Cutting down on air travel?

Horizons: Do you feel guilty about the number of flights you take each year? Will you be limiting your air travel because you are worried that you are contributing to climate change?

Consider that one return flight to Florida produces the equivalent carbon dioxide to a year's motoring and a flight from Cork to Belfast produces four times the carbon dioxide that travelling by train would. "Growing numbers of travellers are deciding they must give up, or at least cut back on, their far flung weekend city breaks and long-haul holidays in the sun," wrote Tom Robbins in Escape, the Observer's travel section recently. These include Mark Ellingham, one of the founders of Rough Guides, the travel publishing company that played a key role in encouraging independent travel over the last 20 years. Ellingham said he will be limiting his plane trips and taking his summer holiday in Britain this year. Ellingham has just commissioned the Rough Guide to Climate Change and future Rough Guides will have a section warning readers about the negative effects of flying. "Of course, it's a contradiction, but we are in the unique position of being able to put information about climate change across in exactly the right context," he said.

Sustainable Fingal

Fingal County Council's (FCC) new sustainable building requirements should provide a good example for local authorities across Ireland keen to move towards energy efficient, healthy, low-environmental impact buildings. In three areas within FCC - north Ballymun, Cappagh and northwest Balbriggan - 30 per cent of heating must come from renewable energies and the entire water and space heating must be roughly half that in average homes. Three Green Party councillors in Fingal are credited for initiating these laudable requirements. Armed with proof that developers in certain local areas were prepared to meet sustainable building requirements beyond building regulations' requirements, they submitted their proposals to local area plans. Buildings in these areas will now have high standards of energy efficiency. See also www.constructireland.ie

Seabed survey continues

The Geological Survey of Ireland and the Marine Institute have just embarked on Phase Two of the Irish National Seabed Survey. This will involve extensive research into the seabed closer to our shores. Meanwhile, an exhibition in ENFO, the Environmental Information Services, 17 St Andrew St, Dublin, gives the public a snapshot (with photos of sea mammals, coral reefs, etc) of how Phase One of the survey was undertaken. The exhibition continues until February 28th.

Opening hours Monday to Saturday: 10am-5pm, admission free. See also www.enfo.ie and www.gsi.ie

Congregation of spring

Dr Declan Doogue of the Dublin Naturalists' Field Club will lead a walk exploring the first signs of spring in Airfield, Upper Kilmacud Road, Dublin, on Saturday next from 2.15pm to 4pm. Admission of €5 also includes entry to gardens.

Younger visitors can meet the animals at Airfield with Jeanne Prendergast at 2.15pm. See also www.airfield.ie