Horizons

Improving children's health One third of all diseases are caused by environmental hazards, according to experts, and recent research has shown that children are not always protected by existing environmental standards and laws.

A closer look at the situation reveals that the under-fives - who make up 12 per cent of the world's population - suffer from 43 per cent of global diseases. These issues will be discussed at an international conference, Healthy Environments, Healthy Children, in Buenos Aires, Argentina from Monday to Wednesday. Representatives from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Pan American Health Organisation will look at ways to strengthen environmental legislation and find out how to assess environmental risks to children. An international workshop on the use of biomarkers to identify children's exposure to environmental chemicals will be held directly after the conference. See www.who.int/ ceh/ news/ hehcconf/en and www.who.int/heca/en.

Calls to save the walls Many Irish people return from holidays in countries such as France and Italy captivated by the floodlit medieval walled cities and towns. Earlier this year, a group was formed to conserve the walled cities and towns in Ireland. Co-ordinated by the Heritage Council of Ireland, the Irish Walled Towns Network - which includes towns such as Drogheda and Wexford, and the cities of Galway and Limerick - has put together an action plan for 2006-2008. As part of this initiative the Heritage Council and Kilkenny Borough Council launched a conservation plan for Kilkenny's medieval city walls earlier this week. The plan proposes a range of policies to safeguard the city's walls and to raise awareness of their historic significance. www.heritagecouncil.ie

Coming up with the goods? Consumers or Citizens? - How to Live Well Without Carbon is the title of the annual lecture organised by Feasta, the foundation for the economics of sustainability. The lecture will be given by UK-based consultant Roger Levett in the Davenport Hotel, off Merrion Square, Dublin on Monday, November 21st at 7.30pm. Levett believes that "expanding the range of choices available for private consumption can often deprive individuals of other choices which may make them better off". He argues that however many brands of toothpaste, sausages or cars we can buy, we are not able to choose "public goods" such as clean air, uncongested streets, sustainable agricultural systems or safer communities. His theory is that these "goods" can only be made available through democratic decisions of government, yet focusing policy on consumer choice can actually reduce the quality of goods and services available. For bookings, contact 01-4053615.

Activity on radioactivity Radioactivity in your environment is the theme of an exhibition which opens in Enfo, 17 Andrew Street, Dublin on Monday. Mounted by the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland, it explains how radiation affects us and its benefits and hazards. The exhibition continues until December 16th. Contact 01-8883911, email info@enfo.ie