More than eight in ten want tougher dog laws

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General News

More than eighty per cent of Austrians want tougher dangerous dog laws, a new survey has shown.Pollsters Oekonsult interviewed 1,117 people for its research as a referendum over whether a so-called dog keepers’ licence should be introduced starts tomorrow (Thurs) in Vienna.The Oekonsult poll shows 83 per cent of the questioned backed “restrictive law changes […]

Catholic Church exodus

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General News

By David RogersThe number of Catholics leaving the Church soared last year, according to Catholic press agency Kathpress.It reported today (Weds) that 53,216 people had left the Church last year – 30.9 per cent more than in 2008.The figure was 0.96 per cent of all Austrian Catholics, the agency said.The number of Catholics in Austria […]

Nuclear plant expansion protest backed by 204,000 Viennese

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Green Austria

By William GreenMore than 200,000 Vienna residents have signed a petition against the controversial expansion of a nuclear power plant in Slovakia, a city councillor has claimed.Social Democratic (SPÖ) environmental councillor Ulli Sima, who had started postcard and online campaigns against its expansion, said today (Thurs) that 204,162 people had signed the petition.She said: “We […]

Closure of Vienna Ring causes political firestorm

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Green Austria

By Lisa ChapmanPoliticians have hit out after Vienna’s Ringstraße was shut down yesterday (Tues) to mark an EU-wide car free day.They blasted the move – organised by the Greens and environmental non-governmental organizations (NGOs) – which saw the Ring between Operngasse and Bellariastraße shut and covered with artificial grass for people to picnic on during […]

Fridge and freezer scrappage scheme launched

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Green Austria

By David RogersAustrian authorities have launched a new scrappage scheme for old refrigerators and freezers.The Household Environmental Forum (UFH) in cooperation with the environment ministry announced today that Austrians would get 100 Euros for the exchange of the old appliances for energy-saving “A++” devices under the scheme, which has been backdated to 1 September.The budget […]

Insurance firm wants more ‘green’ car repair

Categories
Green Austria

By David RogersThe Vienna insurance firm Allianz has called for more environmentally-friendly car repair.Firm board member Johann Oswald said today (Thurs) that a study by the Karlsruhe Institute for Technology in Germany had shown that smaller repairs instead of the installation of new spare parts resulted in significantly lower emissions of greenhouse gases.Oswald said such […]