Horizons

A round-up of other news in brief

Talk about Vikings

A permanent exhibition of the recent finds from the Viking site at Woodstown, Co Waterford, will open at the Waterford Museum of Treasures to coincide with an international Viking conference in there later this month. Prof Dagfinn Skre, of the Viking and Medieval Archaeology at the University of Oslo in Norway, will give the keynote address of the three-day conference on March 26th.

Other speakers will look at Norse towns in Ireland, the origins and character of Hiberno-Norse in Waterford. There will also be visits to the Woodstown site. Contact 051-304500.

Healthy climate?

Healthy, sustainable communities should be part of our response to climate change, said Dr Jane Wilde, chief executive of the Institute of Public Health (IPH), at its recent conference, Does Climate Change Impact Upon Health? At the event, IPH associate director Owen Metcalfe gave examples of what could could reduce carbon emissions and benefit health. These include improv- ing energy efficiency in homes, which will reduce fuel poverty, improving active travel and increasing the availability of open green spaces, both of which will reduce obesity and improve mental health.

Our best response

Nearly 50 per cent say the Government is not doing enough to tackle climate change, according to a recent European poll on attitudes to climate change. Yet, many of us still do not or will not change our behaviour to reduce our carbon footprint. Gavin Harte will present four workshops on All You Need to Know About Climate Change in Cultivate at the Greenhouse, 17 St Andrew St, Dublin. He aims to inform those keen to understand the implications of climate change and the necessary response. The workshops run on Thursdays, 7.30pm-9pm, from March 25. Cost €60. Contact 01-6745773.