has not changed,' she said. 'It cannot be down negotiated.' Environmentalists, waste pickers and Indigenous leaders and many business executives traveled to the talks to make their voices heard. Some used creative tactics, but are leaving disappointed. Indigenous leaders sought a treaty that recognizes their rights and knowledge. Frankie Orona, executive director of the Texas-based Society of Native Nations, said the best option now is to move forward with more negotiations to 'fight for a treaty that truly safeguards people and the planet.' ___ Jennifer Mcdermott, The Associated Press The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at
CTV News
3 days ago
- CTV News
Plastic pollution talks go into overtime as countries push for late breakthrough
A plenary session takes place during the second part of the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on plastic pollution at the European headquarters of the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2025. (Martial Trezzini/Keystone via AP) GENEVA - Talks to create the world's first legally binding treaty to tackle plastic pollution went into overtime on Thursday, with talks adjourned to the following day. Countries scrambled to bridge deep divisions over the extent of future curbs on what was meant to be the final day of negotiations at the United Nations in Geneva. But with just 30 minutes left in the scheduled meeting, the chair of the talks of the International Negotiating Committee (INC), Luis Vayas Valdivieso, told delegates the negotiations would run into Friday. The INC is a group established by the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) in 2022 with the mandate to develop a legally binding global treaty to address plastic pollution. Late Thursday night, countries had been awaiting a new text that could be the basis for further negotiations after delegations who want an ambitious plastics treaty threw out the one proposed on Wednesday. States pushing for a comprehensive treaty, including Panama, Kenya, Britain and the European Union, shared frustration that key articles on the full life cycle of plastic pollution - from the production of polymers to the disposal of waste - as well as the harm to health had been removed entirely from the text. Oil-producing nations are against curbs on the production of virgin plastics derived from petroleum, coal, and gas, while others want it to be limited and to have stricter controls over plastic products and hazardous chemicals. 'You cannot reconcile these two positions, and so I think that the chair will keep on trying. I don't know if he can, and if he can't, it will be time to seriously think about how to move forward,' David Azoulay, the managing attorney of the Center for International Environmental Law's Geneva Office, told Reuters. EU Commissioner Jessika Roswall said a 'weak, static agreement serves no one.' 'A treaty that covers the full life cycle of plastics and can evolve with science is a vital step ... The next few hours will show whether we can rise to the moment,' she said in a statement. Panama described Wednesday's draft text as 'repulsive' and called for a complete rewrite. Saudi Arabia, which is resisting major curbs, said nothing could be agreed until the treaty's scope was clearly defined. More than 1,000 delegates have gathered in Geneva for the sixth round of talks, after a meeting of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee in South Korea late last year ended without a deal. Advocacy groups held a banner and chanted against a 'weak treaty' on Thursday as they waited for delegates to arrive in the U.N. plenary hall in Geneva for further discussions. The OECD warns that without intervention, plastic production will triple by 2060, further choking oceans, harming health, and exacerbating climate change. Compromise Norwegian Minister of Climate and Environment Andreas Bjelland Eriksen, co-chair of the High Ambition Countries group, told Reuters that all parties need to compromise. 'We are willing to discuss all articles, three, six, for example, to be able to create the package that can be good enough for everyone,' he said, pointing to potential openness to re-discussing restrictions on chemicals and production. Ross Eisenberg, president of America's Plastic Makers, which is part of the American Chemistry Council, said he was optimistic. 'We think this can be really good for our industry, society, and for the environment,' he told Reuters. The council, which supports a deal without limits on plastic production, warned that the U.S. might not ratify a treaty containing provisions to ban chemicals or restrict plastic production. However, Colombian lawmaker Juan Carlos Lozada urged that no deal would be better than a watered-down deal. Some 300 businesses, including Unilever, have pressed for an ambitious treaty that harmonizes rules globally. 'If we don't get that degree of harmonization, we risk further fragmentation ... and higher costs,' Ed Shepherd, senior global sustainability manager at Unilever, told Reuters. Reporting by Olivia Le Poidevin and Emma Farge in Geneva; additional reporting by Alexander Marrow in London; editing by Giles Elgood, Marguerita Choy and Stephen Coates.
