Young environmentalists The environmental stresses faced by young people is the theme of this year's ECO-UNESCO activity days held as part of the National Youth Council of Ireland's (NYCI) One World Week which begins on Monday.
The activities, for 12 to 18-year-olds, aim to offer young people opportunities to discuss problems such as noise and air pollution and the lack of urban green spaces. Activities take place in St Andrew's Resource Centre, Pearse Street, Dublin on Tuesday and in the National Environmental Education Centre in Knocksink Wood, Enniskerry, Co Wicklow, on Wednesday. Admission is free but booking is essential on tel: 01-6625491. See www.ecounesco.ie
See also www.nyci.ie for details of the NYCI's youth programme for One World Week for which the theme is "Chilled out, not worn out".
Ballymun project handbook
The Ballymun Ecobook was launched last night as part of a "tribal celebration day" in the Axis Arts Centre, Ballymun, Dublin. A tastefully designed handbook for community groups who would like to develop environmental action programmes, it offers lots of honest and thoughtful advice on how to get people interested and involved, how to run meetings and develop projects. The projects undertaken included a recycling centre, a gardening project, a group to create environmental awareness, an after-schools project and a writers' group. The project, which was developed following principles of the Global Action Plan (GAP) Environmental Action Team Programme, was funded by Combat Poverty and Ballymun Regeneration Ltd. See also www.ballymun.info
Cob house destroyed
Supporters of sustainable building practices are shocked and saddened by the suspected arson attack on Ireland's first cob house. The house, near Enniskeane, Co Cork was destroyed by fire on October 25th. Its owners, Rob and Emma Hopkins and their four children, had been looking forward to moving into their new home. Now all that remain of the house are the cob walls (made from local clay and straw). The roof (whose tiles were made from recycled car tyres), windows, floors, stairs, solar water heating panels and internal plaster were all destroyed in the fire. As the construction of the house was uninsurable, the Hopkins, who are one of the families who set up the Hollies Centre for Practical Sustainability near Enniskeane are now facing ruin. Friends and supporters have set up a bank account for donations. See www.theholliesonline.com for details or post a donation to Friends of the Hollies, Coomanore North, Bantry, Co Cork.
Sustainability lecture
Dr Wolfgang Sachs, a senior fellow at the Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Energy and Environment in Germany will give the annual lecture of the Foundation for the Economics of Sustainability on Thursday at 7.45 p.m. in the Mont Clare Hotel, Merrion Square, Dublin. Dr Sachs, who leads projects on globalisation and sustainability, and environment and fairness in world trade, will look at conflicts for resources around the world from the perspective of fairness and justice. See also www.feasta.org.