Leaner, greener pubs
Calling Time on Waste is a guidebook for pub owners to help them save money by conserving water, saving energy and preventing waste. It was put together by the Vintners Federation of Ireland, Monaghan County Council and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), it estimates the average pub could save €1,000 a year. Ideas include installing timers on beer cooling systems, using energy-efficient light bulbs and segregating waste. See ladp.ie
Tibetan glaciers
The melting glaciers of Tibet – sometimes referred to as the Third Pole – don't receive much attention, yet climatologists are warning of the devastating effects on food production. The Buddhist response will be explained by Dr John Stanley, director of the ecological Buddhist project in a talk on Tuesday at 8pm in NUI Galway. Dr Stanley is a former researcher at the UK Health Protection Agency and a member of the New York Academy of Sciences. Tibetan Buddhist teacher, Ringu Tulku Rinpoche, will give a talk entitled Adapting to World Change Through Meditation and Awareness.See ecobuddhism.org
Community transport
Local authorities should have responsibility for planning rural transport to make it accessible to people with limited options, according to a review of rural transport policy by Comhar Sustainable Development Council. “Transport is the biggest contributor to Ireland’s energy-related CO2 emissions,” said Prof Frank Convery, chairman of Comhar. He also suggested responsibility for rural transport be moved from the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs to the Department of Transport. See comharsdc.ie
Ecoweb
biodiversityireland.ie
The National Biodiversity Mapping System was launched this week with the aim of collating information about native and invasive plant and animal species in Ireland. Co-ordinated through the National Biodiversity Data Centre in Waterford, it currently has more than 400,000 records of 3,700 species.
