Turning out the lights: Next Saturday at 8.30pm Irish time, the lights will be switched off on iconic buildings such as the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the Colosseum in Rome and the Customs House and Government buildings in Dublin to mark Earth Hour.
Now in its third year, this grassroots campaign aims to have 1,500 cities in 80 countries participating in this hour-long gesture of support for action on climate change. The event began in Sydney, Australia in 2007 when two million Sydneysiders turned off their lights. Last year, more than 50 million people around the world participated and the target for this year is one billion people. See www.earthhour.org.
Environmental education
The Green Schools programme has saved schools at least €2 million in waste, electricity, water and fuel costs this year, according to recent research. The same study found that about 12 tonnes of waste are diverted from landfill in Ireland every school day by the 3,000-plus schools participating in the Green Schools Programme. This year, the environmental education programme has expanded its focus beyond the incremental management of litter, waste, energy and water to include travel to and from school. The website includes a carbon calculator so that schools can calculate their overall carbon foot print. See www.greenschoolsireland.org
Learning to grow your own
We need to integrate environmental issues fully into future economic planning, according to Dr Gerry Clabby, heritage officer with Fingal County Council. “The link between economic success and environmental quality is becoming increasingly apparent,” he writes for the Comhar Sustainable Development Council. Dr Clabby suggests that the green infrastructure model, which sees green urban spaces as a benefit to all species, recognises the fundamental contribution that green space makes to our quality of life and then plans for its protection, provision and management in tandem with plans for growth and development. See www.comharsdc.ie for full report.
ECOWEB
www.unwater.org
This is the official United Nations website for World Water Day tomorrow. The international day draws attention to sustainable management of freshwater. This year’s theme is transboundary water, with the aim to build mutual respect, understanding and trust between countries.
sthompson@irishtimes.com
